Last night Dave and I
Mushed over to the Lynn Auditorium
Through 6 feet snow embankments
Up Monroe down Market into city
Hall where it all opened up for us
Behind the plush red velvet curtain
Swan Lake in Lynn! Black and White flutter-
Swan-dream- creatures court jester evil sorcerer
Enchanted lovers resplendant lush ensembles deux trois quatre
Romance death- strifed fate-mad star- crossed embrace
Dave and I entranced amidst an audience murmur of Russian and Lynn
Argot and exotic women in tightly fit over the knee black leather high heel
Boots and sensuous furry garments with tiny waists and big skirts
We bathe in a a snowy swath of swans we open our arms to the whole
Swanly affair and I remember my nine year old dancing self
When my ma took me to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
at the Bushnell Memorial in Hartford Connecticut
and the red curtain opened and parted
like the first red sea and…
I saw Alexandra Danilova prima ballerina
And her troupe of enchantment
And went backstage afterward with Ma
And all I remember from here is she took off
Her eyelashes and put them in a jar and kissed me
and for months after that I kissed each night
her autographed photo and I knew
I knew what it meant to be in the magic zone
and now at my austere and snowy age
I know ah oui… je connais encore
Signing off respectfully… e/liz: jazz poet of lynn