May 3, 2024 Poetry

What Keeps Her, What Do We Pick Up, Ballet of War

What Keeps Her, What Do We Pick Up, Ballet of War Artwork by Uzomah Ugwu
What Keeps Her

Blind exchange
Can’t look both ways
Caved in discussions
All up in the air
He said she was
Loose
Tight percussion
Kept her moving
By the jukebox
Pondering eyes
Looked at her
Found her address
Like they knew her
And that blue dress
She danced

Like she could have any man
She would choose
He wanted her

He left with ache


What Do We Pick Up

What do we pick up expect shell
Cases of slip bullets
Walks by buildings cut in half
by missiles
In continuous disaster
Where no sound of children’s laughter
Is heard scattered amongst the streets
Pet animals now walking without a leash
Or able to find something to eat
What do we pick up
After war is gone
If it ever finally leaves


Ballet of War

Empty shells of bullets made for terror
Enclosed together in walls that seem not big
Enough to stop the fall at the sight of a directed bomb
Felt loose, had constant ache, not for food
But I started to shake
Buried in my toes
Forgotten snow cover up dreams
Tip toe, tip toe on these floors
A kiss from mother
Sister has not fallen asleep
But where can we have peace
Under this bunker of war?
Sudden movement missing
Where it all began till I was able
To dance again even in pain

A smile from a stranger’s face now a friend
A twist or turn
Never out of place
I felt alive until it was
realized the war was still
Outside waiting to come in
Where I was just everyone’s dancer
And a way to forget what lay ahead
of us outside those doors
so I continued to dance this ballet of war