Rochelle Ratner
The Magician
1
Dahlia, his physical therapist,
calls it sleight of hand
or a lucky guess
that he can tell her
which muscles are strained
and how building up the shoe
precisely here should correct it
but then she’s treating him for free
because she wanted to study someone
who runs ten miles or more
every day.
She’s just never met anyone
so in touch with his body;
he says all he has to do
is pay attention.
He teaches her
how he’s studied anatomy
and mathematics, can compute
the angles of compensation.
She says a magician, he says a scientist.
2
He’s just passing by
and dropping in,
but this time
stays a little longer
five hours pass,
it’s nearly seven o’clock;
we go out to dinner.
He says
he forgot to take
the book he borrowed -
just come up a moment more
to get it
but walking back
his hand fit into mine
perfectly.
Half out the door
he hugs goodbye
lifts me off the floor
edges toward the bed
two hours later
seems like fifteen, twenty minutes.
I tell him the headache I had
off and on all day
has vanished.
Page(s) 16-17
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