Lessons in magic

a little girl, her eyes lit with hope,
away from the withering gaze,
of the world's jaundiced eyes,
her world still cocooned,
in the warmth of her father's arms,
'i want to learn magic', she cooed.
her father, smile crinkling his eyes,
held her tighter and said,
'magic is in your heart,
its in your soul, in your smile,
how does one learn,
what one already knows?'.
the little girl thought a while,
furrowed her brow, pinched her nose,
'then teach me how not to lose it',
she simply said.