Spell

Nobody practices
Magic anymore,
Other than for
Amusement.

We are losing
our skills while being
focused on
what went wrong.

Who knows better.
We know.
We do not like taking medicine.

All doctors begin
Believing
that all of our inoculants,
all cures were right here,
waiting to be
spelled out
on the tips our of tongues.

There is a familiar smell
growing stronger
Outside of the lab.

It was always Life or Death.
This time
A muse meant
Healing.
Some words are harder to swallow.



Artwork by Paul Klee, 'Fish Magic' c. 1925 in the Philadelphia Museum of Art [Public domain].