The exorcism (part 4 in a series of 4 poems)

"Everything in life is organized around people falling in love with each other.
Falling is easy; but no one tells you how to fall out of love."
(Hanif Kureishi, "The Buddha of Suburbia")

The white witch had told her how to do it
she was armed with a piece of string, a pair of scissors
and an incantation learnt by heart

Hereby I undo the knot that ties us

but her foolish lips would not part

She turned to her oldest friend
a scrap of pristine paper
in her spidery scrawl, she wrote

You have killed my love for you

but her stupid hand was clutching the note too tightly

She did not dare look at him
much less even speak to him
she just slipped it into his outstretched hand

I declare myself liberated from this bond

but her stubborn heart was still beating in her throat

All that was left in her palm was a ragged piece of string
all that was left for her to do was to destroy it

By fire, water, earth and air

she finally drove the evil spirit away