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