The Magic Show

Owhiro Bay School Fair, first show 1pm.
The little kids sat on the floor
but I scored a front-row chair.
We sat staring at a small round table
with a dark red tablecloth while
mysterious music played from somewhere.

Mr Winkle swept in from the storeroom.
He had a red cape and drawn-on moustache. 
He made balls appear and disappear so swiftly
there was no time to be impressed.
He joined and separated silver rings.
But it wasn’t magic – it was a clever trick.

Then he removed his top hat and showed it
empty. Reaching in, he pulled out a
softtoy rabbit, which he presented to
Ruben’s little sister. He reached in again and
– ‘Hippity-hiphop’ – tipped out a real rabbit.
Everybody gasped. What if it hopped away?

As it trembled on the table, Mr Winkle passed
a small box to me, tapped it, and asked me to
open it. Cushioned inside was a white furry thing.
I didn’t know what it was. He pointed to the rabbit
and we saw it was missing a paw. ‘I wish to all of you
good luck,’ said Mr Winkle and bowed.

James Brown

James Brown continues in Wellington. ‘The Magic Show’ and ‘Love Poem’ will appear in a new collection of poems, provisionally titled Leadership Material, to be published by Te Herenga Waka University Press in 2024