The Dancer - Mariska Taylor-Darko

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
His feet moved gracefully
His body twisted and turned
Like a leaf in the hot sun
His 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 back in place
The movement so slight you hardly noticed.
The drummers drummed in trance
Their rhythms vibrating up the soles of our feet
The dancer kept on talking with his body
Sweat ran down his dark muscular flesh
Only to fly off him and land at his feet when his movements jerked
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.

No comments: