One Fearful Yellow Eye

One for the road he would say.
One for the Gipper,
We never knew who that was.
“Okay, one for old times sake.
One to wet my whistle.
Just one to settle my nerves.”

“Hank? Shot and a beer!
“Double scotch neat.
Martini, shaken not stirred.”
He loved to play that
Whenever there were croupiers around.
And “Gin is for sissies or the perfect tonic.”

We begged him to stop,
To become friends with Bill.
But time was just enough:
For one more round,
One more toast,
One for your health.

He came down to dinner,
Sallow cast and rheumy.
He left that dinner
Choking on his blood.
“This one’s on me son”, he winked.
A tear running from one fearful yellow eye.