VIII. — 𓁹

VIII.

Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna¹, the Lady of the Rocks²,
The lady of situations.
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.
I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring.
Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone,
Tell her I bring the horoscope myself:
One must be so careful these days.

Excerpt from The Wasteland, T. S. ELIOT (1888–1965)

^{1. On Belladonna, see section X

2. On the imagery of “Lady of the Rocks,” see section IX}