"On Pascal’s proposition that the Laws of Probability
(and Jansenian Theology) make believing in heaven a smart bet"

If one would wager with Pascal,
Sublime scientist
Spiritual Ras-cal;
Then one must choose simply either or,
What lies behind life's final door;

Crafty gamblers hedge their bet,
Not really sure,
Not dead just yet,
They opt for the comfort of safety nets,
Waiting to parlay their final debt;

If the spinning wheel stops on bust
Then nothing’s lost to fateful trust;
But should it land on the predestined slot,
It’s winner take-all, the Big Jackpot

Seasoned gamblers ride sure things,
Seeing in this life
A chance gold ring
So plant their seed in early spring,
To pluck the fruit that summer brings;

No strangers they to **** and vermin,
They hearken to
A more Autumn sermon,
And ceding naught to cold iniquity,
Gain perchance, a winter Serendipity.