By Cooper Daeberick
Edited by Alloe Mak

God, the all knowing, wanted to settle a bet
But unfortunately, my fortune was scant
He said sinners still win, letting me in on the joke:
Karma was always a hoax

Well then, I should be fine
If the stakes are high,
My morals are low.
To the races with jockeys and beasts!

Lo and Behold, Our seats were the best
He said, thou father shall not cheat
Even the holy gamble, he confessed
Lord knows, Eternity is cheap

Be careful, he said, my bookie is devilish
Hastily, I assured him with ease
Coincidentally, my devil’s a bookie
That day he lost more than the irony

So the lineup was contentious;
his picks were Lady Luck and Peasant’s Providence
Purebred, Lucifer gave them the favor
The Fates will cut their string of losses with
Coincidence, the substitute of our maker

His mares, to me were doubtful
Predetermined to win
I dared to bet my soul
On Chance and Chaos, twin stallions

The angel’s trumpet sounded
And God was clenching his fists
Fore his role would be unfounded
If Chance beat Providence

Hooves beating, whips cracking
Our pairs were neck and neck
Until two leaving, his lagging
Mine took the quicker step

As Chance and Chaos pulled ahead
God’s calm facade did slip
With every stride, my faith was fed
That fate’s grip might just tip

God’s bets, so sure and steady
Now faltered at the end.
For all his might, his hand now heavy
The rules he couldn’t bend

The crowd roared in sheer delight!
As my stallions crossed the line
Their win a testament that night
To forces undefined

God chuckled, a sound too deep
“Well played, my daring friend,
Though all creation’s in my keep,
Even I can’t always mend”

With a smile, he tipped his hat
“Chaos and Chance, your chosen steed,
Showed that my plans might fall flat,
When wild forces intercede”

The stakes were high, the lesson clear
Morals twist and fate’s unsure
In this game, divine or mere
Nothing’s truly secure

We left the track, the bet concluded.
Eternity’s price still cheap.
For in this race, all truths alluded
To a gamble none can keep

With Chance and Chaos in my stride
I faced the world anew
For even God must sometimes bide
To forces we never knew.