Natalie Thomas – The hypnotist

                                  swallows a balloon whole,

its pink skin shrieking like a pig before slaughter.

He tells passers-by to trust him.

Close your eyes     he says and they do.

Madeline clings to her other senses, hears jazz far away,

singer with a voice like a guzzling mosquito.

The air gets hotter. Everyone claps their hands together

and bows their heads, worshipping the pig man.

Focus on my speech.

Hands begin to rise, migrating from their bodies

to hot sky above. The air gets hotter. Hot hot air.

Madeline’s fingertips are burning. She opens her eyes,

shouts no!     The illusion shatters. The audience awakens.

Floating hands burst into confetti. 

The hypnotist pulls the balloon from his throat;

it is orange like the sweetest fruit, an apology

of sorts. The crowd clap fiercely, so happy, so delighted.
Madeline stares at her palms   they are not hers

these hands are phantom hands and the pig man is a thief.

He has stolen her beautiful hands.