BINGO NIGHT / by Joe Castorino

Circa 1970 

It was Thanksgiving evening, and the lamps

  Glowed cheerfully in the cozy house;

Though the clean little home was modest,

  It was filled with the sweet scent of love.

 

We were all stuffed with good food, and

  Ready for some post-meal entertainment;

So the time had come for everyone in the

  Family to engage in some competitive fun.

 

Our very alert ears quickly snatched the

  Numbers out of the air, one by one;

Then our fingers excitedly placed the

  Small black discs on the bingo cards.

 

Aunt Therese felt sorry for me, a young boy,

  Because I was terribly saddened by losing;

So winking with a smiling old eye, she

  Pushed her stack of pennies into mine.