The Light Salesmen

Aidan Chafe


They come on a Saturday wearing their Sunday best. They come ringing bells
with songs in their blood. They come high on resolve, itching for ears.

They come before your first coffee. They come when you’re not dressed
eating avocado and toast. When your mind is miserable and misunderstood, they come. 
They come when you’re afraid of honesty and the best of you is hiding.

They come waltzing in with wings. With fireflies in the belly hocking broken flashlights.

They speak of the Electrician. Ask if you’ve seen him, wonder if you’re looking,
and how long you’ve been in the dark. They claim to know his whereabouts,
offer you a map with his coordinates.

When you hesitate—no, but thank you—they leave 
moving swiftly towards your neighbour.




Aidan Chafe is a writer and public school teacher. His debut collection of poems Short Histories of Light was published with McGill-Queen’s University Press (2018). His work has appeared in literary journals including CV2, Event, PRISM international and The Maynard. He lives on the unceded territory of the Qayqayt First Nation (Burnaby, BC).