Now On The Throne Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

Six years I’ve been going into Rite Aid
to buy Diet Coke, Excedrin PM, Doritos,
Corn Cobb pipes, and other stuff
to keep me alive
and always chatted with Ed, the manager,
about sale items not stocked, why no
discount for Red Bull, the weather.
A chubby guy from Guyana, hard working
serious, keeping tabs on everything
then yesterday
Billy Roy Byron walked in
and handed him a stack of Lotto tickets
which Ed quickly dumped in his back pocket.
“A gambler! ” I declared, with a smile.
“Fifty-three tickets, ” said Billy Roy Byron.
Ed placed my Guacamole chips in the plastic bag
then began laughing.
I slipped him my Chase credit card
which he ran through the machine
still laughing
and when I left
still laughing.
My God
I thought to myself.
he’s a happy lad
and returned to watch
still laughing, and caught up
in the merriment I said again
“A gambler! ”
Still laughing
others now, the same
soon the whole place
the pulse of it all
no explanation
just the blessing.