We Used to Dance
by Johanna MayWe have forgotten how to stare
the best way to say bird is fly
sylvan, wordless, graceful, yare
our bodies cursive on a paper sky
Stared at trees our fingers, leaves
we drone from deep within, the bees
The clearest language we had once
to say we are, we used to dance
Truest to the deers, we belled in deer
truest to the crows, we cawed in crow
we took a stone to that we fear
and from the truest took us far
the stones we have divided into sands
each tribe, a plot, that grew to different lands
Truth, difficult to misspell once
to say we mean, we used to dance
Our violins still mimic wolves’ howls
we grapple why the sound is so familiar
our furs grow back pronouncing vowels
the O, the howl, the moon, primordial
Breezes flap the pages of our hair, they look
and scan us, we’re their only book
trees and creatures read the arrogance
a race that has forgotten how to dance
01/06/2013