Dead hand

Dead Hand                                                6/22/2016 

Some people gamble

And some people swindle

Each one playing a game

The same as it always was. 

Too good for the lifting

And too clever for the truth

But sleight of hand

And a sheepish grin.

Many are dead

By wolves in sheep’s clothing

Devoured in one bite

Mouths open in horror.

Amoral and shallow

They work in the dark

A body without a soul

And a demon

In disguise. 

What is empty

Will be filled

And they are bottomless pits

Unfathomable

And unknowable. 

Operating from a place

Shrouded in the dark

A deep abyss

Pulling us in. 

Relentless and deceitful

They never give in

And never give up

Always looking

And probing.

Looking for something

Or anything

Any opening

To exploit

And plunder.

Never missing a beat

And always counting the odds

The ace of spades

Running through the tables.

Cunning and shrewd

They think that they are clever

Well practiced in the art

Of thievery and lying. 

Carefully weaving a tapestry

Just to get what they want

A masterpiece of deception

For sport and profit.

But nothing is forever

And even the heartless

Must cease to breathe

As the clock ticks down

All the way to zero.    

They gamble with eternity

And in that wager

The death card will fall

Gone forever

And never missed at all.