FOUR OF SPADES

Lost in a labyrinth
How I got here I don't know
An enormous palatial garden
Bordered by high walls of mossy weathered brick
Dense hedges of dark foliage interrupt the views
Impenetrable
Gravel paths crunch through this maze
Meandering this way and that
Turning abrupt corners
At first glance the paths appear regular and grid-like
But they deceive
They lead to dead-ends
Cul-de-sacs
Their herrings are red
And their goose chases are wild
Just when I seem to be getting somewhere
I arrive back where I started many years ago
The hedges open out into a clearing
In its centre an octagonal fountain
Water spouting from a large Greek urn
Two heavy stone benches face each other across the clearing
Leaves have fallen on the seats
Leaving a design
At each corner of the clearing stands an identical rounded fir
Pointing at the sky
Four points on the compass
But which is north, south, east or west?
The sky is sullen, leaden, useless
There are no stars at night
Condemned I am to wander alone through this web
Trapped like a buzzing wasp
Behind a pane of glass

QUEEN OF CLUBS

Proudly she stands in all her glory
Framed by palm fronds
A golden crown upon her head
She is the queen of the night
Transposed to the harsh light of day
Her long dark mane sits heavy on her shoulders
She wears only a necklace of red and sky blue beads
Dangling casually across her chest
Amused
She throws back her head and laughs
A deep throaty laugh
A roar that lasts a thousand years
Beside her the sacrificial sheep
Calm and oblivious to its fate