Wednesday, January 21, 2015

John K. Graham


Let There Be Dance

Find yourself
in tango’s close-embrace,
   a milonguera
lost in intricate movement,
guided by the bandoneon’s
sad strains.

Never been to Buenos Aires?
Not important.
Wherever you are,
infuse your life
…with life.
Let there be dance.



Belly Dancer                                                              

She entered to applause
   and piercing whistles
to the rapid drum beats
of the darbuka and dübelek
flowing black hair, olive skin
   enigmatic smile
hips swaying sinuously
finger cymbals clinking
   chink, chink-a chink,
   chink-a chink.

Ottoman bangles gleamed
   and clanked
   on her outstretched arms
belly and legs moving synchronously
   to the çiftetelli cadence
a swirl of intoxicating motion
   reviving memories of old Pera.

Shoulders rolling
head thrown back
rivulets of sweat matted her hair
   belly shimmying
ud and saz urging her on
in a rapturous dance
   of supple movement.

She swept past me
a blur of veiled movements
dark cavernous eyes
   mocking me
thighs and stomach undulating
the zurna wailing
finger cymbals clinking
   chink, chink-a chink
   chink-a chink.

As suddenly as she arrived
   she exited
rose petals strewn before her
a hint of anise and lemon water
   in the air
Roxelana’s daughter
a caïque gliding on the Bosphorous
   in the Levantine night. 

{John K. Graham, jgraham50@satx.rr.com}

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