The Loser Stakes
Jul 25th, 2010 | By John Grey | Category: Poetry | 358 viewsBlow your roll at the track,
there was always the grinning contest.
Ugliest guys on course
stick their heads through horse collars,
make all kinds of ludicrous faces,
a hatful of silver to the most hideous.
Down to your last coin,
you can drop it in the kitty,
give thanks to the same God
who held back your horses
that you weren’t born repulsive at least.
In a way, you admire these unsightly combatants,
not hiding the horror of their bulging eyes,
withered cheeks, twisted lips,
but celebrating, until the worst of them
is crowned king of the grotesques,
is suddenly rich enough to front up to the bar,
drink himself handsome.
If only there were a challenge
for the losingest losers,
that’d have you chomping
at the competitive bit
instead of slumping back wasted
to your cheerless barn
like those nags you backed.
You could hang out your pockets,
take off your shoes
to broadcast the holes in your smelly socks,
drop your mouth lower and lower
until only your chin stopped it tottering overboard.
Sure, you wouldn’t even win that
but what a victory that would be.
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About John Grey: Australian born poet, US resident since late seventies. Works as financial systems analyst. Recently published in Connecticut Review, Kestrel and Writer’s Bloc with work upcoming in Pennsylvania English, Alimentum and the Great American Poetry Show. |
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