Be soothed, mellow is his voice,
Take comfort, pleasant is his tone,
Be secured, anchored to his choice,
Take steps towards his zone,
Be open to suggestions,
Give permission to his means,
Be prone to his impressions,
Give way to setting scenes,
Be willing, under his cajole,
Rest aside reason and debate,
Be content, consent to his control,
Rest easy, in this deeply altered state.
. He has you in a sleep-filled trance,
. Exposed … to his control of circumstance.

© Tim Grace, 21 February 2011

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To the reader: Being a hypnotist’s dummy, I imagine, requires nerve. The value of surrender, I suspect, warrants the investment. Being susceptible to another’s authority has me fearful of exposure and embarrassment. As an onlooker, I enjoy the theatre of comic hypnotism. The dramatic elements of powerless submission are bewildering; and often amusing. There seems to be no battle, resistance is futile; but only for those who choose it so… quite strange!

To the poet: Wooden boxes can be made using all manner of decorative joints. Function is a necessary factor, but aesthetics delivers the essential ornamental purpose. The same is so for this poem which in a functional sense communicates an idea; nothing too important. Over function, of more interest is its shape and pattern. The pairing of lines is emphasised at front and end, the quatrains are internally repetitive and the rhyming is simple; all to good effect.

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Be … His …