It pays to take your cards out for a walk
Out in the dunes
Down the beaten tracks
And off the side

I came to look for a certain Item
That I had left behind to gather sprawl
And to mark my terroir
My Queendom
A few months ago

I had not been able to return to it
For several reasons
One of them being a wonky hip
And the Item being atop a dune
Hard to scramble up to
Even when not limping

But at last I hit my stride again
And down the hidden vale I went
And up that stubborn dune
So high & yet so hidden

Of course I found no trace of It
Which was not too strange
Having buried it
In the shifting sands
Its marking long gone
In the eternal winds

I would have liked to see
What had become of It
To feel Its power & to learn
How to work It now

But I was hardly surprised
That It wanted to stay hid
That the dunes had claimed It
After all, I was long gone
Other than I had promised

I pulled out my trusty cards
Wanting to make sure
That all was as it should be
And that I had not offended
Planting iron here
Which not all plants & spirits love
And staying away
Being an unfaithful witch

And I asked, What does this mean
What is the lesson here
O my Devil
Old Man, Old Woman
And all spirits of these parts?

Eight of Clubs, falling: You did fail us
Do not do that again
Respect us
Respect your Craft
And who you are

Eight of Spades: You planted iron
And you lost It
But you gained as a result
Victory comes at a cost
A prize comes at a price

Ace of Clubs: For you planted a Seed
You gave us a gift
And it will yield you lots
If you will tend It now

We know who you are
The Woman of Steel
We expect much of you
Deliver
And so will we

So I sat down awhile
With the wind rustling round me
Accepting that loss
Means a promise
And that hidden things
Mean a harvest
When loved & tended

Everything becomes something else
Being is becoming
This goes for witches too

And now the hidden iron
Pulls me like an anchor
A gift given
A promise made
A seed planted

I will return

Hell yes