Friday, June 7, 2024

THE DANCER ON THE LEOPARD ROAD

—an ekphrastic poem after DCastro's The Dancer

The eye of the sun leopard follows the dancer,
her saguaro arms raised high, the oculi, the false eyes,
like oilspots on the road, follow her every move,
while ox-eyed daisies sway in the aqua air 
filled with dreams of red jalopies of another era 
that take to the skies like a swarm of bees 
seeking a new home on the horizon. 
The open road disappears into the distance 
mountains pierce the sky, letting all the air out 
until we droop like flat tires waiting for a bicycle pump
to clock a little more mileage under our belts. 
The hazel-eyed sun and its sunspots—beauty marks—
watch us as the exuberant dancer cartwheels up the road. 
But there are also ghost dancers on the plains. 
A woman carries a parcel while her sisters rise up 
like a dense winter ground fog hiding in the rushes. 
And the dancer on the leopard spotted road 
with her three legs, and starburst chamise,
is prancing like a runaway circus pony, 
while spinning vortices or black holes 
are waiting to draw us all in.

6/7/24 CPITS workshop with Jessica Cardenas Wilson

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