spirited away
spirited away
spirited away
by Douglas Hardman
Double, doubleToil and rubbleInto the cauldronA recipe for troubleBlood moon fever arisesA chalice of red wine pressed against my lipsDendritic ChalcedonyMookaite JasperCharging and cleansing my auraThe first sip is the hardestBitterness begets bountyThe transformation is about to beginWho you once sawWill be a distant memoryThe séance has begunBut this enchantment has no expiration dateAt least not for me
Saturday nightDoesn’t mean I’m feeling alrightI left my amethyst under my pillowFor my eventual hibernationWhile the effects are temporaryThe repercussions are everlastingEven the grandest of SupremesI, too, must face my demons eventuallyBut the spirits, they beckon to meMeet me at the alterSpeak in tongues as we enter a new realmFriends turned strangers turned deviantsMy curse is now yoursBurdened 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 hillI have been given different instructionsMy master expects perfectionI have shed blood and tears and identity for thisHow could I possibly go back?Night after night, years after years
What could you possibly fear? Happen to a terrible life? The unexpected
The shadows are fadingI must retireBut do not fretThe ritual is never overJust at rest
The shadows are fadingI must retireBut do not fretThe ritual is never overJust at rest
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Featured in our October 2021 issue, "Ritual"