The Dancer

The dancer moved to the drum beat

His expression full of heat

His neck moved in unison with his feet

His hands told a story

His eyes spoke of things past, present and future

The beauty enough to move you

The feet moved gracefully

The body twisted and turned

Like a piece of leaf in the hot sun

The muscles rolled and jerked

To the pulsating rhythm of the drum beat.

Every so often his cloth slid down his hips

And graceful fingers pulled it in place

The movement so slight you’d hardly notice.

The drummers drummed in trance

Their rhythms vibrating up the soles of our feet

The dancer kept on talking with his body

Sweat run down his dark muscular flesh

Only to fly off him when his movements jerked and land at his feet

There was a silence then a shout when the dance ended

Women with brightly coloured scarves wiped the sweat off the dancer to acknowledge the beauty of the dance

The dancer’s glazed eyes sparkled

His lips turned up in a smile

His spirit came back inside him

The spirits of his forefathers came to him

During the rhythms of the beautiful dance

C Araba 2007