The Glass Animal Man (Poetry)

His workbench in the window of that shop
a clear glass view of all he did repeatedly
to take those coloured rods of glass
and wave them through the fierce blue flame
twist and turn them with a showman’s skill
thin twirl and tease those liquid strands
then weld with a surgeon’s precision until
form emerged — a recognisable shape conjured

Fanciful and often humorous his cartoon figures
delicate as a subtle joke deftly handled
he was a performer — part magician part illusionist
and his art made him a celebrity in that seaside town
locals and tourists old and young they gathered
noses pressed against the glass fascinated
marvelling at the process of creation
those glass doodles of a fertile imagination all
                                                on sale inside

Famous in his day and featured on TV newsreels —
‘The Glass Animal Man’ — we all knew who he was
and in our modest china cabinet displayed behind more glass
a few examples of his fragile art stayed safe
as a child I could not touch — only look and smile
and keep the happy memory all this time ...
Where those small figures ended up I’ve no idea
I hope some at least survived these now so careless
                                                throw-away-such-clutter years