THE MAGICIAN’S DILEMMA
INSPECT THE BOX
It’s a simple trick
To make a person disappear
Harder to bring them back
Oliver must be in there somewhere
But how to get him out
The Box is large and impressive
It sits on a raised iron frame
Some four feet above the ground
You needed a stepladder
To help Oliver inside
It measures some six or seven feet long
Enough for an adult to fit comfortably
Or for Oliver to flail
Like a starfish
Giggling
You could hear him
Through the sturdy lid
Laughing on the other side
Then you couldn’t hear him
The two halves
Are divided
Separable
You’ve seen your father do it
With a practiced hand
Separating and reuniting the box
Returning his assistant
Mom
Although
Now that you’re up close to the box
You notice unfamiliar art
Scrawled in either direction
A symmetrical band of pictographs
And braided patterns
A distinct pattern
On either side
You’ve never noticed them before
Did they just appear?