Torsade Literary Space The Epistles: Fifth Battle Stations
The Folly
Battle Stations
The Epistles
The Contessa writes to the chapters of the Fellowship
Prophecies her companions unveil in a language familiar
To followers of readings and summonings, to seekers
Who divine a card’s turning, hear the undercurrent’s drumming
Malice and menace…she hopes that her warnings are timely
For the Clock cycles ever, and each sound uttered
By human voice, each juddering of continents
When tides and magmas rise, each engine of wind that shrieks
Into cyclones of fire consuming war-torn cities
Floats on its ethereal wave, a repeating chime, until some raft
Of outsized matter impedes the way, and a thousand thousand
Souls’ cries are to the attuned made audible
She transcribes them
Her eyes see, as she spins her globe, and her book of maps she pages
the celluloid yellow over, like a lamp superheating its shade
My friends of Seattle
Your numbers are seven and nine, be concerned for falling accidents
Green and gold the colours that correspond, hidden decay your enemy
Your unlucky sign is the pyramid
My friends of Marseille
To Etruria was known your ancient name
Your numbers are 5 and 4, be concerned for clay
Aqua and orange the colours that correspond, heavy rains your enemy
Your unlucky sign is the egg
My friends of Catania
Your numbers are three and one, be concerned for the knife
Pink and bone are the colours that correspond, pride your enemy
Your unlucky sign is the falling star
My friends of Somerset
The blood of sacrifice yet stains your earth
Old things dwell there
Your numbers are two and two, be concerned for the falcon
The blue of indigo, and indigo again, are the colours that correspond
Persuasion your enemy
Your unlucky sign is the axe head
The Epistles
Llewellyn at Home
(2019, Stephanie Foster)