The Magic Carpet and the Old Lamp

A Poem: The Seller of Lamps in the Marketplace

The old man looked up at the flying carpets in the breeze,

As the winds from the North wafted through the trees.

He thought about all the adventures that he had,

When he was a brave and adventurous lad.

He crossed oceans on his magic flying carpet,

He fought monsters and dragons while standing on it,

Saving people, rescuing ladies and princesses,

Of stunning beauty with lovely long tresses.

He had bestowed so many wishes to so many people,

He had saved Kingdoms and made powerful Kings,

He had granted wishes of magic lamps and Golden Rings.

Then he had lost it all one day when he was taken a prisoner

And left in a cell with chains, he could not plead or cry,

As he watched helplessly as his family and his wife die.

The world had changed him in every way,

He was as evil as the darkest magic of the day.

The old man looked at the small green cloth bag,

Which was old, tattered, and well used.

His wrinkly hands went into the green bag

And from its dark recesses, he drew out,

A well-used lamp which was as old as the sages,

He looked at the birds in his two bird cages.

The thin crooked fingers opened the cage doors,

As he let the captive birds fly free,

He smiled watching them fly into a nearby tree.

A young nobleman came to ask the price of the lamp,

“This lamp, this silver lamp is one silver coin for you,

Just make three wishes to get an even larger fortune,

Great Love and happiness and your wishes will come true.”

The handsome young man rubbed the old lamp,

But, before he could make any of his wishes,

The old man threw dust into his eyes saying,

“You are my captive Genie now,

A prisoner of the magic lamp.”

The young man was trapped in a cloak of smoke,

He started to disappear like a wisp of smoke,

And he was locked inside the old magic lamp,

Never to see the light of day again,

To be a captive with a magical chain.

The old man threw a dark cloth over himself,

In a flash of a chant of magic and mystery,

He was transformed into the young nobleman,

The old and crafty lamp vendor was now free.

The young, evil, and devious magician,

Master over the magical crafts and filled with sin,

Took one of the hanging carpets from high,

Threw a sparkling of magic dust on it,

To make that ordinary carpet fly.

He stepped onto the magical carpet,

Flying off into the night on his next adventure,

To win some fair maiden and her fortune,

To make merry under the sun and the moon.

Using his powers and his magical chants,

To captivate, enslave and enchant.