The Card Players, by Michael Bourgo

The Card Players, by Paul Cezanne (France) c. 1890-1895

The Card Players 
  
If you saw these fellows at the Café Moulin,
you’d think nothing of it unless you had talked
with Emile, the genial ape at the bar, and then 
you’d have a story to tell.  Those two have known 
each other all their lives: at the école primaire 
Louis was a teacher’s pet, the perfect little boy 
who went on to the lycée and became the town’s 
notary.  People say he’s the next mayor. Jules 
has always been a clown, a man who seems 
to have never worried for even a moment, 
who makes a living doing whatever he can
whenever he can find it—but he did snatch
the only girl in the world, la belle Sabine,
who decided for whimsy instead of wealth;
and Louis has never forgiven them.  Since
that day they’ve barely exchanged a word 
save their Saturday game of cards, a custom
that somehow emerged in spite of history,
a strange truce that lasts as long as bézique
and the bottle of wine, and abruptly comes 
to its end as they emerge into the afternoon 
sunlight, not to resume until next week’s 
meeting of hearts, clubs and trump.
 
Michael Bourgo 

Michael Bougo resides in State College, Pennsylvania, where he teaches for Penn State Outreach, leads several writing groups, mentors aspiring writers, and organize community poetry readings. His work has appeared in several periodicals over the years, but of late he has mostly self- published. Writing is his retirement vocation, and he works actively in a number of genres, including light verse, prose poetry, and formal verse.