Click play below to listen to a reading of this poem by the author.
I wish I’d been there
the night Houdini locked his keys in his car.
To witness that magical interplay
of bitter helplessness
and cruel dismay.
To watch the consummate showman
struggle and curse,
alone,
crowdless,
with jimmy bar
and coat hanger.
Succumb at last
to the realization
of his humanity.
Clutch the cracked leather bag
bulging with handcuffs and chains.
Smash the driver’s side window,
safety glass particles
showering the driver’s seat,
twinkling like a million stars
in a black Budapest night.