Old Slim Jim
all soaked in gin,
his cards upon the velvet cloth.
The Candle burning at both ends,
with everything he's ever sought.
Smoke obscures the mirrors.
A cheap view,
to the other side.
Old Slim Jim
is holding bullets,
something that his eyes can't hide.
Reaching for the bottle,
hand as steady as the wind.
A ghost upon the shadows,
passes, and it makes him grin.
Old Jim Believes in omens,
pointers from a different realm.
Cards upon the table.
In that old place by the Thames.