Monthly Archives: April 2012

twenty words

by

twenty years

a generation

has passed

like a few breaths

and a walk through waist-high mud

gratitude and love abound.

Queen of Samba (2008) by Susan Almazol

by

Drums from Sergio Mendez announce my arrival

I samba past your white noise machine and

Wiggle my hips before your astonished face,

With each thrust of my hip, I say to you,

Take that!  And that, too!

 

How dare you say you can’t imagine me dancing samba!

Can’t you see my light shines in all directions?

I pull faces out of wet clay.

I quilt remnants into epics.

I write. I teach. I inspire.

 

Now I’ll show you!

Shaking my shoulders,

Swinging my hips,

I lower myself to the floor with bent knees,

All the while, keeping my thighs closed.

 

You’ve seen Brazilians do this on TV, I’m sure.

So what if I am Filipina?

And an aging one at that!

Why would almond eyes and grey hair tell you what I cannot do?

My luminous light gyrates in all directions.