I Expected Magic

Books leaned together like a tent in the dark, sheltering a tiny campfire, while glowing cyan neuron-like filaments branch out into the blackness around them
Art

I expected magic.

I thought
One word
And the stars would settle

I thought
One touch
And the fire would simmer

I thought
One note
And the music would quieten

I expected magic.

I have held this spell
For seven nights and seven days

I have held this spell
With fierce desire and hope

I have held this spell
But it weighs heavy in my hands

I expected magic.

How unbearable each day feels
When I am parched for relief
Already I ask
Why are my ruins not rebuilt?

Tonight, the stars misalign in the sky
Tonight, the music is noise too loud
Tonight, the fire blazes too sharp

Tonight,
I am still here
But I am tired.

The spell is seven days old
But the curse is ancient

I expected magic.

But maybe magic expected time.