Bomba
Mi
respeto al tambor.
Bow
my head
to
the gods & ancestors
Living
in
the beat of my veins.
Proceed
with grace, smooth
over
every jagged edge
bare
feet feel.
Root
into legacy,
I dust off my path.
Skirt’s hem a broom.
Dirt floor demons I
walk over.
Sweep & sweep &
sweep.
Space cleansed.
Circle my ground.
Pace back & forth.
A
lioness in my den.
Buleador
fuerte keeps
the rhythm in my chest rippling
through my body. Waves hit
me over & over.
This isn’t over. Spirits bang
On my sternum & escape
through my shoulders. Enamorá
del macho. Cucando
al
subidor. El primo fiel
No
se aparta de mi ritmo.
I
go. He follows.
Tempos
quicken.
Hard
beats drop.
No
se para el piquete.
Folds
in my skirt run up & down.
Como los taínos
up & down
the mountains.
Like los Africanos
up & down the fields.
Like our children
up & down the streets.
¡Bomba!
Mi respeto al tambor.