Magicians Poem by R.A. Burleigh

(For Mariano)

Lying on elbows in the tiring, sweet sun
warm by the Spanish mountains
we ate thick beans and felt grass spurs in our sides
I felt too happy

There were no towns I could see
no women, no comforts for my rash
ants crawled over the rough bread
while the men hurrah end and chortled
over strength and hardship
I had come too far

Etevino, who owned the only tractor
wanted me to talk about magicians
yes, they threw Houdini off a bridge in a trunk
into the East River in America

It reminded the men of women they had heard about
it reminded them of war, of bullfights, of fools
they passed the thin red wine
and then lay quiet until it was time to work

All our bodies sleeping in never ending time
all the peace, all the quiet, all the honor of doing
good work with good friends made me feel
the chill again from coming too far

RB