The Same Fortune Well Poem by Dr Ronnie Bai

I cannot but marvel
At our magic devil -
How this same Fortune Well
Never loses its spell
Inside the shopping mall
Near the lottery stall
Binding ev’ry punter
For a lucky splutter
Not for poor but for rich
Rolling down into th’ catch
Pious nickels and coppers
Charity collectors
Ev’ry Monday morning
Rake in jingly chuckling.

But this Monday morning
I could not help swearing
When I came to collect
Our big weekend jackpot
At a keen young helper
Straining to reach th’ holder
His feet in th’ air kicking
His head downward sliding
His hand a pair of pincers
Poking at the teasers
Leeringly beyond reach
His big dad cheering coach
Ten feet away hiding
“You can’t, ” to him chiding.

He should have said “You mustn’t.”
We shouldn’t have said “We must.”