Winners and Losers
Winners and Losers
A poem about the pitfalls of gambling seen through a day at the horse races. As with every form of gambling, there are always winners and losers. Sometimes in unexpected ways.
Winners and Losers
by John Hansen © 2013
The crowd is cheering loudly
As they turn into the straight.
Betting tickets held aloft
“My horse is going great!”
‘Fleeting Glance’ is two lengths clear,
I’m sure to win a grand.
Oh no! that’s not the name
On the ticket in my hand.
I must have got my numbers crossed
When I put on my bet.
The one I backed is ‘Nothing Less’,
And she’s not coming yet.
I toss my ticket in the trash
So sure I’ve lost the lot,
When ‘Nothing Less’ comes flying home
And ‘Fleeting Glance’ just stops.
She takes the lead right on the line,
At 56 to 1,
The ticket’s worth five times as much
Then if ‘Fleeting Glance’ had won.
Frantically I scavenge
Throwing trash from out the bin.
As a hobo with a smiling face
Takes a ticket to cash in.
Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction, and thoroughly enjoying this, especially flash fiction.
I have been fortunate to have two poems made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.
My services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.
It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.
I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.
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Hi John. Lighthearted and fun to read with a truth spoken – winners and losers. And the timing is perfect with The Kentucky Derby taking place in America this weekend!
Thank you, William, I appreciate that. I like to write some lighthearted comic poetry and limericks occasionally. I wasn’t aware it was Kentucky Derby time though. Glad you enjoyed it.
Oh! The cost of losing faith on something can cause a lot of heartache. Lucky Hobo, for sure. Very fun read, John. I love the excitement of the Kentucky Derby. I have never placed a bet on it, but it is so fun to cheer for my favorite. Thanks for a lively and lighthearted poem. Very enjoyable.
Thanks or reading this Phyllis. I used to be a regular punter but not anymore…it had it’s ups and downs, but now I only bet on The Melbourne Cup or if I happen to see a horse with a name that’s relevant to me. I love movies about the Kentucky Derby or Triple Crown winners…like Seabiscuit or Secretariat.
I’ve played the ponies, won and lost but never to a Hobo. I liked the tempo of this poem John. I’ve often wondered myself if I’ve thrown away a winner. Now I’m going to think twice before I toss my ticket to the trash can.
Thanks Vincent. You can’t be too careful. “It’s never over until the fat lady sings” and even then there can be a protest. I never lost to a hobo either as far as I know.
That’s a great tale John, so well penned and poignant as to the nature of gambling. So succinct and well structured to show us the folly of the gambler, always hopeful yet rarely a winner. great work and very much enjoyed.
Thank you for the encouraging comment, Tony. It was a bit of fun to write…but quite poignant as you say.
Imagine throwing out the winning ticket! We should hold on, have faith and wait and not give up. Great write.
Hi Nithya, no, we shouldn’t act in haste. The most unexpected can happen. Thanks for reading.
Hahaha John, this reminds me of an episode of Friends too where they lose a bunch of ticket and one for $10,000 is found on the street! Sounds like my luck. A fun read we can all relate to.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Jackie. It is meant as a bit of fun, but possible.
This was a fun read. This happened to me once. I dropped my ticket. ( I didn’t know I’d dropped it. ) When I realized I had a winning ticket, it was lost in a maze of discarded tickets on the floor. I never did find it. LOL
Thanks Ruby. That was unfortunate, losing your ticket. It is easy to do. I hope you didn’t miss out on a fortune.
I have lived most of my life in Nevada and understand this too well. Everyday when I drive to work I pass by people who are victims to gambling. Thank you for sharing. I love how you write about very serious very real issues that need conversations. Jamie
Yes, Jamie..Nevada the gambling state. I was once addicted to gambling on horse racing. Thankfully I overcame that, but Gambling is a real social problem and I feel poetry is a great way of highlighting issues that need to be faced.