Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BAD NEWS (MCSURLEY'S BAR), by PATRICK MACGILL



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BAD NEWS (MCSURLEY'S BAR), by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Your flame is married I understand'
Last Line: As we shuffled the cards and played the game.
Subject(s): Bars & Bartenders; Card Games; Gambling; Single People; Pubs; Taverns; Saloons; Playing Cards; Wagering; Betting; Bachelors; Unmarried People


"YOUR flame is marri'd I understand,"
He heard the man from the city say,
He dealt the flats with a shaky hand
And clean forgot the manner of play;
I saw his eyelids quiver a bit,
And Big Maloney was never a saint,
He played the game, made a mess of it,
Yet his partner saw it without complaint.

He shoved the fingers to beat the four,
And led the queen for another's ace,
Then jacked his hand and staked no more,
So Carroty Dan took up his place.
He sat apart on the wooden seat
Pulling a clay that was not alight,
Shaking his head, and shuffling his feet —
Maloney was out of sorts that night.

I noticed the lines on his haggard face,
I heard him sigh. We played the game —
"Moleskin, lead." He led the ace;
Carroty Dan had the Jack for the same.
Some muttered: "There's more fish in the sea,"
And others remarked: "A maid's a maid,"
"There is n't another girl for me,"
Was all that Big Maloney said.

Poor Maloney! And still we played —
"Where, M'Kay, is the trump you gave?"
"Well, it is queer," another said,
"I thought he'd play on his mother's grave."
But Jim Maloney was looking sad,
Another fellow had hooked his flame,
And some remarked, "Is it not too bad?"
As we shuffled the cards and played the game.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...



Home: PoetryExplorer.net