The Sooth-Sayer

She sat and pored over maps and charts

In the early hours, in dread,

She said she needed to plot her path

For the difficult days ahead,

‘The Moon will come to conjunction soon,

With Pluto, sat in your eighth,’

I said, ‘Well what will that do to me?’

She nodded her head, ‘Just wait!’

 

I turned away in frustration, I

Could not get an answer straight,

It always sounded mysterious

Like she had a hand in fate,

Since ever she’d come on Astrogoth

The astrologer down the street,

He’d taught a little, but not too much

As Miranda sat at his feet.

 

‘I doubt that this could be good for you,

These stars and planets and things,’

She looked up once as she used to do

Then down at her finger rings,

There was one for Venus and one for Mars

Uranus and Saturn too,

But the Pluto ring on the other hand

She would keep it hidden from view.

 

She said that Pluto was in her fifth,

Whatever that meant to me,

And Venus made up a stellium

With Mercury, that was three,

I should have studied the stars myself

To see what she thought she knew,

But I was full of contempt back then

And wouldn’t learn anything new.

 

‘This Astrogoth is a sooth-sayer,’

I said, in one of my moans,

‘He might as well read the Tarot Cards

Or study the chicken bones.’

Miranda gave me the evil eye

And said, ‘But you wouldn’t know,

You shut your mind to the finer things

Of the spirit - You’d better go!’

 

This Astrogoth was a sight to see,

Was growing a foot long beard,

His hair was down to his shoulders, and

To tell you the truth, just weird!

He wore a hoodie with moons and stars

And Saturn too, with its rings,

But I was worried, Miranda too

Was thinking of other things.

 

The Moon’s conjunction with Pluto brought

It all up into the light,

Miranda said she had called us off

But she didn’t want us to fight.

She said that there was a meeting there

Of minds, of hearts, enough!

She told me that she was moving on

And in, with Astrogoth!

 

I sat alone in the flat at night

And I stared in grief at the wall,

I hadn’t figured she’d fall for him

Like a leaf in a waterfall,

I heard they’d gone off to Thailand

That he’d bought her another ring,

They must have neglected their horoscopes,

The Tsunami did them in!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Tate Morgan]

I once lived with an astrologer and she use to amaze me with her conjurings. As to religeon Id say until we figure out that we are here by lifes good graces we are always going to praise god for everythuing good and blame ourselves for everything bad . Excellant write

[spiritwind]

You're going to be the death of me, Sir Poet.
I laughed and I fear I laughed at their death wondering why
the moon n the 7th house didn't warn them of their fate
or maybe it was a jealous moon presided over by some Greek or Roman goddess...
Another of your great story poems...

[TheJordBaker]

I admire you, you tell stories in such detail, many lines and not a single one suffers. I sat and read this aloud to myself and enjoyed each of them, raising a smile at the end. Although I don't follow astrology I study stars and take inspiration and peace from them, so I was glad to see an inclusion.

[Mark]

There is just SO much of this pseudoreligion extant today, people vainly casting about to find something friendly and simple to believe in because they're afraid to accept the One Truth, as too difficult, or too cut-and-dried. You've so artfully captured the scorn your protagonist feels at this gibberish, and I swear, I can hear him laughing up his sleeve at the failure of A's predictive power, as well as at M's too-just payout!

[Valentine]

What a fantastic tale..andshe got hers in the end..what aq perfect ending..you did it again..I cracked up at ttht laqst line..funny how you seem to know when I need a good laugh..Just keep them coming they are terrific..Kathie

[TPK Stories]

Nice story....

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

Ah how magic can lend a hand to all stories, well done, good read.

[Emerald Seas]

What a ride into so many realms. With all that worry and fret - she still couldn't save herself. A wonderful tale, David.

[quinfinn]

tarot, astrology, voodoo...all combined for a playful journey into the heart of the visage and imagery of the soothsayer's logic. how apropos that a tsunami would engulf them in their own brand of fate in the end. i marvel at the wit and depth of these writes of yours, David. well done!

[David Scott]

Oh my... This is poetic justice! I thought you were going to enlighten me as to the wisdom of astrology... ha. I'm smiling over this one.