Balderdash

The smell of

cigars

booze

and fear-filled

sweaty men

was heavy

in the back room

of a restaurant

Working the quarter

Stacks on the table

Dealt into the game

We poured our guts

into our drinks

Topped them off with

lies and vulnerability

then swapped glasses

with one another

Pain written across every face

Guilt unleashed our demons

to mock and instill fear

Not even the whiskey

on our breath

would let us forget