If a man dies never having described
the magical experience he once had
does it mean the magic never happened
Magic is not the same as conjuring
which is a trick, usually sleight of hand
though a trick of the light may be magical…
“There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s where the light gets in”
sang Leonard Cohen with a voice so low it may count as magic
Counting off the things on your bucket list
you may miss the magic
you never thought to list
Thinking about magic you have experienced
you may be in danger of dissecting
it to death and why would you not just accept
Accepting the existence of magic
is a personal prerogative
one person’s magic is another’s commonplace
Magic can happen any place
any time
to anyone
I believe in magic
but not magicians
or ghosts
I defend the rights of others
to believe in ghosts, and
to share what magic means to them
Magic, like love – just is
it cannot be reasoned or conjured up
though you may set the scene for it to manifest
The manifestation of magic
cannot be forced
but only prepared for in receptivity
The reception of magic is easy for children
but what they achieve easily
we struggle to hold onto with age
A life may well be weighed
by the amount of magic
we have observed to be…
Perhaps the real question to be asked
is not whether you believe in magic
but whether magic believes in you…
© Andrew Wilson, 2024
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Over at dVerse Poets Pub, msjadeli in OpenLinkNight, invites us to submit a poem and since we are, in Lisa’s words “just a week away from the spookiness of All Hallow’s Eve”, I have chosen one that references magic and ghosts…
I wrote this in my writing group in the shadow of “Belief in Magic” by Dean Young.
Andrew I like you flipping the script with this one. I like the format of describing what it is, what it isn’t, from your perspective.
Thanks Li – I love this passing the baton style…
I like your definition of magic, Andrew. I enjoy the magic happening all around me every day. Nature’s magic always has some new magic to show!
It’s the meaning of life Dwight, the meaning of life…
Your first stanza held me captive, and then, it was a magical flow.
So glad you likes it Reena…
So many interesting and thought provoking lines,
Thinking about magic you have experienced
you may be in danger of dissecting
it to death and why would you not just accept
Accepting the existence of magic
is a personal prerogative
one person’s magic is another’s commonplace
is not whether you believe in magic
but whether magic believes in you…” Loved this magical piece. 🙂
My writing has not been the same since Laura Bloomsbury introduced me to Pablo Neruda’s Book of Questions…
“Counting off the things on your bucket list
you may miss the magic
you never thought to list”
this stanza really nails what magic is – Bravo!
Thank you Laura, I think I wrote this around the time you introduced The book of Questions in a prompt…
Love this one and I got so many take aways from just accepting the magical things in life. So much to dissect or missing the little things, may take away our deep appreciation of “magic”. This is very insightful of your view towards life.
I spill all my inner workings in Poetry, Grace…
Awesome closing… may the magic believe in us all, and may the magic be a good one.
And the Poets Pub is a big part of spreading the magic, Björn…
I love the question. Magic and love are hard to describe but also undeniable. That’s why we write poems I think.
I think you’re right Colleen…
This poem resonates with me, Andrew, being a believer in magic and the supernatural. Magic is happening all around us all of the time; we just need to be open to it to notice. I agree with these lines wholeheartedly:
‘Accepting the existence of magic
is a personal prerogative
one person’s magic is another’s commonplace’
and
‘Magic, like love – just is
it cannot be reasoned or conjured up
though you may set the scene for it to manifest’.
I hope very much that magic believed in me!
I think that is without doubt, Kim…
I like how you lay this out as a sort of philosophical argument, or your side of a debate. One can understand the science of a sunrise, but still appreciate its magic, or how two people manage to meet and fall in love, which seems so random and magical.
And well-done for working Leonard Cohen into your poem, too. 🙂
Thank you Merril, I didn’t want to use one of the many familiar pictures of Leonard Cohen so I asked AI to make a picture that could be him and it came out just right…
I believe in magic ~ and magic believes in me! Leonard Cohen ~ now this is a man who is magic personified. I have written more than several poems he inspired ~ I have imagined myself as his “Marianne” cavorting with him on a secluded beach in Greece. [I know, TMI]
It is no less than I imagine for you Helen! Perhaps we should have a Leonard Cohen OLN…
Wisdom, a touch of surrealism…v nice.
Thanks Ain…
Hi Andrew, I love this poem. It reminds me of Peter Pan when Wendy says: “I do believe in fairies” in order to save Tinkerbell.
Yes! Robbie! Spot on…
A beautiful meditation on magic, Andrew, its apprehension and its manifestations. I agree that children are more receptive to it. As you say,
“Magic, like love – just is
it cannot be reasoned or conjured up
though you may set the scene for it to manifest”
May we always be ready to receive it. 🙂
Indeed, Dora, thanks for the lovely comment…
I particularly enjoyed stanzas 1 and 4 with their ideas. Nice to hear a reading too. You have the accent my wife wishes I had! Haha
Thanks, Shaun – I noticed somebody had a reading and thought I would try it – not sure I will always do it, but reading it out makes sure it works too. Sorry about the wife – I am sure you have a lovely accent and Oxford with a hint of Australian would not be an upgrade…
i admire the question.
Thanks Michael…