New Poem
Ok, so I haven't posted a new poem in a really long time, so I thought I would throw this one up here.
The Casino
The sound of slot machines is different before
noon, as if that is the hour of change from sin
to not, from taboo to tolerated,so at 10am the floor
of the casino is a noisy graveyard, a grim
ghost town of blinking neon begging for attention, and rows
of pitifully empty chairs, save for an old man
in one, slumped, feeding a nickel slot slow-
ly bite after metalic bite. His mind understands
the futility of it all, how he might as well
be tossing his money to the bottom of a lake,
but he comes so that he can tell
he lived another day, he comes to take
the lever in his hand, pull down, and wish,
that single motion, that short span,
and it all comes down to this:
a waiting game that no man has won. No man.
The Casino
The sound of slot machines is different before
noon, as if that is the hour of change from sin
to not, from taboo to tolerated,so at 10am the floor
of the casino is a noisy graveyard, a grim
ghost town of blinking neon begging for attention, and rows
of pitifully empty chairs, save for an old man
in one, slumped, feeding a nickel slot slow-
ly bite after metalic bite. His mind understands
the futility of it all, how he might as well
be tossing his money to the bottom of a lake,
but he comes so that he can tell
he lived another day, he comes to take
the lever in his hand, pull down, and wish,
that single motion, that short span,
and it all comes down to this:
a waiting game that no man has won. No man.
posted by Aimee | 9:13 PM
4 Comments:
This poem reminds me of Steely Dan's song "Go Back Jack," which is about the futility of gambling. The Grateful Dead's "Tennessee Jed" has a slot machine reference. A slot machine is a contraption for slow and meditative suicide.
Very cool, Aimee!
How's CA treating you?
Hey Aimee, I really like this poem a lot! Something about the couplets and the slot machines just makes me think of someone
putting in money
pulling the handle
putting in money
pulling the handle
Know what I mean? Of course you do, you wrote it. Anyway, thanks for sharing, and hope you have a great holiday. Be in touch!
It's nice to see one of your poems posted.
Merry Christmas!
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