The Amazing Krezkov falls in love with his assistant, a woman named Carlene.
He has found himself captivated by the turn of her shoulders, and the shape of her nose
As he has surrounded these with thrown knives before a dazzled crowd.
The Amazing Krezkov lectures himself in solitary moments in his dressing room, saying,
"You are the magician! Maintain control to maintain the illusion!"
And yet, when he saws Carlene in half,
He realizes with a pang that he loves each half equally.
"I am the magician," he reminds himself, before confessing into a white-gloved hand,
"But Carlene is the magic."
The Amazing Krezkov remembers one night in particular--
He and Carlene, working together perfectly like the two wings of a butterfly,
Bring the house down as she levitates through successive hoops of fire
Lit by the very longing in Krezkov's fingertips.
"That was the night of all nights!" exults the magician, recalling it all with shining eyes and wild gestures.
"The old opera hall shook with applause! Women wept, men shouted, and they brought us back out four times!"
The Amazing Krezkov remembers something else, and darkens like house lights.
"The doves in their cages became ill that night.
Carlene said it was a sign.
We should never have done another show, but we were young, the world was ours,
And so we did."
The very next night, the Amazing Krezkov makes Carlene disappear, and cannot bring her back.
The show closes.
Krezkov is inconsolable.
Weeping, the Amazing Krezkov continues--
"That morning, I had bent all of Carlene's silverware without ever touching it.
The silver spelled out 'I love you' in a semi-circle around her half a grapefruit.
I said, sweetheart, pick a card,
And every card she chose was the ace of hearts."
The Amazing Krezkov looks down at his scuffed brown shoes,
And runs a hand through his thinning hair.
"Carlene had magic enough to bring herself back,
But she never did.
I wonder why?"
The Amazing Krezkov takes up pastry-making and lives by himself above the bakery.
He does not practice magic.
Still, every night at exactly eleven,
He speaks Carlene's name out loud like a spell,
Pauses a moment,
Then says goodnight to his bird,
And turns out the lamp.
_________
He has found himself captivated by the turn of her shoulders, and the shape of her nose
As he has surrounded these with thrown knives before a dazzled crowd.
The Amazing Krezkov lectures himself in solitary moments in his dressing room, saying,
"You are the magician! Maintain control to maintain the illusion!"
And yet, when he saws Carlene in half,
He realizes with a pang that he loves each half equally.
"I am the magician," he reminds himself, before confessing into a white-gloved hand,
"But Carlene is the magic."
The Amazing Krezkov remembers one night in particular--
He and Carlene, working together perfectly like the two wings of a butterfly,
Bring the house down as she levitates through successive hoops of fire
Lit by the very longing in Krezkov's fingertips.
"That was the night of all nights!" exults the magician, recalling it all with shining eyes and wild gestures.
"The old opera hall shook with applause! Women wept, men shouted, and they brought us back out four times!"
The Amazing Krezkov remembers something else, and darkens like house lights.
"The doves in their cages became ill that night.
Carlene said it was a sign.
We should never have done another show, but we were young, the world was ours,
And so we did."
The very next night, the Amazing Krezkov makes Carlene disappear, and cannot bring her back.
The show closes.
Krezkov is inconsolable.
Weeping, the Amazing Krezkov continues--
"That morning, I had bent all of Carlene's silverware without ever touching it.
The silver spelled out 'I love you' in a semi-circle around her half a grapefruit.
I said, sweetheart, pick a card,
And every card she chose was the ace of hearts."
The Amazing Krezkov looks down at his scuffed brown shoes,
And runs a hand through his thinning hair.
"Carlene had magic enough to bring herself back,
But she never did.
I wonder why?"
The Amazing Krezkov takes up pastry-making and lives by himself above the bakery.
He does not practice magic.
Still, every night at exactly eleven,
He speaks Carlene's name out loud like a spell,
Pauses a moment,
Then says goodnight to his bird,
And turns out the lamp.
_________
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to cry! Why wouldn't she bring herself back I wonder? I hope there is a sequel.
ReplyDeletePoignant.
ReplyDeleteLike Krezkov did, I too wonder why Carlene, though she had magic enough to bring herself back, did not choose to do so?
Beautiful, but sad.
ReplyDeleteOh poor Krezkov ...
ReplyDeleteHave you read The Time Traveler's Wife? If not, you must.
oh, this is fantastic! Just heart wrenching and sentimental at once...the irony is just beautiful!the magician, the illusion, the reality of one-sided love and unattainable dreams
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect poem for Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeleteLovely. Reads like a perfect modern day fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteOh this is a brilliant tale! I love the fact that the assistant is the one with the magic, the magician under her spell. I feel rather sad for him, saying her name in the night.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a sad end. I wonder why she never came back.
ReplyDeleteIt is so very sad to love someone so deeply who will never return. I feel so sorry for the magician.
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad ending. Where did she go?
ReplyDeleteYou told the tale very well. I really love the bit where after his realization of the extent of his love for her after he saws her in half, he says "I am the magician, but Charlene is the magic." Such an awesome setup overall for that line. I thoroughly enjoyed it, every scene was clear and full of nostalgic feel, and it is magical. Really felt for Krezkov.
-Ravenblack
http://theotherdayplace.blogspot.com
Through fervor and acclaim, Krezkov violated his own mantra and lost control- nullifying the essence of his magic. Carlene didn't return not because she couldn't but because she was never real, as evidenced by the fact that she never has an active voice in the poem. This is a well-told account of the illusions men create surrounding the objects of their desire. A very inspiring piece, Fireblossom.
ReplyDeleteA poignant fiction of love and illusion, truth, and illusion. I was mesmerized by the situation you set up, and the narrative development.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tale you have told! A great read on a Monday morning.
ReplyDeleteHow sad!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite part: "Carlene had magic enough to bring herself back. But she never did."
I guess she got tired of being someone else's magic.
rosemarymint.wordpress.com
BRAVO! What a story, what a telling of it, true. Masterful, you.
ReplyDeleteA great story told so well!!
ReplyDeleteenchanting piece.wonderfully narrated.truly magical...in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteThat was damn bit sad.....Romantic though...I love the romance. Read like a play Opening Act...Scene 1 the curtain goes up to expose a magician and his assistant. Cool poem...very cool.
ReplyDeleteThe narrative is that trademark of yours sad and funny, piercing and absurd, obvious and oh so buried...each example of Mr. K's paranormal successes makes the last failure worse...but of course, you reveal the secret behind the prestidigitation, the heart that flies away much easier than it flies back. Lovely poem, Shay, and gave me a bit of a heartache.
ReplyDeleteexcellent story telling. the magic always seems to fade
ReplyDeleteThe magic of an assistant who allows the magician to have the fame...this is a sad piece but beautiful
ReplyDeleteAhh, so beautiful. The Amazing Krezkov completely captivated me. Loved this!!!
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that you can create characters of such depth and complexity with so few words. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteSad, but he knew the day would come.
ReplyDelete...or did she come back as the bird? ha ha. Too deep for me, I think. I don't understand why she didn't come back... a comment above saw her as a figment of the magician's imagination... I see her as real, just somehow, maybe, his magic left him...
ReplyDeleteYup, I think a sequel is needed :)
I love this, Shay.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to be back, to see what the Toads have been producing, and this one is spectacular.
K