Who can discern what makes her take the chance
stilt-walking precariously on a downtown street
a dance to catch the eye of passersby
each upturned face gawking questioningly?
They stop mid-step surprised by her performance
a wonder a conundrum a curiosity
Is her love of unexpected grace & the theatrical
what leaves her risking absurdity?
Of these flat-footed rationalists not one believes her
Come dance with Kitty Stobling & dance with me
on mile-high stilts half hidden by clouds
a high-flying myth to help us all see
The rogues of the world mock all that's beyond them
I'm mainly an observer not smooth on my feet
but I dance in midair where beauty walks waiting
& the love of God stirs like wind in the wheat
Whirling & swirling behind storm-formed clouds
graceful troops dance with Kitty & all the tall trees
high above the timorous faces of the crowd
who never bother with our identities
DS Martin’s collections include Ampersand (Cascade Books) and Conspiracy of Light: Poems Inspired by the Legacy of C S Lewis. He is poet-in-residence at McMaster Divinity College in Ontario.
