Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
The witches’ cauldron’s boiling hot
Bad vibes are in the air
Every move gets foiled, ties my guts in knots
Jammed sideways in the celestial sphere.
It rose unbidden, reached the zenith
And speaks of doom and greed
The three-headed scheming behemoth
Oozes putrid ’till its reddened gum bleeds.
The witches’ cauldron’s boiling hot
So I dress in silk cotton and flannel
Though every move I make turns tart
I must dodge fear and clear the channel.
Watch out! The cauldron’s boiling hot
It will backfire and scald them
For if one plays with fire, one gets caught
And no tail feathers to warn them.
© selma
AUTHOR’S BIO: Selma Martin is a retired English teacher with 20 years of teaching children ESL. She believes in people’s goodness and in finding balance in simple living. She lives in Japan with her husband. In 2018, Selma participated in a networking course whose final lesson was to publish a story on Amazon. After many failed attempts, she completed the course and self-published her short story, "Wanted: Husband/Handyman," in 2019. Later, collaborating with peers from that course, she published "Wanted: Husband/Handyman" in Once Upon A Story: A Short Fiction Anthology. Selma has published articles and poems on Medium since 2017; she has a story in Short Fiction Break, 2017, and poetry in The Poetorium At Starlight, 2022, MasticadoresUSA, and Spillwords. After her first NaPoWriMo 2021, Selma writes poetry on her website, selmamartin.com, and is struggling to garner the courage to publish a book soon. You can find Selma, selmawrites, on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
At the time of this post, I’d been dealing with a bout of negativity, but after penning
this poem, felt some of the pressure lift from my shoulders.
Here’s something mentioned in the poem: Cotton, from the Silk Cotton Tree
(the Ceiba Tree, the sacred tree of the Maya), and Flannel are said to have healing
properties.
So at times of unease, I wear cotton and flannel as my spiritual amulets.
Plus, I love the feel of these natural fabrics.
Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
Hope everyone’s having splendid days and lovely thoughts.
(speaking of thoughts– here’s an essay I researched for you on this subject
that intrigues me.)
Thanks for reading, and I wish you miracles.
May despots’ proclivity for taunts, greed, and power cease to be. May peace prevail in every corner of the world. Amen.
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Amazing piece, dear Selma. So fascinated by your new amulet. Wonderful .💕
I’m thrilled you read my day’s offering, dear Grace and smile knowing the amulet thing fascinates you. So happy. Thanks for commenting, my sweet. Blessings.
You’re so welcome, dear Selma. My pleasure.💕
Your poem was captivating, Selma. I equally enjoyed reading about what inspired you to write your poem.
Michele, my sweet, thanks. Captivating is a word I like. Thanks for using it on me today. And I’m totally happy you like the inspiration behind my words. Thanks for noticing them. I appreciate you. Blessings. xoxo
You are welcome, Selma. Have a wonderful day! 💐
Such a poignant poem Selma. Sending you positive vibes.
Positive vibes, received promptly, Sadje. Thanks soooooo much. You rock. xoxo
My pleasure
Sorry to hear about the negativity, Selma: I am sure it is clearing the way for something better! I loved this poem, which has a Macbeth vibe to it…
Macbeth… you didn’t just use that word on me, did you? Yes, you did. Gosh…
I used that energy to write a few poems, you’ll see… they’re coming weekly for a while. So that’s a plus that came out of this.
Yes, negativity exists. Let’s roll it up in a ball and unroll it to make good poetry. (good: I hope my words are good enough) Anyway, it was a great distraction for ME.
And I’m so sure you’re right. Clearing the way for better.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
To peace, and flannel, and only the good witches. <3
Thanks to cheering for peace, flannel and good witches my friend. Blessings to you. Xoxo
I’m so sorry you’ve been through a patch of negativity lately. You’ve certainly turned it beautifully into this touching and powerful poem. I hope it has helped you to feel a little better. The links you shared were very interesting too. I had no idea that kapok (used to stuff the headrest of my armchair and my favourite cushion) came from the Ceiba tree. I also read your post about human connection – it’s fascinating and gives much room for thought. I really enjoyed it and could identify with it. Thank you for sharing all that you have done today. Keep well, dear Selma xxx 💖❣💝
You bless me, Ellie. Thank for reading those other topics that fascinate me so much. Stay safe. Hope total recovery comes soon . Godspeed, my sweet. XoXo
Love your amulet Selma with your understood poem and we gather hands and hearts my friend! 💖💖