THE MAGICIAN 

There was no tuxedo, 
no top hat,

wand or handkerchief,

rabbit, coin or deck of cards.

Had they been a part 

of his daily routine 

he might have seen himself 

as the magician he was, 

directing his gaze away 

from his own denial. 

Like a disease that does not 

detect its own malignancy

 

his greatest trick was keeping 

his own sorcery from himself. 

Cunning, baffling and powerful, 

the magician was most dangerous 

when forgetting became 

his French drop.