Playing by the Rules

The rules are there for everyone
So the game of life is fair
The give and take must go both ways
And the winnings are to share

For every ladder you may climb
There’s a snake around the bend
But ups and downs are half the fun
From the start through to the end

Sure, some might have a lucky streak
Roll sixes left and right
Four aces on the final hand
Take the pot home every night

I’m not sure; that’s how it goes
The odds don’t always win
But now I come to think on it
Seems I guess wrong every spin

While old mate Joe is doing swell
He’s a legend at the game
Got a hotel up on Mayfair
And a small fortune to his name

Though some of that he started with
Trust fund wealth and silver spoons
He’d always win musical chairs
When his parents ran the tunes

And I wonder now if just perhaps
His run of luck was fixed
’Cos he sat me by the mirror
When he sank my battleships

Or could it be that he and I
Just play on different boards
And mine is full of mousetraps
And his is all rewards

But even though the deck is stacked
In this game of cheats and fools
I’d still choose to be the latter
At the mercy of the rules