He was not goofing off, but
meditating on the snatches of hymns 
that hovered protectively above the hurt

He was not goofing off, but
repulsing stones hurled at him
by narrow-minded others

He was not goofing off, but 
managing as best he knew how
the pain of familial separation
and the temptations
pulling him up, down, down, up, all around
following nine years of living under the authority
of a petty tyrant 

Tonight, he exits the wings onto the stage
dips his foot to the proving floor
and dances soulfully  
a whirlwind of strength, beauty and embodied sound
for little African American girls who need a prince
©2021 by Trifoglio