Three Hearts, a Club and a Spade

[couchgrouch]

Three Hearts, a Club and a SpadeAudrey poledanced at a club called the Beaver Damnedshe was too proud to hook and too old for the Sandsand in the years since Benny and Jill bought that placeJill suspected Benny helped himself to a tastecos he applied poker to the rules of lovehide your cards and when you're busted you bluffbut Jill slipped her own face card up her sleevecos the best bet she had left was to leaveand in Vegas that's how the game is playedthe winner knows he's won before the bet is madenow souls still on the Strip after twelveare shiny pawnshop trinkets that sell themselvesbut someone made Audrey feel too good to be soldafter closing a shadow wiped her sweat from the polethere was a cot on the back...dim bulb on a stringev'ry scratch drew blood and ev'ry whisper screamedcos it was almost cruel...so lusty and lowdownas they made love that to disco and Motownand in Vegas that's how the game is playedthe loser blames bad luck when the cards are laidwell, Benny drove his El Dorado back aloneafter taking some new dancer for a slow ride homeand as he fumbled with his doorkey in the darkthat shovel hit him hard enough to sparkgraves have their own ground rules in the desert sandsshovels go on top and champagne washes the digger's handscops wrote it off as a racketeer murder robb'ryJill sold that joint and moved to Monterey with Audrey cos in Vegas that's how the game is playedwith three hearts, a club and a spade(c)2005 Robert George