the Once & X.

I wants wuz an Ace or so I’d bet.
Twice degraduated to King, then Jack.
I do sense by now that I'm no "10," yet
I'll keep raising stakes in counterfeit stacks.

I still haven’t learned my last lesson yet,
but the lesson before: I have figured it out.
There isn’t any gift or luck in doubt, just

Judgment's suspense! While the evidence
settles to landslide rout in an open case.
I have seen them all proved. Here comes

- on the river! I do
hope, bet, guess, thunk
hard, prayed sweet I reckon
suspect:

my Ace?

Close.

So let defeat cut cigar in half,
call it whole, better light next
time, next gaffe. Closer still
forever next, on this we vow:
or we really might as well:
’til death we

yet.

As close as now gets,
catching closer still,
oh yah. You bet. You
bet you will. So. Set?
Ready Go? OK.

Come closer still.