Fortunate Unfortunate
Portent for Politics, a poem from January 2020
Fortunate Unfortunate
Portents for Politics, A Poem
I do not want to shock you all
but I never carry a crystal ball
but cards I do in case a game
of out of this hat, choose a name
who will lead our cracking nation
it all depends on which station
turns you on or you tune out
until elections come about
but since you asked an amateur seer
and one fourth of times, my vision’s clear
I’ll do my best to choose a card
tarot interpretation’s hard
but if you don’t like what I say
feel free to argue or walk away
that is the state of how things go
at least for hindsight years we know
for this I’ll use my Crowley deck
the art is beautifully perfect
and since one question’s on my mind
the answer won’t be hard to find
I will try to have an objective read
near impossible, if you know my breed
I’ll consult my Ziegler Tarot book
please hold while I take a look
ok, this card is like a lightning bolt
one must not cheat in the occult
this is the situation currently
but one people choose not to see
a digression to one of my teaching years:
I asked my boss to soothe my fears
why in our schools, aggression’s more?
she said in 18 years, we’ll have a war
and even though our soil seems clean
people have been increasingly mean
and so back to this tarot card of strife
it’s metaphor for modern life
it’s vain desires left embittered
people scared because he twittered
tiny wings cannot hold this weight
energy restricted will stagnate
this card means that we must be bold
think of our children as they grow old
patience for the mountain ahead
do not give in, no need to dread
see the flames behind the wands
reach out to friends and form those bonds
in order to put strife in our past
we will need to stand steadfast
but one more card to soothe the blow
some guidance to go with the flow
perhaps we’ll notice something new
something we are not used to
take a look at what you see
find out how we need to be
a new year is like a new moon
born with hope in afternoon
well, with these picks, I cannot win
let’s see how the tale I’ll spin
this card is about what’s to come
it’s clear I have been anxious some
but enough about how I have felt
we must analyze this card we’re dealt
so together with our extra sight
let’s figure out what keeps us up at night
the pentagram is upside down
symbols on disks spin around
I know exactly what this card explains
see directly as strife pertains
to our addiction to the tangle
the knotted web from every angle
we drink worry and breathe what ifs
it’s in the wells and in the gifs
we tie ourselves in knots to find
our thoughts are only on rewind
we did we do we didn’t do
and who did we announce it to
and how will they see us as them
our obsession — cogs in this system
when simply put we could just stop
turn off our pose and media hop
let’s take a big collective breath
no flight or fight — this isn’t death
I know it’s been hard to stay seated
when all around we feel defeated
but now is the time to gather rest
before our country’s biggest test
let go of all your age-old hurry
to rise in strength, no place for worry
Peace.
© Samantha Lazar 2020