I’m An All-or-nothing Guy

In a sultry casino on the south side of town,

Sits a man, staring a blank wall down.

His gaze looked troubled; too much on his mind,

I went up to speak to him, I was feeling kind.

****

“Well, hi there Sir; you don’t look well,”

"Is there something that you choose to tell?”

“What can I say? Do you really care?”

“If you do, then yes, I’d like to share.”

****

I pulled up a stool and settled in,

“Would you like a drink, before we begin?”

“Well, yes, kind Sir, that would be mighty fine,

If it's OK with you, I’ll have a red wine.”

****

Once we were settled the man began,

He started his tale, “I’ve been a stupid man,”

“I thought I’d be smart and aim for the sky,

You see, I’m an all-or-nothing kind of guy.”

****

“I walked in here with a pocket full of cash,

I thought I could double it quick as a flash.”

"I’ve always been lucky; I thought I’d be fine,

Thought, what the hell, and put it all on nine.”

****

He took a big sip from his glass of wine,

“I don’t know what possessed me to put it on nine,

The wheel spun around but landed on four,

And now I‘ve no money instead of making more.”

****

“No wonder you look so down and so sad,

Losing all that money that you never had.”

“I know that’s my problem, and now I see why,

I guess it’s because I’m an all-or-nothing guy.”

****

“Well, listen my man, it’s your lucky day,

I’ll give you a chip from my winnings today.”

“But promise me this: there’s one thing I must say,

Don’t you go gambling anymore today.”

****

I got off my stool and walked to the door,

I looked over my shoulder, couldn’t believe what I saw.

The guy’s walking back to have another try,

Guess it’s because he’s an all-or-nothing guy.

****

I couldn’t resist, so I charged right back in,

I got there in time, just before the wheel was to spin.

He’d lost all his money and was now gambling mine,

Lo and behold – he put it all on number nine!

Till next time, thanks for reading my poem,

Calvin

[All rights reserved Calvin London 2024]