· 0 ·The King Cake Baby
✦
· 0 ·
The King Cake Baby
in the place of the fool
upright
Hidden in the sweetness, ready to crown whoever's lucky.
reversed
You found the baby. Now you're buying next week's cake.
· I ·The Brass Band
✦
· I ·
The Brass Band
in the place of the magician
upright
Conjures a whole parade from one downbeat on the street.
reversed
Three bands, one corner, nobody's playing the same song.
· II ·Marie Laveau / The Reader
✦
· II ·
Marie Laveau / The Reader
in the place of the high priestess
upright
She knew the answer before you sat down at the table.
reversed
The river keeps its secrets, and so does she.
· III ·Maw-Maw's Kitchen
✦
· III ·
Maw-Maw's Kitchen
in the place of the empress
upright
The pot is always big enough for one more cousin.
reversed
There's no recipe. There never was. Watch and learn.
· IV ·The Parish
✦
· IV ·
The Parish
in the place of the emperor
upright
Sixty-four small kingdoms, each one sure it's the realm.
reversed
They don't have counties down here, and they like it that way.
· V ·The Catholic Schoolteacher
✦
· V ·
The Catholic Schoolteacher
in the place of the hierophant
upright
She taught half the parish their cursive and their manners.
reversed
That ruler kept time, and occasionally kept order.
· VI ·The Crawfish Boil
✦
· VI ·
The Crawfish Boil
in the place of the lovers
upright
Two hands meet over the newspaper, and a Saturday is made.
reversed
Somebody didn't suck the heads. We saw you.
· VII ·The Pirogue
✦
· VII ·
The Pirogue
in the place of the chariot
upright
One paddle, one path, gliding sure through the black water.
reversed
You took a wrong bayou. They all look the same out here.
· VIII ·The Lovebug Season
✦
· VIII ·
The Lovebug Season
in the place of strength
upright
Patience, twice a year, against a windshield full of love.
reversed
The car wash line is two hours and the bugs already won.
· IX ·The Swamp & The Gator
✦
· IX ·
The Swamp & The Gator
in the place of the hermit
upright
Old wisdom rests still in the dark and lets you pass.
reversed
That log just blinked. Back the pirogue up, slow.
· X ·Throw Me Something
✦
· X ·
Throw Me Something
in the place of wheel of fortune
upright
Hands up in the lights — the float decides who's blessed.
reversed
Caught a thousand beads and the one coconut hit the guy behind you.
· XI ·The Insurance Adjuster
✦
· XI ·
The Insurance Adjuster
in the place of justice
upright
The scales weigh your roof against the fine print.
reversed
It was wind, says the flood policy. It was flood, says the wind.
· XII ·The Levee
✦
· XII ·
The Levee
in the place of the hanged man
upright
Holding back the swollen river, calm, suspended, sure.
reversed
The water's high and everybody's watching the gauge.
· XIII ·The Jazz Funeral
✦
· XIII ·
The Jazz Funeral
in the place of death
upright
Mourn slow to the grave, then dance the whole way home.
reversed
Cut him loose — the second line turns grief to gold.
· XIV ·First You Make a Roux
✦
· XIV ·
First You Make a Roux
in the place of temperance
upright
Patience and a slow dark stir turn flour into grace.
reversed
You walked away from the roux. You know what you did.
· XV ·The Pothole
✦
· XV ·
The Pothole
in the place of the devil
upright
A familiar crater you swerve around on instinct now.
reversed
It's been a lake since Carnival. They painted a fish on it.
· XVI ·The Hurricane
✦
· XVI ·
The Hurricane
in the place of the tower
upright
The cone wobbles, the tower falls, the neighbors show up anyway.
reversed
Three days no power, but the whole block's eating the freezer.
· XVII ·Lagniappe
✦
· XVII ·
Lagniappe
in the place of the star
upright
The thirteenth beignet, sugar like quiet falling stars.
reversed
A little something extra, given because you're you.
· XVIII ·The Heat & Humidity
✦
· XVIII ·
The Heat & Humidity
in the place of the moon
upright
The air you can wear, thick and strange off the swamp.
reversed
Your glasses fogged on the porch. It's only April.
· XIX ·The Snowball
✦
· XIX ·
The Snowball
in the place of the sun
upright
Nectar cream over shaved ice — summer in a foam cup.
reversed
Stained your tongue blue and you'd do it all again.
· XX ·Who Dat
✦
· XX ·
Who Dat
in the place of judgement
upright
The trumpet sounds and the whole black-and-gold city rises.
reversed
It's a rebuilding year. We say that with our whole hearts.
· XXI ·The Second Line
✦
· XXI ·
The Second Line
in the place of the world
upright
Parasol up, the whole neighborhood dances behind you.
reversed
The route is closed and you're invited anyway. Come on.