Silvester Day, by PD Lyons

Silvester Day

(West Germany 1982)

The bicycle thief of Hamburg has no arms.

She sits in the lobby, waiting.

Smoking filtered cigarettes

Held between her toes –

After the ballet would be her time :

From midnight to dawn, charms

Bicycles from their chains, frees

Them from railings and fence posts,

From street poles and the bumpers of parked cars…

Like children after a pied-piper, they would follow her.

Later, she walks again

Those same streets alone, to watch

People holding nothing but empty chains

Where they had expected a bicycle;

The look on their faces

Prompts the true reason for her actions,

For at that moment,

So as to hide her laughter,

She could forget herself and

Wish for arms.

~ 

 

•