A Contract to be Made
by cricketjeff on March 10, 2016. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
She plays a card and makes some soft remark
The queen perhaps, to test the dealer’s hand.
Her partner smiles and talks about the park,
She plays a card.
The dealer laughs, but fails to understand,
Her friends have seen her circle like a shark;
While dummy ruffs a deeper game is planned.
She leads the three, and looks a question mark,
No one will broach a subject clearly banned,
She’ll lose this hand but win Sir Richard Clark.
She plays a card.
Her rival sees the game the dealer plays
Sir Richard is the prize that both desire.
While etiquette conceals true lovers’ ways
Her rival sees.
The six or jack? Play truly or conspire,
Which trick will help her hand in coming days?
Their talk is light but passions are on fire.
Young Lizzie’s mind is watching through a haze,
They do not know Sir Richard’s true desire,
Too young perhaps she does not see the maze
Her rival sees.
Sir Richard Clark is rich, and handsome too,
Each lady knows that he’s the one for her,
But there is one who hasn’t got a clue,
Sir Richard Clark.
His mother says, “some things you can’t defer”
His father says he has to pay his due.
The family has needs he can’t transfer.
He swallows hard and lists a likely few,
One of our players has a cause to purr,
The butler coughs, “A Gentleman for you,
Sir Richard Clark”
Author notes
A triple Swinburne Roundel written for the picture prompt “Hearts Are Trump”
Painting by Sir John Everett Millais, Bt
(Link To Painting: https://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/sir-john-
everett-millais-hearts-are-trumps-web.jpg)
and for “A card party” One chapter of the story in verse “The History of Tobit”
by Jane Timbury.
English