Spell for the Creation of Mental Space, by Yvette Doss

SPELL FOR THE CREATION OF MENTAL SPACE
by Yvette Doss

Mix two spoonfuls of dragon’s blood
(substitute OPI nail lacquer in Lincoln Park After Dark)
to protect you from interfering forces;

a dash of lavender oil
to chase away the bad energy;

mandrake root:
(substitute ash leaves)
to scatter in the four directions
for success;

and wormwood:
(substitute a shot of absinthe)
for astral projection.

Next, take a sprig of rosemary:
sprinkle the resinous leaves
in your bath water
for clear thinking;

and woodruff. Carry
to change the course
of your life. Burn
to clear away barriers
to success.

Be sure to exclude
all love-inducing properties
of aforementioned herbs, resins
substances;
also, steer clear of
the bud from a new rose, aloe, and sweet balm
(who needs all that binding,
love-making energy?)

Think. Write. Create.
Repeat.

Author’s Comment: Spell for the Creation of Mental Space is one of a series of poems I’m working on that explore the intersection between magic, prayer, witchcraft, herbal and folk remedies and good old superstition. I’m fascinated by how often we tend to turn to incantations, prayers, spells and charms for help when life gets difficult, and how often they seem to work for us, either through divine intervention or the power of the mind.

Bio: I am a graduate student in the M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing at the University of California at Riverside. My non-fiction and essay writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine, the San Jose Mercury News, and on NPR radio.