An 18 Line Bet

Cards hit the table
Chips fall and scatter
One man smiles, the rest drop
Drained and empty
Slowly they trickle from game
He shut the door to his room
Slumped against the door
Years of filth weigh heavy on his skin
Struck, he rises and,
Moved to be clean,
Lowers himself into the tub
Then he turns the faucets
And the tears pour, salty,
Down his scarred face
Stinging the wounds as they cleanse
The tub fills with dirt and memories
He slides lower, the water crawls up
Til he drowns beneath his tears

Surprise Showing

Two stage managers, nearing the ends of their
careers, were discussing the likelihood of there
being some form of theatrical endeavor in the
hereafter. The first consulted a friendly medium.
Later, the following exchange took place between
the two stage managers:


SM1: "I have some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that there is a wonderful
theater in heaven - well equipped, spacious,
plenty of wing space. In fact, there's a show
opening tomorrow night."


SM2: "That's wonderful! So what's the bad news?"


SM1: "You're calling the show."