Adult Ballet

a childhood dream coming true in my 40s

The thrill

The sweat

The uphill journey

Frappé

Fondu

in relevé

till it burns ... flambé!

I can’t

I might

Why not?

What next?

A zillion things

to juggle

to fix

time for only one

then another

Everything else disappears

while we are all there

diving in our cosmic bodies

Breathe!

Belly button to spine!

Zip up!

A zillion miracles at once

in a wrist

in a toe

in a hip

Pirouette

or not

all is gain

As muscles make memories

electricity

traces paths

on our own shapes

and timing

Former strangers

become allies

of triumphs

a millisecond in the air

a stretch

even sore calves

There is no age

at the barre

only grit

en dehors

en dedans

Bloom

Bloom

Bloom

late is just a word

for Jean, a true accomplice  (2019)