Dancing Ina Fever Dream

I’ve not been here. I’ll nearly 2 days. This really happened. Enjoy, I hope. And you be wellM Dancing in a Fever Dream Ill. From inside a fever. Asleep. I Began to dream That I was teaching a ballet class Wherein I began to demonstrate The four movement sets for the arms. And, a sudden moment of deja vu From a previous dream that may have come During hours earlier, at the start of the fever, During which I became frustrated, Unable to recall the second set of motions and Had turned over to some dream-free sleep, But in today’s dream in fever, I Moved, again leading the class, suddenly Exhilarated as I , motioning arms, had A physical memory return of the most eloquent Of the four: the second port de bras motion set. In the dream, I did it to be sure of the recollection. I started through the four steps, done to A count of eight...so, rais both arms, 1...2 as around a hoop forward. Then, 3. 4, Raise right arm up in an open, arc forward, With the left arm arced down behind. Then 5 - 6. Is a great sweep to make the pose as a Complete opposite, left arced up front, right to rear. 7. A breath lifting chest and arms so slinky a raise, elan! 8. Arms lower down to sides, by thighs. It was this I was teaching in my fever dream, Counting as I modeled the motions, so happy I’d remembered, but in the long sweep of the 6 to 7, I felt rough jostling as my name was shouted. I’d been teaching, too, outside the fever dream : A sleeping reality as if awake, by motions and voice, With swaying arms and called numbers. “That was weird,” my husband announced. “Just really weird,” he pronounced: a word unliked. It was a funny thing to happen, I thought. And I was happy to realize from decades ago, From deep in my mind, I’d brought forth again The 2nd port de bras, with the confidence Of teaching once again. A joy to know so! Not “weird.” Maybe “strange.” I laid smiling. ————————————————————— (c) sally Young eslingerP