The Jack Plays the Joker

By Cliff Lake

 

The Jack Plays the Joker

 

The Joker was trying to figure the odds, trying to rig the game,

But the Jack walked in and sat at the table, he was playing this frame.

The Joker was desperate for any action, he needed a backer and quick,

But it looked like his second wasn’t flush and had already turned a trick.

 

The Jack was eyeing the Joker steadily, he wasn’t betting blind.

The Joker looked for a new buy-in but his markers were declined.

The Joker was chasing cards, he was looking at three of a kind,

But his backers were dropping out and his second had already resigned.

 

The Jack hadn’t yet shown his cards, and he was betting tough.

The Joker kept his patter going, but it was known he was all bluff.

The Jack had yet to say a word, his cards were face down on the table,

The Joker wasn’t up to this game, his chances looked unstable.

 

The Jack was raising the stakes and the Joker was low on chips,

The Joker was trying talk himself into a new deal, but he was losing his grip.

So the Jack keeps sitting there staring across the deck,

And the Joker will keep on running his mouth –

Until the rope closes around his neck.

 

Cliff Lake 4/27/2023

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023

Location: Washington, DC, USA

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