To Be a Spiritual Dancing Fiend

by MAYA WILLIAMS
in Fall 2019

Aliana Grace Bailey, "Interpreting the Body as Sculpture," 2013

Call it

    an a w a k e n i ng 

               to prayer.

Call it

    an a w a k e n i n g

               to endorphins.

Hell,

Call it

    an a w a k e n i ng 

               to oxytocin.

               (depending on its context)

Awkward limbs    seekingcomfort    in rhythmic two-step

Or flailing       waving arms        shaking inhumorous joy

Sensuality       embracing its ability    to preserve newfoundconnection.

       Dancing can be a spiritual activity if you let it.

A 

Call

to the Lord Almighty

           to r e l e a s e 

                   your inhibitions.

A

Call

    to consume

           the f r e e d o m

                    to move at all.

---

Maya Williams (she/hers & they/them) is a mixed race black suicide survivor and writer residing in Portland, ME. She has published poetry in spaces such as glitterMOB, The Occulum Journal, Portland Press Herald, Black Table Arts, Homology Lit, and more. They have published essays in spaces such as The Tempest, Black Youth Project, and The Trill Project. They were also a semi-finalist for Nimrod International Journal's 2018 Francine Ringold Award for New Writers and received a Best of the Net nomination in 2019. You're more than welcome to follow her @emmdubb16 on Twitter and Instagram and website mayawilliamspoet.com.