The Dancer In The Tree
A piano playing in the background goes
tip tipping over the branch of a tree.
My unexpected trance is now the conduit
that allows these miracles to happen…
right before my ears,
right before my eyes
The stage has been set and
I’m in the audience, mesmerized.
How the notes pirouette on the shiny bark,
caught in just that instant in a beam of light!
And what color is tree bark in such light?
Everything else is 10 shades of green,
but the bark glows in the sun, like it does in moonlight.
What color could I paint that bark against those leaves?
In the day it might be corn silk motif, flecked in green,
at night, an indescribable hue of grey -blue and ashes.
But night or day, I honestly can say, it takes my breath away.
Awaiting in the wings, a slender figure, a dancer is perched
in Nature’s solar spotlight that follows him as he swings forward.
Oh now, I just stop breathing..but when he lets go..I let go of reality.
He slow-paces his glide to the center of the branch
He tip toes, just like the music but he is almost weightless,
an alien, an unknown, that landed here in my tree,
just to perform in this out -of- the -way place for whoever comes to see.
I am alone, but if someone were next to me, we both would be shouting…
Dance! Oh please Dance!
And I shout it now breathless…DANCE!!
My voice so jarring I feel pulled out of this waking sleep,
as he moves and he leaps and he mouth-open surprises me!
But as his figure fades into the backdrop I see him twirl
I see him do impossible things, while my mind is only joy
and he is only grace, only giving, pure generosity
as the rushes of sound, birds calling, insects humming
begin to take over me.
I feel both blessed and sad..
so blessed
so sad
Because I know…
If I came back every day this week…
I still would never see him again.
Only in my dreams will I ever see him again.
In lucid living, each gift only comes for a little while
and, it only comes once and it never comes again.
Karima Hoisan
September 15th 2020
Independence Day
Costa Rica
El Bailarín En El Árbol
Un piano tocando en el fondo va
punta volcando la rama de un árbol.
Mi trance inesperado es ahora el conducto
que permite que estos milagros sucedan …
justo ante mis oídos,
justo ante mis ojos
El escenario ha sido preparado y
Estoy en la audiencia, hipnotizada.
Cómo las notas hacen piruetas sobre la corteza brillante,
atrapado en este momento en un rayo de luz!
¿Y de qué color es la corteza de los árboles con tanta luz?
Todo lo demás son 10 tonos de verde
pero la corteza brilla al sol, como a la luz de la luna.
¿De qué color podría pintar esa corteza contra esas hojas?
En el día podría ser un motivo de seda de maíz, moteado de verde,
de noche, una tonalidad indescriptible de gris -azul y ceniza.
Pero de noche o de día, puedo decir honestamente, apenas puedo respirar.
Esperando en las alas, una figura esbelta, un bailarín se posa
en el foco solar de la Naturaleza, que lo sigue mientras se balancea hacia adelante.
Ah ahora, simplemente dejo de respirar … pero cuando el se suelta … dejo ir la realidad.
Se desliza lentamente hacia el centro de la rama.
Se pone de puntillas, como la música, pero casi ingrávido,
un extraterrestre, un desconocido, que aterrizó aquí en mi árbol,
solo para actuar en este lugar apartado para quien venga a ver.
Estoy solo, pero si hubiera alguien a mi lado, todos estaríamos gritando …
¡Baile! ¡Oh, por favor, Baile!
Y lo grito ahora sin aliento… ¡¡BAILE !!
Mi voz es tan discordante que me siento sacado de este sueño despierto
mientras él se mueve y salta y ¡me sorprende con mi boca abierta!
Pero cuando su figura se desvanece en el telón de fondo, lo veo girar
Lo veo hacer cosas imposibles, mientras mi mente es solo alegría
y él es solo gracia, solo entrega, pura generosidad
como las ráfagas del sonido, pájaros canto, insectos tarareando
empezar a apoderarse de mí.
Me siento bendecida y triste.
tan bendecida
tan triste
Porque yo sé…
Si volviera todos los días de esta semana …
Todavía nunca lo volvería a ver.
