THE SPHERE OF THE DANCE

She moves the air, her own gentleness
returns to fire: the cold
to amazement and the splendor
arises to music. No one
breathes, nobody thinks and only
the undulation of the glances
shimmers like hair a comet trails.
In the drawing room the marble sobs
its propriety recovered, the river
of ashes groans and hides
faces and clothes and humidity.
Body of happening or peak
in motion, its epitaph
prevails in the half-light and forsakes
collapsing, untumultuous waves.
Lifeless in ignominy, in space
the families doze, sad
as the imprisoned gambles,
and the adultress longs for
the charity of another's sheer.
Under the light, the dancer
dreams of disappearing.