A Vampire's Christmas in Vegas
by Nancy Ellis Taylor

The quality of mercy
one muses upon such things
as the taxi sprays grayed slush
across one's fine
Carpathian leather boots

A heathen age
few rituals are observed
colored trees and twisted candy
cocktail elves in miniskirts
one ponders a gracious way to dine
before ducking beneath a blackjack table

One could tidy up the trail of sequins
but there are none here who would notice
giddy with gaming and endless free
watered drinks they wait
for shrimp in bloodied sauce
and the jangling shower
of coins in the slot machine trough

After an evening of contemplation
one awaits the ghost of Elvis
that shifting creature
certainly knew how to show
a ghoul a good time