Solo en mis sueños lo volvería a ver.
En una vida lúcida, cada regalo solo llega por un tiempito;
Solo viene una vez y nunca vuelve más.
Karima Hoisan
15 de septiembre de 2020
Día de la Independencia
Digital Rabbit Hole 
*Footnote: Please take the time to look at the tree carefully:) Do you see him?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, I saw him right away! After reading your words. Usually I am bad at finding things in images, too.
Very profound, those last two lines…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Dale, honestly I never expected to be writing about this today, but The Muse has her own unexpected moods:)
LikeLike
Glad the Muse is friendly with you, Karima. “Un piano tocando en el fondo va” is a great start. The music plays on forever. xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Sabiscuit:) You are right, the piano plays forever, but the dancer is a one time performance. Did you see him in the glow of sun’s spotlight, waiting to swing onstage?
LikeLike
Happy independence day🇨🇷
I know it’s late🙁. Plus if I put the wrong flag then I apologise.
I addition wonderful sharing. It’s always fun to read and your writing is unique and inspiring. 😇♥️🌸🧚♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw they threw this one into the SPAM folder too..Silly WordPress..Yes That is our Costa Rican flag and September 15th is our Independence Day celebration..but, this year with COVID we had no parades or fireworks..Thank you so much..and I feel the same about reading your blog too.. Hugs and Be Creative!!
LikeLike
That’s a relief then that I didn’t make mistake.
But who knows if it’s really spam………
LikeLike
I saw him.
It’s a holo bird.
What a coincidence that yesterday we found a injured holo bird and now he or maybe she is at our home. It’s still panic but I’m trying to make him feel comfortable. After it recovers we will let it go and let it to fly freely.🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loveblossom. I just got your comment at this moment as it was sent to SPAM:( I never saw it until now, and I love it! A Holo bird! I will have to look him up. I hope he makes a full recovery,,and dances back into the skies, because you saved his life inshallah..
LikeLike
He already flew.
I don’t know if I am happy or sad. But atleast he is healthy and strong enough to fly😇♥️🌸🧚♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw the dancer immediately many trees are fae their bark has a silken glow and the faeries or elves from within the tree which houses them come out to dance and you a special guest were in for a treat ah they may yet dance again given the timing right for them. Bless you
LikeLiked by 2 people
That doesn’t surprise me Nanette, that you saw it immediately:) Most people would just say, “nice tree” and not look further. As a child, growing up very remotely, I saw things, creatures and surprises in just about everything… I have seen very few lately until yesterday, but each time I do, I feel I have been gifted in a unique way. When the sun took its light off the dancer, he disappeared.It was just a rare moment I witnessed and was left feeling elated and a bit sad, his time was up:) Thank you so much for your comment and your sensitivity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome you will have many more unplanned miracle moments.
LikeLike
After reading your poem I saw many sparkly beings like Dandelions all over my room. Dancing away. You see you spread your vision for everyone to share.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh how beautiful..and thank you for sharing that Nanette..Hugs you! That means a lot…
LikeLike
A beautiful dipiction of capturing something divine and being captured by it as well. It is a moment of stillness when time seems to stand still, but a motion and invitation is given.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, for taking the time to leave this comment. Yes something divine for just an instant, a gift that came, delighted and went on its way.. Every day I look up at that tree, but I have never caught another “performance”.
LikeLike
The nature in trance
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nature can do that..It calls us to be still and observe:) Thank you for your comment.
LikeLike
I’m ashamed to say I’ve never looked at a tree from this perspective before. The contrast of the shiny bark next to the deep green that it so widely casts. And then the dancer! Ah but to view the world through your eyes!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Hoyt..I love to share my views with you..views like out of my eyes 🙂 Yoru support of “mi locura” keeps me writing..and you know that’s a little bit true:)
LikeLike
What a fun piece! I loved the musicality and imagery throughout. So beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks again Katy, this was a rare show I got to see and I stayed very silent and grateful .through out. I was wondering if my camera could even capture it, and it did, but I should have used a video, when the wind made it absolutely come alive:)
LikeLiked by 1 person