Erika on the red mat
tucks her right foot in her groin
and bends forward from the waist
then lowers till she’s hovering
above her left tippy toes.
If you can’t follow
what I’m saying, that’s
because her body’s twisted,
furled and folded as a body seldom is.
But full of grace,
she brings her hands
to meet in prayer in front of her
and for a minute poises there,
a compact bulb with five small roots
and a patient shoot waiting
to push up and through.
It’s beautiful to stand beside
Erika on the red mat
to feel more than see
the rising energy as like
a tulip in the spring
she reaches not just up
but into the quiet balance point
where anything can happen.
oh……..my. I love you so much, dear friend.
You start this well with shaping the yoga without ever using the word yoga — even that moment of worry about the reader not following — but when you shift to seeing Erika as a bulb, I am hooked for sure. Great choice in the word “poises.” That second to the last line feels a touch wordy to me — it’s a fine one, though, that hovers around perfection.
so right on about that line …
Soft, still, resonate, quiet depth. I’m calm, reading it.
gracias, merci, danke, namasté.
namaste