Aliana Grace Bailey, “Interpreting the Body as Sculpture,” 2013
To Be a Spiritual Dancing Fiend
Call it
an a w a k e n i n
g
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 n
g
to oxytocin.
(depending on its context)
Awkward limbs seeking
comfort in rhythmic two-step
Or flailing
waving arms shaking in
humorous joy
Sensuality
embracing its ability to preserve newfound
connection.
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.
