Chalices and Incense

chalices and incense
pentacles and charms

light the candle
and toss the runes

Some think that ritual
that fair exotic spice
is the making of magic
and is bound in sound advice

But all these things are tools
not the place where magic is found
magic is creation
nothing hidden or profound

The painter, not brush, paint and canvas
is what makes a master work

When the pentacle is inscribed
and the last candle's lit
the runes are cast
and the work is wrought

It doesn't live on canvas
or on paper from a pen
It's not an epic poem
It's not a what, or even a when

It's the act of creation
in spirit
pure and raw
and the trappings of ritual
are less than a handful of straw

to make the magic work
takes nothing, just pure view
just the essence of knowing
staying centered
and being true