Little sleeping, lots of choring
And there was simply no ignoring
That they were poor so the girl cried
She was sick of digging ditches
Dreamed of quickly gaining riches
Or a loan, but the bank's witches
Turned Auntie down when she applied
Then 'twas a cruel hand fate dealt her
It seemed sure the wind would belt her
She tried to get into the shelter
But alas there was no room
The twister tore across the prairie
From her room it looked so scary
So she prayed to Mother Mary
And waited for her pending doom
Although the wind was very mighty
It didn't even harm her slightly
But bore the house daily and nightly
Then dropped it gently - such a shock
She felt quite nauseous and exhausted
As for her mind, she thought she lost it
When she was practically accosted
And asked, "Are you a fish or a rock"?
It turned out the town unraveled
And became as poor as gravel
And its people couldn't travel
Since their money was all gone
The witch that said she earned it
Since in card skills she was learned
And she would only return it
If a house fell on her lawn
And despite her magic powers
The witch could not save her flowers
She gave cash back and cried for hours
And the girl received immense
Love like emperors from Romans
Unlike real-life Willy Lomans
But she just wanted to go home since
At least life there made some sense
She expressed what she desired
"Why is that?" one man inquired
"Over here you're so admired
Almost on par with the gods."
All attempts to change the kid's stance
Were met with utmost resistance
So she was told to seek assistance
From the great Wizard of Odds
She wasn't one for introspection
So she ran in the direction
Of the man whose gold collection
Might be bigger than Fort Knox
She fled so fast they didn't fund her
Or give her food to fend off hunger
And she couldn't help but wonder
What was up with fish and rocks
The Good Witch knew what she'd be needing
So she sent messengers out speeding
To make sure roadside homes were feeding
The girl and letting her take baths
At night each family played the same
Suspense and lying-filled card game
To the small girl it seemed quite lame
And all in all too full of maths
She found a man with a straw-filled head
A man of tin - which is better than lead
A lion often overwhelmed by dread
Each wanted to see the wizard too
The first two filled her with pity
So they could both go to Sin City
And she'd always wanted a little kitty
For now the lion would have to do
As they progressed the four were pestered
By a witch as ugly as Uncle Fester
That conjured walls and thus sequestered
The group so they could not refuse
The challenge of a poker war -
Revenge for making the witch's sister poor
The witch won pennies - nothing more
The band did not have much to lose
At last they reached the city of sin
Of course the doorman let them in
And spoke of how much they could win
To see the con doesn't take a sage
They were told that if one wants to see
The wizard one must wager heavily
So they worked in a chip factory
In order to earn a betting wage
They made a bit and gave it back
Playing poker and blackjack
And had to return to the fac-
Tory - they hadn't bet enough
They couldn't afford to buy mints
After another hour betting since
They stunk - but they got an audience
With the wizard - that wasn't so tough
The Wizard said he'd only give advice
If the Western Witch who isn't nice
Lost to the girl in a poker war twice
The tin man said "No way in Hell"
Expecting to be asked to leave
He found response hard to believe
It was, "In cards it is hard to achieve
Success without picking battles well.
"Like if you have an ace and ten
Odds are you'd bet, but think again
If there have been several raises when
Your turn comes, odds are you're beat.
But if your stack is very small
And your cards aren't good at all
In the big blind you have to call
Since waiting will ensure defeat."
Then he explained a substantial amount
About poker - far too much to recount
He touched more bases than Robin Yount
It took a quarter of a day
They learned when it is right to steal
A pot and also how to deal
They took a break and ate a meal
If you must know - 'twas fish fillet
And then the scarecrow was addressed
He said, "Consider yourself blessed
Poker players are often stressed
When their brains make them play a game.
Tin Man, many shunned your request
To play due to your empty chest
Here's a lawyer's card - this one's the best
And you'll find her fees are fairly tame.
"And lion, with what you've learned tonight
I believe that as long as you play tight
Your future in poker is very bright
So there's nothing for you to fear.
And little girl, with what you know
I'd be shocked if in a month or so
You haven't earned sufficient dough
To buy a ticket out of here."
Then things basically went as planned
By using her head in every hand
The girl returned to her homeland
And missed school - but just a little bit
When she got back they still were poor
She could have fixed that fact for sure
By joining the World Poker Tour
But the law of the land prevented it
