Levitation

Late 1800’s:

Six people
Surrounded a heavy wooden table
Sitting on matching
Parlour chairs.

Each one had their palms down
Laid flat
On the rim of the table’s surface
Fingers splayed out lightly
White skin glowing
In the warm ambiance
Of candles
And a fire of seasoned elm wood
Swirling in the miniature fireplace
Of the simple barren room
That was built some
Fifty years earlier.

An elder man
With self proclaimed doctorates
Sat at the head spot
If there was one at a square table.

He was babbling in low murmers.
Speaking in tongues
Coded words
Undecipherable.

Entranced
His eyes were wide open
Unlike the other five
Yet he saw nothing that was physically before him.

His face rippled with
Quirksome
Spasmodic twitches.

The medium’s feet started tapping
Sounding like a hard quick rain
Hitting the soft pine floor.

Five conductors continued
To keep their eyes closed
As they had promised.

Not one of them
Wanting to be responsible
For breaking the spell
Or transmission.

The table began to move
With it’s own spirit
Legs stuttering
Upon the floor
Mimicking the old medium’s.

With vigor
The elder
Rhythmically chanted
Volume intensifying.

There was great strength and command
In his voice
As the table began to rise.

The others sanctioned to this room
Beheld this miracle
Behind the flesh
Of closed eyes
Feeling the table levitate
Pressing their palms
Up higher
Above their torsos
Above their shoulders
Then lifting them all
Concurrently
From their chairs.

And they stood there.

Some crying
While
Others felt abstract words
Pass through their quivering lips.

An orgasmic white fervor
Started to undulate
Through the wave of energy
Blossoming like trilliums
In the cozy room.

One conductor...

A spinster
And a bit of a prude...

Pulled back with surprise
Her fingers slowly left the table.

She couldn’t handle it.

The wave of goosebumps
On her flesh
The unknown trembling that she felt
In her loins.

The sin of the paranormal.

Her eyes opened
To watch the piece of furniture
Drop to the floor
With a startling thud and a crack.

A leg broke off
Sending the table on it’s side
While
The others fell back exhausted and spent
Into their chairs
Breathing heavily
From rapture
Luminous from white light.

She too
Fell back
Sprawling
Weeping quietly
Not wanting to be noticed.

She lay there listening
To the coital breath and moans of the others
As the fire crackled.

Hoping that none of them
Took note that
She was the one
That failed to take them
Across.