Her cheeks were blossoms
pink from turns of friendly cards.
Before I turned the fool
for sequins laid, I drew
death (as if mortality
was nothing more than life)
Counting coins, she fumed and said:
“Every day awake, is a beginning
of your ends”
But as I counted days to years,
she faded into ink on vellum
for unfriendly cards.
Fortune Teller, 1870s
60 words for Mama Zen’s prompt at toads.
—
December 4, 205
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Great song for this, and you capture that sense of futility that comes when we are told where we are headed by someone else–nothing is more infuriating, or more valueless, usually. And with those changing cards, the present becomes the past.
One feels nice connecting with the rosy cheeked fortune-teller more than knowing what the card foretells
Hank
“the game never ends” ~~ great write Bjorn.
This is awesome.
There is something intriguing about fortune tellers, tarot, & psychics; have gone to them all, & have left angry, cheated, outraged; silly me.
Know your own.
Really well done, Bjorn. I love the ending.
I used to do tarot but any more. Wisdom or insight is inherent in all that lives.
I went to a psychic who did tarot readings and then she asked to hold something of mine. I took the bracelet off my wrist. A few minutes later she said, this is not your bracelet. It belongs to the person to whom you are taking flowers today. and she was write. The bracelet belonged to my grandmother and I was going later in the day to put flowers on her grave. The psychic also told me I would marry late in life – after 40 and before 50. That the lover I currently had would leave and return home. I married at 49 and the lover returned to Japan. Looks like I got one of the few real practitioners of this. Since it was an impulse, she had no time to research me and I only gave her my name when I entered her office. All that aside, this was an excellent poem. The ending is stellar.
The second stanza is particularly potent!
Tune out the chatter and keep on truckin’ baby.
Well technically I suppose she was right … “Every day awake, is a beginning of your end” 😉
Every day does take you one closer to the end! Better enjoy it! k.
This is really good, Bjorn. I especially love the ending.
Beautiful!
‘as if mortality / was nothing more than life’ – great line ~
This is wonderful. I have to marvel at why we long so much to know a future that cannot fully be known. No matter what, each breath draws us closer to our last and death grrets us all.
As your piece shows, Bjorn, we can’t believe everything we’re told, especially by a fortune teller. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
Very cool – counting days to years – probably one of the worst ways to utilize one’s time. Though, people who conform to the low – or worthless – opinion that others have for their prospects in life, I suppose, do it all the time.
Great ending!