~ Written by Danielle N. Bilski ~

I l l u s i o n i s t

I will never forget that night,
I figured out how the trick is done.
It is comforting to know,
I am not the only one.
Sitting in the audience watching myself on stage.
I was the illusionist, their assistant and a willing volunteer.
Complicit in tradition, I woke up in a tank filled with water to escape from.
Holding my breath and about to lose consciousness,
the facade shattered,
as the curtain was raised.
An empty theatre.
I am standing in the front row of the dress circle.
The room is dark.
The tank is drained.
All of the stage lights are illuminated.
In my hand is the show program:
every page is blank.
I fooled myself,
by letting misdirection distract me for far too long.
Now, I decide
while spectators believe that is too good to be true.
So, who is the greatest illusionist?
My friend, it could be them
or you might just discover it has always been you.

©2021 My Time With You