The Conjurer

HOOKS


On the 33 going downtown, the bus was almost
full when I looked up and saw this young Black
woman carrying a triangular cardboard box,
almost cradling it. She was trying to stick
the tape back down. I recognized the shape of
the box, a 3/4 size guitar. She kept pushing
on the tape, as if not to have any of the music
escape out of it before getting it hoe. She
kept smiling coyly, as if it were her joy she
was trying to keep in that box. I wondered if
she would ever play anything as sweet and
personal as the expression of her face. Then I
noticed on the edge of the new box, stamped in
red "USE NO HOOKS" and I wondered if that was a
warning or the first lesson.