Fortunes Re Told

FORTUNES READ the sign displayed TRINKETS, CHARMS AND SPELLS The store had not been here yesterday shades of candles, books and bell Drapes were hung from side to side The windows all were dark Where was this place a day ago? Just yards from Salem Park Gothic kids sat on the stoop Waiting, hoping to get in Were they wishing for an audience Or to confess a mortal sin The door was red, it's number black The name of M. Laveau Was etched into the window pane It stood out like fresh, new snow I thought "how kitsch", M. Laveau New Orleans voodoo Queen four hundred years since she had died The best witch the world had seen don't worry though, the address was Not numbered 6 6 6 That would have been too hokey Even my poems aren't that slick My spider senses tingled Just a line, not something real But every now I get sensations It's just something that I feel I chose to pass the goth kids pale, lethargic on the stoop I figured something's coming And I'm jumping through it's hoop Something wicked this way comes I thught as I went in But, I was greeted by a little man About four foot tall and thin the bell rang loud behind me As the door closed there behinda and as the light diminishd I was standing, slightly blind The man just stood there staring then he spoke, a tiny voice "I know just why you've entered" "Welcome, Billy Boyce" I stood there, then I backstepped How did this many know my name? I knew it wasn't magic It was just a parlour game As my eyes became adjusted I saw nothing in the room Just this tiny little elfling And some shelves, there in the gloom I said, "I saw your sign, sir" FORTUNES TOLD, and I'm intrigued "Can you really tell my fortune?" "Or are you playing on folks needs?" "Not me sir, I'm just waitng" "You see the mistress is not here" "But, if some silver hits the counter" "I am sure that she is near" I thought again of M. Leveau The Witch Queen, so long dead But, the way he spoke about her Seemed to fill me full of dread I thought of charms and trinkets But, the empty shelves displayed Not a bell, a book, or candle Just a scarf, just slightly frayed "She can answer all your questions" "Take the doubt away from life" "She will open up your minds door" "She will remove all of your strife" He could see that I was pensive I turned and saw something was wrong Where I knew that I had entered The front doorway, now was gone He bade me sit, prepare my thoughts The Mistress would soon show I would not have to ask my questions He said The Mistress, just would know I thought, Ok, I'll play along someone's gone to lots of work But, there was no rooms or doorways For the Voodoo Queen to lurk He lit a candle on the counter Not the window, like Elton John He told me turn with eyes closed And when I finished, he was gone The man left just the candle Some small match book and a key Then the wind blew out the tiny flame And I knew, I had to see So, I funbled for the matchbook Lit the candle once again When the room was now alighted I had that feeling once again I knew I was not here alone Someone else was here, but who "would you like to take a seat dear sir?" I just froze, what should I do? I turned to face the speaker A young lady, all alone I just stood there, dumbstuck, staring Like I had just been turned to stone I sat as she requested, In a chair, not there before she said, "I'll tell your fortune" "And if you want, I'll tell you more" She said "you've many questions" "I can read them in your mind" "But, you must sit down and focus" "This is going to take some time" She spole to me of angels, both the bad kind and the good She told me of my watchers Some who lingered closely in the woods She told me things no one would know Unless they'd seen them done I felt like I'd been torn apart Shot with a bullet from no gun She said, "I am the one you think" "Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen" I said "I don't believe you" She said "can you explain, what you have seen?" I told her no, she had me there But, why had she picked me She said, "you have it backwards sir" "It was your choice to see me" Paul Prudhomme, New Orleans The Saints and Dr. John Katrina and a second line All the people that were gone She said "those thought have called me" "You are someone who believes" "You will bring life to my city" "Before you make your choice to leave" "through task and deed you will bring back" "New Orleans from the dead" "You will breath life to this wormy corpse" "You will help her move ahead" I told her "your'e mistaken" "I believe you've got it wrong" She said "I know of what I'm talking" "You were singing my favorite song" The Witch Queen of New Orleans laughed and said I'd know just when to start the resurrection When to build this town again The wind came up, the room went dark I was alone in here once more I again lit the old candle Saw the thin man and the door He said "you saw the mistress?" I told him, she was here He said " I always miss her" I said "she'll be back I'm sure, no fear" He said "you got your answers?" I told him that I was not sure She told me things about me That I did not know before I said she laid a challenge To bring NOLA from the brink She gave me more questions than just answers And I needed time to think He said "I know...she works that way" And then he bade me well And the front door slightly opened And I heard a tiny bell I walked to it and turned around I was the only one inside Had I really seen this little man? Was the Witch Queen just a lie? I left the store, the goth kid was gone I was on the street alone Was this my imagination? Or just a story I had known? I walked a bit and turned to look Down the street back to the store FORTUNES TOLD was out of sight M. LAVEAU was gone once more I don't know how I'd bring it back Would the Saints come marching in? I think it's just up to the people To breath life in this town again Blues and Louis Armstorng The French Quarter, savoir faire Laissez les bons temps rouler Listen to Marie Laveau and enjoy all that is there.