Woman with a Veil 4

Ms. Haiku

Gwen's velvet green hat, reluctantly black
with a veil before her eyes of squares packed 
like a mathematician's fabrics, back
folds of strength. A virtue she doesn't lack.

Jess teased out US blues in a southern 
dialect no soldier or civilian 
within five war-torn miles would understand,
but men throw strings her words pull between hands.

Gwen saw the cards flip and knew they spelled
ABCs card shark from the Bible belt. 
Jess provoked Gwen twice with the cards she dealt
against the satisfied hat of velvet. 

Gwen returns it to her withdrawing head
winning praise in Paris before war's end.