We bought a pack of cards in San Juan
and the suits were the suits of the tarot deck
we play a variant of an already obscure game
two players instead of the standard four
four cards in your hand, your secrets
four on the table, known to the world
four face down beneath them, mysteries
slowly this game, these suits
eclipse all other cards for me
ace of cups
ten of swords
right bower
left bower
scraps of meaning run through the hand
from when I tried to learn the cards a year ago
intellect, emotion, plenty, lack
a hand of cards after dinner is not divination
there are no major arcana in this deck
nothing so explicit as Death or the Hanged Man
and other familiar faces are missing; eights, nines
eleven is a newcomer of uncertain disposition
no replacement for the sideways smiles of queens
some of the cards
are very lovely
I particularly like the three of wands
crossed batons in living red, yellow and green
wound with a bright blue ribbon
the three of wands tells us to take the long view
be open to the unknown, and not react too quickly to the present
ace of cups, ten of swords, three of wands