The Heartless Game

The people sit down at a green and wooden table,
Welcome to the game, between reality and fable.
Greet the man across you, you are his tonight,
What a charming game of cards, such a delight.

Let's begin our life, this adult little game,
What are you in for? Money, love, fame.
Grasp the cards, because here they arrive,
Welcome to the game - may your chips survive.

Cards of life dealt, knight, king and queen,
Patient eyes and a beating pulse never seen.
A glance at the cards, then at the stake,
To be or not to be, to be real or to fake.

No need to sweat, you're not in a rush,
You have a pair, the other guy's got a flush.
Play cool and relax, play steady and tough,
Play your little game, and they'll never call your bluff.

Congratulations, your bluff made you win,
But don't celebrate yet, the game's just about to begin.
Don't reveal yourself now, this is only the start,
Mathematics, logic, sensing - forget about the heart.

Another lousy round dealt, again the bluff will win,
One hundred, two thousand, three - all in.
Life is like the game, you can choose to be untrue,
But you never play your own cards - you play the man across from you.