A dream to dance

boy's dream, dancing,

A dream to dance





He wanted, first, to be a dancer

No! I speak wrongly- he wanted

to be THE DANCE-

to be, throughout his body, a mural

of shapes and motion and beats-

to write a rhythm of graffito

geometric, abstract, instant

in the spaces of the eye.



But he lived in a denim, testosterone world-

truck drivers pile drivers brick pilers-

meat packers bone crackers wife smackers.

The only acceptable arts-

boozing boxing bowling-

the only marginal manly meters

a wedding waltz/polka stomp.

Balls over beauty.



No mentor where the Foxtrot

is that "pansy" dance-

And he already a suspect child.

                                                                                 



                                      Raymond Weaver

                                          7-22-02