Yareah Magazine

Joseph Mailander

Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,
With a wicked pack of cards.
~~--Eliot, The Waste Land

The Queen of Cups

The wisest woman in Europe, feeling cornered,
told me this morning, "The Question
is choosing between waiting
for paint to dry
or leaving footprints and making a mess."

What makes her so wise?
She follows her heart.
She is moved by pain.
She is not discoverer, but
discovered.
She knows

Every pack, even every card
is equally wicked.
Every footnote
an expression of fear.
Every song
is really a prayer.
Every brush of skin
makes for more stories.

BIOGRAPHY
	http://mainbrace.blogspot.com Joseph Mailander A Los Angeles native and lifelong resident, Joseph Mailander writes op-eds, cultural criticism, fiction, and poetry. He attended Columbia and UCLA, studying Art History, English, and American History. He contributes to many electronic and print media publications, and also has edited several blogs, including mainbrace, street-hassle, and LA Opus.