$\"Cosmic$

“Cosmic Orb” by Eric Shaffer<\/p><\/div>\n

Shapeshifting<\/strong><\/p>\n

As kids we called it making stitches.
\nHere, at the Sac and Fox Pow Wow
\nwomen and children flatten
\nthe damp grass of the circle
\nwith their neat flowered sneakers
\ntheir pink and turquoise shawls
\nthrown round their all-American shoulders
\ntheir Bermuda shorts. Their feet
\nshuffle in unison, scuffle the earth
\nthe good red earth, the good yellow earth.<\/p>\n

Outside the circle stalls, selling corn dogs
\nand chocolate-covered cheesecakes
\nare queued upon by kids and their grandmothers
\non a mound in Stroud, Oklahoma,
\njust off Route 66 across the highway
\nfrom the Sac and Fox Casino
\nand the Master of Ceremonies
\nin his easy drawl, keeps telling the crowd:
\nNot to mind the rain folks! The good rain
\nthat has fallen and now the sun has come
\nand the good lord knows how we need the sun<\/p>\n

and the rain and the great creator has sent it
\ndown to sweeten the grass and let the dancers\u2019
\nfeet enjoy the feel of earth, the good red earth
\nthe good yellow earth and any moment now, folks
\nthe drummers will come in from the eastern
\nentrance of the circle and sure enough
\njust as the man said, in they came, big drums
\nskins taut as a pregnant woman\u2019s belly, drums
\nheld before them, solemn as bison and sure enough
\nthat sound did indeed seem as if it was earth\u2019s
\nbones creaking under our spectators\u2019 feet.<\/p>\n

And the women and girls danced together
\nin their neat, shuffle stitching rhythm
\nand those little steps, first to one side
\nand then to the other, took me back to us kids
\nplaying in the back streets of Ulverston.
\nTook me back to Mam\u2019s old Singer sewing machine
\nher hands rapidly shuffling alongside the staccato
\nrattle of the silver needle, flashing up and down
\nas she made a school bag to hold my PE kit
\nmy name stitched in white on navy.<\/p>\n

~ Geraldine Green<\/p>\n

. . .<\/p>\n

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