leaving your luck in Las Vegas

6 am. I waited with the luggage
and an extra cup of coffee
     no sugar, a little milk
while you checked out
and I watched the desert morning too bright sun
too harsh and ramrod straight
to hide all those wrinkles and sags
of losses and wins
I swore I'd never have

when he walked in with the blond
passed out drunk over his left shoulder
staggering under the weight of lady luck
after the luck is all used up
and he tripped over our bags
ricocheting down the line of slot machines

laying a trail of high heels
and silver dollars
until he tosses her like dice
in the green felt bed of a crap table
her beaded dress pulled up here
and down there
and slid clear off of there
     a lingerie ad that wasn't really selling lingerie

and we didn't know what to do
didn't know how to read
the square faces of her man-made breasts
but I believe it was snake-eyes

LeeAnn Heringer