leaning in closer
i struggled to hear
her whispers
clumsily rising to my feet
i recognized the familiar
the pound
after pound
of gutteral weight
that holds me frozen,
rooted to every
attempted ground.

immobilized,
i still seek
one perfect
idyllic step
toward
mastering my direction
so that i may follow
calliope’s elusive
lead
still, this remains
my most complicated
dance