alicialiv
06-28-2006, 07:42 PM
One of my old homework assignments- create a poem by using the sestina form.
Dancer
The right leg stretches farthest from the mirror
The left leg bends back, straight
The right foot shuffles forward parallel to the body
The left foot arches back, never curled, always pointing
But her hands-- limp, unclenched and powerless-- hang
From pale dangling arms
She needs to be perfectly still and outstretch, to the sky!, her arms
She needs to stop shifting and look from instructor to mirror
She needs to twirl the wide circular net of her dress to let it skillfully hang
She needs to leap with a neck that is straight
She needs to uphold a strong chin-- to the sky! pointing
She needs to fly without an awkward body
Today, hands raise and drop and stretch above this body
Tomorrow, muscles scream up and down these arms
Weeks, this chin is not pointing
Thirty days, ignore the mirror
Eons and Eons pass and this neck still is not straight
Causes social death!, an unwieldy white dress refusing to hang
And what will mother say if my dress refuse to hang
She will laugh at my awkward body
And what will father do if my neck is not straight
He will bury his face in his arms
And what becomes of the ladies I try to mirror
They will look down on me from perfect chins upwardly pointing
I look, I watch, I learn but they are pointing
At my ugly form continuing to hang
I wish, I think, I see the mirror
But it does nothing to ease my body
I swing I sway this way, that way with leaden arms
And see my legs tumbling straight
Into the floor, my posture strays far from straight
So look I to the instructors pointing
At the painting nearly long as my arms
And notice I the people that hang
As elegant and poised as my body
So I smile, nod and mirror
What my instructor sees, is a dancer glancing at a mirror to steady her neck straight
Her body circles the floor as she leans her foot outward but not quite pointed
Her posture may hang limply but she outstretches, with love, her arms.
Dancer
The right leg stretches farthest from the mirror
The left leg bends back, straight
The right foot shuffles forward parallel to the body
The left foot arches back, never curled, always pointing
But her hands-- limp, unclenched and powerless-- hang
From pale dangling arms
She needs to be perfectly still and outstretch, to the sky!, her arms
She needs to stop shifting and look from instructor to mirror
She needs to twirl the wide circular net of her dress to let it skillfully hang
She needs to leap with a neck that is straight
She needs to uphold a strong chin-- to the sky! pointing
She needs to fly without an awkward body
Today, hands raise and drop and stretch above this body
Tomorrow, muscles scream up and down these arms
Weeks, this chin is not pointing
Thirty days, ignore the mirror
Eons and Eons pass and this neck still is not straight
Causes social death!, an unwieldy white dress refusing to hang
And what will mother say if my dress refuse to hang
She will laugh at my awkward body
And what will father do if my neck is not straight
He will bury his face in his arms
And what becomes of the ladies I try to mirror
They will look down on me from perfect chins upwardly pointing
I look, I watch, I learn but they are pointing
At my ugly form continuing to hang
I wish, I think, I see the mirror
But it does nothing to ease my body
I swing I sway this way, that way with leaden arms
And see my legs tumbling straight
Into the floor, my posture strays far from straight
So look I to the instructors pointing
At the painting nearly long as my arms
And notice I the people that hang
As elegant and poised as my body
So I smile, nod and mirror
What my instructor sees, is a dancer glancing at a mirror to steady her neck straight
Her body circles the floor as she leans her foot outward but not quite pointed
Her posture may hang limply but she outstretches, with love, her arms.