by K.G. Strayer

Tarot is an ongoing conversation between the reader and the cards, as the poem is a conversation between poem and poet. With this prompt, you will create a poem by allowing the cards to speak to one another.

Shuffle your deck and draw two cards. Lay them side-by-side. Your poem will be a conversation between speakers you create out of these two cards. You have so many options! Maybe the cards spark some recognition of people you already know, or maybe these are characters you will create from scratch.

First, consider the way the cards relate to one another. Why have these two figures come together in conversation? Where are they? What is the situation?

Notice anything about the cards that might deepen your understanding of these characters. What do the images on the cards reveal to you about each speaker? Look up any traditional meanings associated with the cards and factor them into the two different voices.

If you get stuck at any point, consider having the card on the left ask a question of the figure you have created out of the card on the right.