Hazards of Being, a Black Mage in the 23^{rd<\/sup> Century<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n}

 <\/p>\n

I pull in resolution, and begin<\/span><\/p>\n

To doubt th\u2019equivocation of the fiend<\/span><\/p>\n

That lies like truth …\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014The Tragedy of Macbeth<\/em>, Act V, Scene V, Lines 41-44<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some might ask you to perform tricks. If you give them the slip,<\/p>\n

They might call you tricky. A trick. Losing yourself in a tome,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You could conjure a memory of kindergarten and a boy\u2019s blue<\/p>\n

Lips, or\u2014something entirely different from what critics expect.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

If you enchant the red dress robes from your mage college graduation<\/p>\n

And the hood you ditched\u2014which indicates your class and year\u2014<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Minutes after the apprenticeship in dual-casting and double-consciousness\u2014<\/p>\n

Both could float around without you\u2014speak for you, if necessary.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Trust me.<\/em> You can\u2019t miss an equivocation. Every one points to nothing.<\/p>\n

You will eat, sleep, seethe\u2014so that the clan in power can talk you<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Into in their tedious organizations. As an infiltrator, your hands tend<\/p>\n

To be tied\u2014in the office\u2014when another black wizard summons a familiar.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

While raising the dead, an issue might speak as it eats at you, your growing<\/p>\n

Family\u2014ask the cost of each spell cast through and against you in these<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Last four hundred years. Yes.<\/em> A line of blood, smeared on the floor, can<\/p>\n

Tether. As the mouth of a line of sorcerers, you divine red signs, read as runes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Before the birth of your first child, they say:<\/p>\n

STOP\u00a0\u00a0 DO NOT\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ENTER\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ONE WAY DEAD\u00a0\u00a0 END NO \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 YIELD<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which almost breaks\u2014spilling the cask of womb open\u2014but fails to.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Your eye\u2019s mystified burn is a hazard too. The third in a backlash of hexes<\/p>\n

You will one day need to explain the source of. Code words instituted before<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your induction into these ordinary communities (once spelled out) might<\/p>\n

Never escape you. Like being possessed. Poisons rendered in the flesh.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

You may kill a child before\u2014or after\u2014you bear it. Test the magical<\/p>\n

Properties of that child and their kin. A danger.<\/em> Fulsome creatures, these.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Their habits, if turned into ingredients or objects\u2014could find a\u00a0fiend,<\/p>\n

Imbued with gall, where the mana of a mortal\u2019s milk should be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*previous version of this poem published in\u00a0Yemassee Journal<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hazards of Being, a Black Mage in the 23rd Century   I pull in resolution, and begin To doubt th\u2019equivocation of the fiend That lies like truth …\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u2014The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V, Scene V, Lines 41-44   Some might ask you to perform tricks. If you give them the slip, They … Continue reading “”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/235"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=235"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":526,"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/235\/revisions\/526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shainamonet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}