It’s kind of tragic
That there’s no magic
As kids have been raised to believe.
No chants, no verses
Reverse the curses
Of Washington, Deceived.

No Hermione Grangers,
No game changers:
Change itself has been gamed.
Lord Voldemort
Didn’t cause Baltimore
But The Causes Shall Not Be Named.

No incantation
Will save the nation —
Words don’t work wonders like that.
There’s no magic wand.
So, they’ve been conned:
It’s sordid, but not by a hat.

Yes, there are creatures
And enough scary features
In the world to make one nervous,
But the lessons kids took
From this spell-binding book
May have done them a disservice.

Too much reliance
On conjuring, violence,
Specialness and powers,
Can result
In a lightning bolt
Tattooed on a child who cowers.

Instilled devotions
To wishes and potions
Leave them ill-equipped for a fight,
But still fill them with notions
They can hold back oceans
By waving their arms. And their rites.