a pig poem for poor tony!

[Guest guest]

mira’s dancing

(for tony)

 

who is the creator of the dance

 

mirabai danced with her lord

but her lord was not a lord at all

mirabai’s lord was the dark one, a god

mirabai danced until she was no more

 

the dance who is the creator of

 

mirabai danced with mirabai

dancing with mirabai she was not

for she could not find krishna in her forests

nor even on her sacred high mountains

 

the creator of the dance who is

 

the dance dances in all divine flesh

krishna has stained us all with bhakti

dancing within his beloved mirabai

at the center within they are dancing

 

who is the creator of the dance who

 

is the infinite center of all creation

divinity dancing its way into the flesh

and its profanity into a divine dancing

dancing myriad steps into myriad forms

 

who is the dancer dancing the dancer who

 

is merging into the still dancing center

who has stained mirabai in the darkness

dancing as she is up the sacred mouantain

krishna dancing within mirabai is the dance

 

is the dancer dancing the dancer the dance

 

in the darkness sensuality stains all creation

virgin merging into virgin is virginity no more

wantonness is the sacred ground of all creation

all things dancing the dance dancing all things

 

the dancer dancing the dancer is the dance is you

dear reader

 

you are the lover merging into the beloved

your merging is dancing you into the dance

you are the beloved merging into your lover

you are the endless heartbeat of infinite rhythms

 

your dancing creates the creator of the dance

you, just you are the lord of the dance, beloved

you are your beloved and your beloved is you

 

what, you do not believe mira’s poet?

 

Look! into mira’s mirror and see for yourself, look!

mirabai is staring you right in the eyes and she is dancing

 

So, since you already are dancing,

dance your way into the cosmic dancing!

 

 

mark christopher valentine

(may 19, 2001)