A Wizard’s Attic

Dusty books of forgotten spells.
Aged powders and symbols
and bells of magic.
Wands bereft of sparkle and shine.
Spiders' webs,
ropes and soft lines of silk
on the mantelpiece and on the wall.
Lists of apprentices deceased, poor souls.
A cloak for a much younger wizard.
Spider eyes and bats
and tails of lizards and skinks.
Creaking wood and empty chests,
a magic lamp, a dark glass bottle,
Nests of birds and mice.
A crystal ball.