it could be a case of the blind leading the blind

when i was out walking today i came upon some found art, or i thought i did. it was almost under my foot before i noticed it, but there it was, the 7 of clubs lying on the sidewalk. i know for most people this would mean nothing, or maybe i am wrong, maybe there are more people who would find such a thing fascinating. naturally i picked it up, inspected the back and thought about the significance of the 7 of clubs, as though this card was there to foretell my future. i couldn't come up with much but it seemed like an okay card to find, maybe not as cheerful as the 7 of diamonds or as hopeful as the 7 of hearts but all in all a club was an okay suit. i found myself contemplating which movie it was that one of the main characters collected cards he found around town. i wondered if the person who left it there had thought of that movie or whether they had simply lost it, the deck never the same again. it was remarkable how much mystery i gave to this one playing card. so with it tucked safely in my pocket i continued on. it was the kind of day that lends itself to thoughts of grandeur, the sun shining strong upon my face, the breeze making the heat bearable. my step felt a little lighter after finding the card, as strange as that seems.


my joy only lasted a a block before the reality changed. right there on the sidewalk not 20 steps later was the 4 of hearts and then just up ahead the 10 of spades. oh no, i thought. i walked on past those two and clung to the thoughts of my 7 of clubs but it became hard to turn a blind eye when the next block brought with it another 6 cards, one of which was face down. suddenly the cards had no mystery, they were just litter all over the sidewalk. in fact, my walk took me another 6 blocks and the cards just kept showing up, under a tree, in the gutter, stuck in the crack of the sidewalk. they were everywhere. i felt defeated. i imagined a child throwing them from a stroller unaware of the havoc he was causing. i thought about how it would all be different if i had crossed the road after that first block, if i had never known about all these other cards. i stopped suddenly and took the 7 of clubs out of my pocket. i placed it down beside of the 2 of diamonds, deciding that maybe he would miss everyone if he came home with me. having been everywhere the cards weren't important anymore, their value was only found in their rarity. the 7 of clubs had no place with me.

i never did see the queen of hearts. not surprising i suppose i imagine she would be the first to go. i can only hope that whoever took her never saw the rest although somethings remain special no matter what i suppose.