Did anyone think about cleaning advice
for carpets stained with enchanted detritus
the silt from a thousand journeys
discarded crumbs from clandestine trysts
jetsam from unloading secret treasure
flotsam of flying too high in the jet stream
or the occasional queasy passenger’s ejections
vertiginous from a magical evening

When it comes to upkeep of charmed relics
one must use caution and skill
shampooing can dilute the power
bring bumpy rides flying under the radar
vacuuming out gritty particulates
may cause sudden buoyancy, send the carpet
whooshing into power lines
short-circuiting its utility
except for causing blackouts

Beating the rug brings a certain backlash
where one finds themselves burrito-rolled
into a ride, jettisoned over a cliff
vigorous shaking out initiates ripples
shock waves that eventually propel riders
into the sky to make it on their own
or find authorities knocking down doors
for clear abuse of sentient rugs

For this reason are magic carpets rare
caution and thaumaturgic finesse
often an equal toil between taming
fibers and washing out blood spills
splashed wine, dried mud and esoteric effluvia
that infests whoever does the cleaning
with frayed enchantments, sticky charms
and rashes cursed to never leave