Miles Apart
He joins in
After slight hesitation;
Declares bets with a one dollar stake.
Settles down, takes his place
And observes Williams' face;
Quite determined to make no mistake.
~0~
Eyes flick down
To the cards on the table,
And across to those still in his hand.
He is sure he has seen
One sly movement between
Two cards dealt; action smooth and well planned.
~0~
He is struck
By a vague disappointment;
Has this man fooled his friends all along?
It will not be denied
They are on the same side;
And he hopes against hope he is wrong.
~0~
Once the cards
Are face up, he is certain;
Williams cheats as he plays, there's no doubt.
Such self-serving deceit
Makes him rise to his feet
And proclaim what he's just figured out.
~0~
He is angered
By blatant betrayal
Of the unwritten rules of the game.
Williams works with the team,
Knows the camp's hidden scheme,
And should treasure that trust just the same.
~0~
He is met
With a sneering denial;
Scans the cards, shows a stashed extra king.
Finds it hard to hold back
From a heartfelt attack
On this man who could spoil everything.
~0~
Newkirk dives
At his foe, bowls him over;
While his friends view his target, askance
Williams moved several times;
After mean, petty crimes;
Now he's burned every bridge, blown his chance.
~0~
Chaos reigns,
Till subdued by the Colonel,
Who regards the whole scene with dismay.
Those involved should think twice;
Just one war will suffice;
No excuse for such wild disarray.
~0~
Hogan glares
At the cause of the mayhem,
At the two angry players involved.
He is sure he can name
Who's precisely to blame,
But this problem's not easily solved…
~0~
So...
Two prisoners,
Two card sharps, two allies;
This perceived common ground at the start;
But the difference is clear;
From the values held dear,
And their choices and worth; miles apart.
~0~
A/N: this is based on a scene from "There's One in Every Crowd", and I think I have borrowed " worth and choice" from Conan Doyle.