Manzini: Escape Artist

Gwendolyn MacEwen

now there are no bonds except the flesh; listen-
there was this boy, Manzini, stubborn with
guts stood with black tights and a turquoise
leaf across his sex

and smirking while the big
brute tied his neck and arms legs, Manzini
naked waist up and white with sweat

struggled. Silent, delinquent, he
was suddenly all teeth and knee, straining slack
and excellent with sweat, inwardly

wondering if Houdini would take as long
as he; fighting time and the drenched
muscular ropes, as though his tendons were worn
on the outside-

as though his own guts were the ropes
encircling him; it was beautiful. It was thursday; listen-
there was this boy, Manzini

finally free, slid as snake from
his own sweet agonized skin, to throw his entrails
white upon the floor
with a cry of victory-

now there are no bonds except the flesh,
but listen, it was thursday, there was this boy,
Manzini-

Carol Wilson