A Winning Hand

[couchgrouch]

A Winning HandSundown near the New Mexico linethe sky was red as my Texaco signthis Jag with a wax n glow shinepulled off I-10 for some gashonked his horn at my full service pumpsaid, "hey Bubba...fill 'er upgot some Irish coffee for my cupcos this joint don't look first class"shook his head at my townat the church and football fieldpaid with his gold cardsaid man you've got it hardfate sure dealt you a raw dealI said, "look here, friendright there's interstate tendown the block there's Jack in the Boxwe've got Dairy Queen and Burger Kingand over there is Ace Hardwarethey all serve the working manso you might think we're out of touchbut we've got it made in spadesthis town's a royal flushyeah, it's a winning hand"he asked about fine restaurantsI said that-a-way's Sam's honky-tonkhe'll fix anything you wantlong as you like it spicey n friedwell, I locked up at closing timecounted my drawer...shut off the signdropped by Sam's way past ninethat Jag was still parked outsidethere's poker in the backhe was drinking and laughing loudhe said the preacher and mayorwere helluvah playersand they were cleaning him outsaid, "I'll say it againright there's interstate tendown the block there's Jack in the Boxwe've got Dairy Queen and Burger Kingand over there is Ace Hardwarethey all serve the working manso you might think we're out of touchbut we've got it made in spadesthis town's a royal flushyeah, it's a winning hand"well Sam's placeis like the chamber of commercethat stranger was drunkand almost a gonerhe said, "I'll be damnedbut this beats DisneylandI'll be back soonbring some friends to this saloonit's no joke, fate dealt you folksa winning handyeah, fate dealt you folksa winning hand"(c)2005 Robert George