Portrait of a Dancer by Martin Soto
His calloused fingers
unfolding before
the flirtatious eloquence
of her skirt’s
articulate flourish
bending towards
the weight
of her womanhood
Bada Bada Bada Bada Bada Bomp
Bada Bada Bada Bada Bada Bomp
Her careful carriage
of a hemline
held betwixt a twining
of lady fingers
like a handkerchief
delicate enough
to misplace
beneath a rhythmic
thumping
Budunk U Dun Budunk U Dun
Budunk U Dun Budunk U Dun
The joy
of children
coming apart
schoolyard loose
losing themselves
in this moment for life
like a ritual
layered in resurrection
of a remembered
humanity
denied them elsewhere
upon the fringe of society
Boonku Boonku Boonku Boonk
Boonku Boonku Boonku Boonk
Boonku Boonku Boonku Boonk
Boonku Boonk Boonku Boonk
The drum
plays Africa
Men and Women
Still
Tracing the lineage
far from home
leaving no portion
of themselves
undisclosed
despite a change
in scenery
We shall never forget
the drum
this distress signal
bringer of otherwise
unutterable joy
mover of bodies
builder of resistance
to uncertain conditions
now come for us
A telegraph typed
in the frenetic
challenge
of his hips
her skirt
those hands
beating the skin
from Mayaguez
to M’banza-Kongo.