“What the eyes see and the
ears hear, the mind believes.”
—Harry Houdini
The mind is a complex
instrument that is capable of processing thought, recalling memories and
inducing dreams. We see and hear things that require reasoning and
interpretation. That mechanism sometimes short circuits and the results are
ambiguous.
In these days of uncertainty
we strive to believe in magic—the ability to wave a wand and eliminate poverty,
provide health care for all, end war, and restore the planet’s health.
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| Table Mountain, Capetown, South Africa |
Do You Believe in Magic
Jesus emerged from the
flames of Notre Dame
plain as could be—a message
to his modern-day disciples
that miracles can happen if
you look deep enough
into your heart and mind.
Angels still walk the
streets, tipping their hats
as they slip between nooks
and crannies
smiling with that covert look
that says,
“Top of the day. You know
I’m with you.”
Walls reverberate with a
familiar timbre
speaking in tongues from
apparitions
restless with illicit
prophecies stolen
from the night preying on
daylight.
Mountains step up their
dance,
swaying to the torrents of a
winter wind,
then gently sashay into a
samba when spring arrives
with a new partner for this
season’s jig.
Take tragedy and turn it on
its end—
fate is but another card
manipulated by sleight of hand.
You see an ace but it’s
really a queen.
Your eye—a polyglot for
deciphering reality.
(Excerpt from Do You Believe in Magic? by Jeff Key)
Some use slight of hand to
derail these lofty dreams—make us believe that the division of wealth is a Darwinian
phenomenon, insurance and pharmaceutical companies can heal the sick, corporations
are people, tolerance toward others impedes rights, and fossil fuels still
define the planet’s progress.
The Loving Spoonful in their
‘60’s song asked, “Do You Believe in Magic?” We like to believe that magic
still happens, but it will only transpire if people are able to see beyond illusion
and find truth in the eyes of that elusive rabbit popping out of a magician’s hat.
