spirited away

by Douglas Hardman

Double, double

Toil and rubble

Into the cauldron

A recipe for trouble

Blood moon fever arises

A chalice of red wine pressed against my lips

Dendritic Chalcedony

Mookaite Jasper

Charging and cleansing my aura

The first sip is the hardest

Bitterness begets bounty

The transformation is about to begin

Who you once saw

Will be a distant memory

The séance has begun

But this enchantment has no expiration date

At least not for me

Saturday night

Doesn’t mean I’m feeling alright

I left my amethyst under my pillow

For my eventual hibernation

While the effects are temporary

The repercussions are everlasting

Even the grandest of Supremes

I, too, must face my demons eventually

But the spirits, they beckon to me

Meet me at the alter

Speak in tongues as we enter a new realm

Friends turned strangers turned deviants

My curse is now yours

Burdened with purposeful glory

Will you meet me on the cliffside to howl at the moon?

Just long enough for me to trip you down the hill

I have been given different instructions

My master expects perfection

I have shed blood and tears and identity for this

How could I possibly go back?

Night after night, years after years