On The Celibacy Of Magicians

If there’s one thing my crew relies in,
It’s the high quality of this here poison
For while Lust is good for society,
It’s totally useless to me and me.

We’re powerful. We slowly age.
There are advantages to being a mage.
You live near an eternity,
All the time in celibacy.

I assume it’s humor. I assume it’s jest.
That those whose Magic has flair and zest
Have lived a century or more
Without wife, lover, concubine, or other score.

It’s not invariant; think of Crowley*
(And his Scarlet Woman, whom he called Holy)

All I know is, your frustration
Is powerful for your education.
But if for Loves madness you really wanna,
Come here and sniff some Belladonna.

It’ll leave you half-made and poison you
Very similar to how Love makes noise in you.
With one trick: when our drugs dissipate,
We’ve all been there. We can relate.

But on this, don’t let your mind hover:
There’s poison in nearly every lover.
Their bodies sweet, their emotions true,
Full of horrible notions for you.

Exclude fools. Embrace immortality.
Avoid Love in the first, second, and third degree.
Love is a thousand ticking clocks;
It’s disguised by a very pretty box.

But don’t be fooled; companionship
Is Death in slow and study drip.
Avoid long gazes, and avid looks.
For true joy, read Forbidden Books.

~Jeff Mach

* It’s pronounced “crow-lee”, dammit.