Suddenly his shoulders get a lot wider,
the way Houdini would expand his body
while people were putting him in chains. It seems
no time since I would help him to put on his sleeper,
guide his calves into the gold interior,
zip him up and toss him up and
catch his weight. I cannot imagine him
no longer a child, and I know I must get ready...
Now he looks at me
the way Houdini studied a box
to learn the way out, then smiled and let himself be manacled.
- Sharon Olds
Happy eighth birthday, buddy. I love you.
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