Richard of Loxley

Richard of Loxley’s fair patronage, robbed
of his name and his beast, kept his suit
And, clothing himself and his fine wife therein,
Lent you both for your claim to your loot.

With ten first in play then sat Alice’s queen,
In the round two past first, after two grabs, quite clean:
She tossed forth the moon garbed in John’s angry shade,
And it bounced off the sky where the heavens were laid,
And she snatched up her stars and gave me what remained;
Then switched red ball for green and a quick win attained.
For her I had nothing, just love, all too droll;
She gave me her score to append to my hole.

Now with hidden things settled, the rest fate imparts:
To the green flops an image concealed in a flame;
A half dozen clovers and half more to start;
and the following two, all three emblems the same.

Have it straight now, you think?  Yes, you’re probably right
We’re not finished, however; a turn lies in sight:
The next, falling, burns; Mr. Daniels soon follows -
The man of his jewelry drinks whiskey, then swallows,
stands with his two twins; they must think themselves best.
They’re not now, but may be, if luck can be pressed.

I hold to my seat as the next falls to fire;
Then follows a shovel of upper-most rank.
I’ve won now, you see, and chip in to your pyre:
Your road to the monarch has become your plank.

If you keep what you have, you will never then know
If I’ve got you or not, if you’ve bested your foe.
If you unhand your treasures on top of the green
My once-empty house will consume them, I glean.
Lady luck made a rustler in Houston of me:
I’ll grab up your doggies and hold them with glee.

Now tell me, in losing, what board do you see?

This riddle was submitted by Oudeis.