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CHARM
Against
catastrophe. Take Wild
Angelica, True-love, Summerlocks,
Sweethearts,
Sungreen and Traveller’s Ease. Chop
fine,
hash
with Kisses and Keys of Heaven, Lady-never-fade and Lily-royal.
Leave
them to dry in memory’s sun, along with Chit-chat,
Confetti
and Baby’s Rattle. Add water and simmer with
Morning
Glory, My Lady’s Lace, Bunny Rabbit and Sleepyhead.
Then,
biting your lip, fling Spindlewood in, Love-links Snow Toss, Cuckold.
Tasting
blood, mash in with White Robin and Remember-me.
But
perhaps the evil has happened. Go
in then for
more
vicious weeds. Find
Adder’s Spit, Snaggs and Strangleweed,
blending
with Blood Cup, Toad’s Head, Tormentil.
Seethe in snake’s oil
with
Sheep Rot, Poison More, Hacks, Earthgall, Devil’s Guts
and
Death Come Quickly. Thicken to a broth.
Add
Felonwort, Moonog and Bad Man’s Bread.
When
this coagulates, sprinkle the skin
with
Bitchwood, Bastard Killer and Mad Woman’s Milk.
This
should finish your harassers, he and she, but if
they
still thrive, pick yourself up, make the following dram.
Get
Sod-apple, Bog Hop, Sow’s Tits, Bladders of Lard,
Hypocrite,
Mare-fart and Devil May Care. That’s
a beginning.
Set
about a truly baroque cauldron. Take
Naked Virgins
and
Naughty Man’s Plaything. Pick Flirtweed, Meg Many Feet,
Kitty-come-down-the-garden-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me,
Slags,
Boots and Stockings, Sucky Sue and Stinking Jenny
Stir
in grosser weeds. Add Dirty Dick, Bull’s Bags,
Little
Peeper, Jack-jump-about. Make
these work upon
Maiden’s
Heads, Tiger Mouth, Open and Shut,
Thunder
Cup, Water Squirt and Tittle-my-fancy.
If
your pain is strong there are other simples: Broomrape,
Jack-o’-both-sides,
Rawheads and Rantipole.
By
now you should feel better. You
can finish the spell with
Publicans,
Bottle and Drunken Willy; Bellywind, Pisspot,
Welcome-home-husband-though-never-so-drunk,
Cat
Bed and Alleluiah. But if your ache is persistent
and
jealousy grinds against desolation,
infuse
then a cup of Dead Man’s Grief, swallow it down,
lie
down your last amid Cuckoo’s Sorrow
under
a draughty Dogberry Tree.
Alan
Marshfield
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of page
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