Gambler

The air hangs thick with smoke and sweat,

A symphony of clinking coins, a gambler's bet.

Beneath the harsh fluorescent glow,

Faces etched with stories, some joy, some woe.

He sits alone, a weathered hand,

Wrinkled fingers curl around a worn-out fan.

Eyes like faded emeralds, once held a fire,

Now dimmed by years, and quenched desire.

Memories dance, a bittersweet ballet,

Of whispered wins and fortunes swept away.

A life built on chance, a reckless chase,

Always chasing, never finding grace.

He remembers youth, a heart alight,

First taste of victory in the neon night.

The thrill of holding all the winning cards,

A king of fortune, a life built on luck's regards.

But fortune's fickle, a fleeting kiss,

Turns blessings sour, with a single twist.

Losses mounted, debts began to grow,

Hope slowly dying, replaced with hollow woe.

The mansion sold, the jewels pawned away,

Left with nothing, but the games he'd play.

Wife left in tears, children's dreams denied,

The price of gambling, a heavy, crushing tide.

He pushes in his last, a meager chip,

A final prayer escapes his trembling lip.

The dealer spins, the wheel takes flight,

A tense silence hangs heavy in the night.

Click, clack, the ball bounces free,

Hope battles fear, a silent plea.

Black or red? The answer lies in fate,

Will fortune smile, or seal his desperate state?

Red it lands, a flicker in his eyes,

A fleeting triumph, a fragile prize.

Enough to eat, a bed for one more night,

But victory's hollow, devoid of light.

He stumbles out, beneath the city's sprawl,

Another restless soul, heeding fortune's call.

The weight of loss, a constant, heavy chain,

A broken man, trapped in a gambler's game.

But in the shadows, a flicker of doubt,

Can he escape, or forever shout

Into the void, a desperate plea,

For freedom's touch, from his self-made sea.

The city sleeps, oblivious to his plight,

A million stories lost in the neon light.

He walks on, a gambler to the core,

Forever chasing, forever wanting more.

Will dawn bring change, a chance to mend,

Or will he fall, to the darkness without end?

The answer echoes in the city's heart,

A gambler's struggle, a never-ending part.