(III)

Tulip Jive

It takes two to tango, to trip the fandango,
two lips to wrangle, to kiss and tangle,

and hips, two pairs, to jostle and bango
to the tinkly ankle bells’ jingle and jangle,

the vase of spent-bent tulips, the six red
lips of each, unfurling, breaking free,

dropping languidly, their soft descent
a counterpoint to the dancers’ feverish,

staccato moves, the slow unveiling just
enough for the pair at dance to glance,

their bright, astonished eyes, now still,
to take in, to behold, in the sunlight

streaming through, the stigma’s delicate,
light green curling atop the style, the purple

stamen, six slender anther-headed filaments,
circling around, like young children skipping,

hip hop, jumping, hip-high to their pistil-
packin’ mama, celebrating life and its colorful end.

 

From Patience and Grace 2011

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