Muck Dance Ballet

(French terms to know: arabesque (ar-a-besk) stand on one leg, other leg extended back with knee straight, arms out; pirouette (peer-oo-et) a full turn of the body on the top of the toe or the ball of the foot; releve' (rel-vay) rise up from the whole foot onto the ball of the foot; demi plie' (dem-ee plee-ay) half bend of the knees; port de bras (por-de-bra) continual movement of the arms through a series of positions; fouette (foo-ay-tay) series of turns on one leg, the other leg extending rapidly to side and whipping around body; glissade (glee-sade) a connecting sliding step When corrals turn to mush and all dirt roads are slush, springtime has arrived at our place. The challenge begins since I'm sans webs or fins to walk outside with upright grace. I don my galoshes and cov'ralls that washes to feed stock that wait in the lots. By the time I return I will honestly earn my decor of brown and green spots. As I step in the slop, my galoshes do flop, as ankle-deep mud gets a grip. In slow forward motion I ease through this potion, resisting the muck's pull to slip. I feed several hay bales and balance two grain pails, while working my way through the soup. But before I am through I'll lose one boot or two from suction of that muddy goop. THWOOP! My foot's poised in the air as I (gasp) balance up there. I execute an arabesque, a slow pirouette so I shan't get all wet. What I need is a chair or a desk! My predicament here since my boot is so near is to turn it around in the slop. My balance must hold while my foot's in this mold and fearing my body will drop. A controlled releve' and demi plie' are more than my posture can stand. A wild port de bras while I desperately claw finds me catching the ground with my hand. I snap a fouette' and turn the other way. I manage a slippery glissade. For it's not every day you see Muck Dance Ballet-- just when ankle deep mud makes you wade. Copyright Terry Henderson terryhenderson.net