Houdini’s Safe
This came out a chat with @ray1on1 … so blame him
An artist came to stay
A Cornish lad who’d lost his way
And from his broken shore
He washed up at our door
She poured him a whiskey
For his tale to tell
Gone sailing with mum
A storm hit,
And in that wooden boat
His old world ended
When he turned around
All he found was nothing
So he cried out in vain
Screamed and shouted
Hollered and roared
Go on stare
I’m the sea
I don’t care
Then he drifted to shore
And for years kept on
Drifting, shape shifting
Throwing glasses in bars
Throwing fists to stars
Curled up in a ball
Slept in any hall
From hash to horse
He no longer cared
When asked what ailed him
He’d go into a rage,
And turn within,
And tear from place to place
Sinking and sinking
At the end of his tale
She took his glass
Gave him a hug
And put him to bed
This lady who had cancer
Lodging in her head
For weeks she listened
And out it all poured
Till finally she spoke
Paint, paint it all
Paint till it hurts
Paint till you crawl
And with grey hands
He picked up the brush
And he began
Mad strokes of black
And grey and white
Splash and dash
Darting eyes,
Manic mind in sync
While she sat looking
By our old broken sink
Sometimes they smiled
That knowing smile
Both stood at the gate
I’m a ‘gonner
But this is not for you
It’s not too late
He sat in silence
Steadied his broken boat
And on his huge canvasses
He’d painted Houdini in the tank
With his mum’s face staring back
Then he kissed her goodbye
And walked out the door
A little while later
She walked through the gate
And some years on, I asked a mate
How’s Houdini?
Married with kids
Happy out,
I smiled
And another soul drifts by


A vivid depiction of two-way healing!
I blame the muse for the spark, but the master for the fire.