4am

It’s 4am, a slim lady, well-dressed
falls from the deck of a cruise liner
far out at sea.

Somewhat luckily, an illusionist
dressed all in black, already in the water
rescues her and takes her
to the shallows of an ornamental lake
surrounded by a crescent-shaped multi story hotel.

He insists on removing and retaining
her black cardigan
before swimming back out to sea.

From a high balcony in the hotel
a well-known television presenter
considers rescuing the garment.

The cardigan has become a Japanese calligraphy paintbrush
with which the illusionist is writing the words
Imagine This
clearly in the water.

The sea is gentle but with significant rolling waves
but the words stay fixed fast in the water.

In the middle of this ocean
from the vantage point of a contorted bough of a leafless tree
the illusionist looks down and considers his work
thinking to himself
How am I doing this?

© Graham Sherwood 01/2018