Gambler's Ruin

I gambled and lost
I learned the hard way
It only takes one toss
Of the dice to lose your way

I rambled and roamed
I could not find my way
I wagered my home
And lost what I could not pay

The cards were dealt through the smokey haze
I learned to count them like I count my days
Sometimes you love life sometimes you mock it
But the gambler's ruin is an empty pocket

I gambled for honey
For sugar spice and gold
For paper money
For the one I could not hold

I gambled and saw
A vision of my soul
Go up in flame like straw
The ashes dark and cold

The cards were dealt through the smokey haze
I learned to count them like I count my days
Sometimes you make love life sometimes you mock it
But the gambler's ruin is an empty pocket

I fell down and cried
My tears overflowed
From somewhere deep inside
The jackpot of my soul

That's when you found me
And reached out your hand
The mystery
I could not understand

The cards were dealt through the smokey haze
I learned to count them like I count my days
Sometimes you love life sometimes you knock it
But the gambler's ruin is an empty pocket