Leah Stenson’s most recent poem to appear here was “When the Bough Breaks” (December 2019).

Magician
By Leah Stenson

After a short performance of sleight of hand,
he rewards beggars on the streets of India
with pocket change.

He says you can tell a lot about people
by how they respond to magic.
Russians want him to produce more coins.
Italians are dazzled and wide-eyed.
Japanese utter barely-audible gasps.

Against the backdrop of the mundane world,
he performs every day—to thank a sales clerk,
entertain a child or conjure a smile.

I applaud him.
After he broke my heart, he made it whole again.