tregetour

This year, I’m writing poetry for every word tasting in November. I’m calling it Povember. Today, a roundel.

A tregetour is a trickster, a conjurer, a juggler; the word comes by way of French from Latin trans ‘across’ plus jactare ‘throw’, the same source as trajectory. And gnidge is a rare word from Scottish meaning ‘rub, squeeze, press’.

A slight-of-hand but long-of-digit
tregetour, I touch but twice
and lightly, yet will not abridge it,
a sleight of hand;

I twinkle fingers for a price:
with flowers and cards and darts I fidget,
but strokes of skill need no device

and magic comes from wit, not widget.
You’ll gasp at last and call it nice
and swear none else could nudge or gnidge it
as light of hand.