deepundergroundpoetry.com
Reading the Cards
"You've been reading the cards, haven't you?" - Touch of Evil
A single hand shuffles
and deals your hand,
fast but one by one.
The other hand
is decked with rings
and taps an ugly sarabande.
Moon through the open slit
on grass and velvet tablecloth.
You cannot see the gipsy's face
but she can see your face,
future, and past.
The past's a cityscape.
Between one darkness and its mate
you grace her palm with currency
and try to leave the cityscape.
A world is glimpsed in shards.
The moon itself departs
and leaves the grass hidden.
A hand
is turned face up.
A skeleton dressed up like Lancelot.
A devil with bowlegs.
A jester capering and dumb.
The gipsy's hands retreat
into the darkness behind them,
leaving you to read the cards yourself.
A single hand shuffles
and deals your hand,
fast but one by one.
The other hand
is decked with rings
and taps an ugly sarabande.
Moon through the open slit
on grass and velvet tablecloth.
You cannot see the gipsy's face
but she can see your face,
future, and past.
The past's a cityscape.
Between one darkness and its mate
you grace her palm with currency
and try to leave the cityscape.
A world is glimpsed in shards.
The moon itself departs
and leaves the grass hidden.
A hand
is turned face up.
A skeleton dressed up like Lancelot.
A devil with bowlegs.
A jester capering and dumb.
The gipsy's hands retreat
into the darkness behind them,
leaving you to read the cards yourself.
Published 10th Jan 2021
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10th Jan 2021 4:54pm
10th Jan 2021 5:13pm
Love this, Jack. It possesses such a supernatural essence throughout it. Mystery. Intrique. The visualization is such that I could tell you the cards from the imagery you project. The ending leaves the reader very intrigued. . .
*coughgypsycough*
*coughgypsycough*
I did originally write it as gypsy, but my Grammarly corrected me. Being an Essex man I know all about gypsies, we still have one reading fortunes on Clacton Pier, so I may just have to stick my fingers up at Grammarly. Thanks for your kind comment. x
10th Jan 2021 5:23pm
I sensed somehow you did, being you repeated the spelling twice, so I searched. It corrected me as well. LOL!
Poets have a god-given right to liberty and bending the rules respectively. Neologists exist for a reason.
Poets have a god-given right to liberty and bending the rules respectively. Neologists exist for a reason.
10th Jan 2021 5:25pm
Visually, I prefer gypsy with two y’s anyway, gives it a more ancient air, somehow. But I bent to the big green G on this one.
10th Jan 2021 5:26pm
10th Jan 2021 6:09pm
I enjoy the mystery of this write. A touch of the supernatural, perhaps?
Well done.
hugs,
buddhakitty.
Well done.
hugs,
buddhakitty.
10th Jan 2021 9:58pm
Hello
I’ve always been kinda fascinated with the gypsy / tarot card relationship. Though that’s probably the gypsy part of me... you may enjoy the word ‘dukkering’ from the tradition which means ‘something ghostly’ and I think that describes the relationship very well. It is the respect for the unknown.
Quite a few (not all) of the historical “gypsy” tarot readers weren’t gypsies at all. Just travellers and vagabonds that played on the stereotype. However what does exist now is a renewed interest in the esoteric arts. And that’s always a good thing.
When I was in Berlin a few years ago, I visited an esoteric museum which showed some incredible ancient decks from the 1600’s (although the concept of the cards date back to the 1400’s) and I think if there was ever a case for the cards being seen as sinister, that’s what I saw in that room. The eerie ink etched sketches of demons and beheaded maidens that peered back from behind the glass. It was a real journey.
I like the ending of the poem which cements this idea that the cards are archetypes. There is no light or dark. It only reflects that which we see in ourselves. That was a nice nod to that particular truth.
Have to say, not a fan of the ‘gipsy’ spelling... just me tho.
Enjoyed the poem. Thank you.
-M
I’ve always been kinda fascinated with the gypsy / tarot card relationship. Though that’s probably the gypsy part of me... you may enjoy the word ‘dukkering’ from the tradition which means ‘something ghostly’ and I think that describes the relationship very well. It is the respect for the unknown.
Quite a few (not all) of the historical “gypsy” tarot readers weren’t gypsies at all. Just travellers and vagabonds that played on the stereotype. However what does exist now is a renewed interest in the esoteric arts. And that’s always a good thing.
When I was in Berlin a few years ago, I visited an esoteric museum which showed some incredible ancient decks from the 1600’s (although the concept of the cards date back to the 1400’s) and I think if there was ever a case for the cards being seen as sinister, that’s what I saw in that room. The eerie ink etched sketches of demons and beheaded maidens that peered back from behind the glass. It was a real journey.
I like the ending of the poem which cements this idea that the cards are archetypes. There is no light or dark. It only reflects that which we see in ourselves. That was a nice nod to that particular truth.
Have to say, not a fan of the ‘gipsy’ spelling... just me tho.
Enjoyed the poem. Thank you.
-M
15th Jan 2021 7:06pm
I don't like the spelling either. It was Grammarly's suggestion. I'll ignore it in future. There's a Susan Hill novel which uses the figure of a "gypsy" fortune teller (possibly a vagabond, as you say) to fearful effect and is just about perfect in how it pulls it off. What was the name of the museum you visited, if you recall?
Thank you for your kind comment. x
Thank you for your kind comment. x
It was the Berlin Magic Museum (guess it does what it says on the tin huh... 😂) which I believe was at Hackeschar Markt. It was close to the Brandenburg Gate, as we did both in the same day. It was very peculiar. It’s almost like walking down into a dungeon. Which believe me is not where you wanna be in the backstreets of Berlin. 👍🏻
There was also a full sized set of medieval European witch scales in there and an iron maiden used during extracting confessions. You would have literally loved it. 👀
But it’s ok because they had a really cheery gift shop at the end.
I have zero clue how they got them down there. Guessing they built the place around them.
There was also a full sized set of medieval European witch scales in there and an iron maiden used during extracting confessions. You would have literally loved it. 👀
But it’s ok because they had a really cheery gift shop at the end.
I have zero clue how they got them down there. Guessing they built the place around them.
