Red Number At The Casino

Red Number At The Casino

I found a fortune with my hands in the loo.

notes folded like promises all over the floor.

The table smiled, green and patient,

as if it already knew my name.

The wheel sang gently in circles of light,

red and black breathing side by side.

I chose hope dressed up as certainty,

and pushed my faith across the line.

Chips stacked high, rich man’s towers

each one heavier than the last.

Applause echoed in my chest,

winning felt like truth for a while.

Then the wheel changed its tone,

the click became sharper, colder.

Luck turned its face to the crowd,

and left me standing where I was.

One spin took more than money,

it took the future I had rehearsed.

The room stayed bright and careless,

while quiet inside me I wanted to win.

I walked out lighter than I arrived,

pockets empty, lessons full.

Some fortunes are meant to vanish,

so the cost is finally understood.

My God punished me,

That fortune was never mine to gamble.