Skills
--by Jonathan Aaron
Blondin made a fortune walking back and forth
over Niagara Falls on a tightrope—blindfolded，
or inside a sack， or pushing a wheelbarrow， or perched on stilts，
or lugging a man on his back. Once， halfway across，
he sat down to cook and eat an omelette.
Houdini， dumped into Lake Michigan chained
and locked in a weighted trunk， swam back to the boat
a few moments later. He could swallow more than a hundred needles
and some thread， then pull from between his lips
the needles dangling at even intervals.
I can close my eyes and see your house
explode in a brilliant flash， silently，
with a complete absence of vibration. And when I open them again，
my heart in my mouth， everything is standing
just as before， but not as if nothing had happened.