ballet, my first love

 a glimpse into into the living room i grew up in

dad would put the vinyl record on the phonograph:
JS Bach for solo cello, or Chopin waltzes
and i would swirl, hop, jump, and leap
using various end tables to create a ballet barre

i remember mostly being alone
after dad would put the record on

i remember not suffering
from loneliness --
it never had a place
to lodge in my heart

most good art unravels
from a disciplined start

how happy i was to become
the music spinning...through pirouette,
and chine' turns--
always grinning

kate lamberg (c) '19

  the dancers, by Matisse'