In the Wizards Garden, by Micah Timona Ferris

Micah Timona Ferris is a Swiss Citizen, born in Mendrisio, Switzerland and raised in New Zealand, where she has spent most of her life. She has a BA degree from University of Canterbury in English and Theatre & Film and has her Masters in Poetry from The International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Currently residing in London.  In 2010, she was awarded the Margaret Mahy Prize for best collection of stage I work at the Hagley Writers’ Institute.

Micah will be a regular contributor to the The Unofficial 'Brit Writers and Writers Everywhere' blog.
Her short story 'Apples', won the vicbooks short story competition.

She is also a Published Poet.

In the Wizard’s Garden

Sycamore seeds
picked up and
spun on a soft wind
little fluttering distractions
that made
eyes meet eyes
across the garden

where the man in the black
overcoat waits behind
you by the wall
and later, the walls
will come down and the
powder man in his
sycamore suit will smile
and buy you a glass of wine
and you will
drink from the cup,
the wind blowing up
your scarlet dress

you know you want to go
there and be blown away
read from his book of spells
and cantations
you can look into
the eye and see
straight through, and
now your eye is open too and
the caterpillar fingers
sink in

but his nails are sharp
like cutting shears
and the sycamore seeds
are falling

Author's note: In response to George Dunlop Leslie's artwork, In the wizard's garden c.1904, oil on canvas. Housed at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, New Zealand.