She reads palms, auras, and Tarot,
And tells her customers such things
They half yearn to hear, seem to know
Already . . . or what the future brings?
Who seeks her out? Those who forsake
Their priests, turn from stubborn facts?
Is she entertainer, healer, or fake?
Paid for all she “sees” or just acts?
Does she heed ghostly sounds that chime
Like dreams—or visions, or mere ploys—
To slip the harder weight of time,
And gain back what tomorrow destroys?

Original appearance in The Jewish Quarterly.

Ernest Hilbert is the author of Sixty Sonnets (2009). A spoken word album recorded with rock band and orchestra, Elegies & Laments, will appear on limited-edition white vinyl, CD, and for digital download and streaming in March 2013 from Pub Can Records. His next collection of poems, All of You on the Good Earth, a sequel to his first book, will also appear that month.