deepundergroundpoetry.com
vanity dancer
‘There was a woman swore an oath
And gave hoarse whisper to a prayer
And it was all over.’ Carl Sandburg
how can I love you like this?
there is a storm inside you that takes you away in the wet
night. the darkness entices you, & you speed toward its
siren wail, reckless. swift as a falcon; dire as a sparrow.
when I have loved you, I am utterly worn, as if I had wrestled
the whirlwind. you linger a moment, two moments, in my
arms. then you dance away, the fire in you still raging, & I
know that I cannot love you hard enough.
I could throw you to the floor, in the violent choreo of our
apache’ dance, but what would I harvest? you would gather
your broken pieces & stitch yourself splendorously, more
the spitfire than you had been.
is it other men that you run to? or some hideous thrill that
I could not imagine nor believe. I wonder if there is a wolf
pack that you run with, in this city of mean streets. the
tousle-haired female who leads them, as they chase your
scent & nip at your thighs.
romance your notorious ballet, in the dancehalls of Babylon.
loin-clothed savages beat their drums to your rhythm; twirl
under pagan lamps, in a circle of vestal harlots who worship
a burning bush.
live for your wildness, live for the storm that defines you.
sail the nomad winds to the untainted forests of your wanton
desires, green mansions of rebellion, where men cannot go.
& when you at last find the summit of your sovereignty,
there will be no more of us –
my broken heart mourns your destiny:
a gypsy is forever lonely…
(Artist unknown)
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