February 2019
j.lewis
jim.lewis@jimbabwe.com
Author’s note: Beauty is a question of perspective. It can exist at a distance or right in your face. Textures, sounds, colors all have their own loveliness.  Sometimes it’s possible that beauty is only skin deep, that something hideous hides just below the surface. What you look for is pretty much what you find.
 
curves


i have loved from a distance
the arc of a raptor's beak
seen close up his bloody prey
whispered a silent thank you
for being too large to consider
 
i have loved from a distance
rolling, rippling hills
walked over crest, through trough
feeling more than hearing
the quiet yield of soil underfoot,
of leaves stirred in passing
 
i have loved from a distance
rhythmic, crashing waves
escaping the rounded ocean's
currents and tides to fall
breathless on receptive sand
their dying, curious foam
clinging to my naked feet
 
i have loved from a distance
winged things, and earth, and sea
measured them in my mind
the weight of their beauty
resting there like lover's breasts
in my cupped, quivering hands
 

 


en pointe
 

of course the topic
of a ballerina's feet
has been addressed
probably more times
than a single ballerina
has paused to pirouette
or paired for pas de deux
or flown through a grand jeté
all without a net
or wires, or harness
 
nothing but her nerve
her countless hours taken
away from everything else
for the sake of the dance
and then, and then...
someone comes along
and wants to remove
her satin slippers
those shiny walls
that keep the world
from seeing the price,
the full price she...
 
STOP! i shout
mostly to myself
 
just stop
and raise your eyes
let go your morbid fascination
and look at her face
 
concentrate!
 
hair, pulled tight and shining
eyebrows perfectly lined
lipstick and rouge expertly applied
but there, right there
in the sparkle of her eyes
that's where the real strength lies
leave the feet for others
who want to make sure
that every imperfection
shares center stage
with arabesques and attitudes
battements and brisés
 
stay focused, friend
on the character behind those irises
the determination, the stamina
the ability to endure
pain and perspiration
and unrelenting practice
and tell me, truly
have you ever wanted anything
as fiercely as she wants to dance? ​
© 2018 j.lewis
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