Waiting here to witness, nothing can hurt her now.
She believes circling against the clock can bring back the dead
and fill the seas, wash the world of white.
Old time religion is a menagerie, beginning at new moon for six days.
The most pious grow thinner and thinner.
Step together, Step together, faster and faster
Ghost dance blind, wildly looking towards the sky
without caution and human limitation.
Ochre moon and stars and sun
on proud breasts could ward off bullets.
Only in moccasins with
nothing to adorn her from white man's world.
She painted herself pale, cold independent and self reliant
hands upraised, chanting monotone.
Having moved to the city,
she became confused and
could not find the east or the sun
distracted into circle, she could never complete.
Knowing it's hard to hit a moving target
she always has something to do and somewhere to go
All her lovers have gone
she knew all her men were unfaithful.
They probably figured, she never would have noticed.
She throttled the stork when came near
placing egg shell feathers in her hair and
lies about the yard, naked and bold
with breasts defying the sun.
She wanted to play with someone
anyone would not dare fall in love
or forget shoes on her living room floor.
Someone to leave before the jealous sun arrived.
She will carry lovers home, allow none to stay
never being opened by life's betrayals.
She refuses sit with pain without moving to relieve it.
She will not be alone with herself
and enjoy the company she keeps in empty moments.
She cannot complete the circle. She flees
to be massacred, face down, two miles away.