my vertical split.
What if I don’t “pull it off”?
I must. I will.
I hold my pose.
Frenzied clapping breaks out,
applause so sweet and strong I can taste it,
sweet and strong as South Indian coffee.
A fresh bolt of energy shoots through my veins
as I hear the music of a crowd
clapping just for me.
DANCING
My Body BEAUTIFUL
A judge’s voice echoes over the microphone.
“This year’s winner
impressed us with her flawless technique.
She brought alive poses rarely performed.
In honor of her speed and skillful mastery over her body,
we present this year’s prize to
Ms. Veda Venkat.”
Uday anna beams. “Ten years I’ve waited for this honor. I knew you’d win.”
So dizzy with joy I feel almost off-balance,
I return to the stage,
where three judges line up to congratulate me.
One of them hands me a small bronze image of Shiva dancing,
a replica of the deity I first saw as a child
in the temple of the dancing God.
Clutching Shiva to my chest,
I thank the judges.
Strangers crowd around me as I exit the stage.
A tall, skinny boy elbows through the crowd,
extends a hand toward mine, looking hopeful.
Behind him, two more boys gaze awestruck
in my direction.
I whip around, expecting to see
my best friend, Chandra, nearby,
whose dimpled chin and sparkling talk
inspire a love-struck longing
in nearly every boy we encounter.
Surely, these looks are meant for her.
No one stares at me
this way.
I don’t see Chandra anywhere.
I once read an article about beauty in a magazine.
I measured my nose to see if it was long enough,
if my eyes were large enough,
if my lips were thick enough
to be beautiful.
They weren’t.
One of the boys stutters, “Ms. Veda, you-you’re
—awesome.”
Behind him, another boy echoes, “Awesome.”
I fight to keep my lips from breaking into a silly grin.
The eager pressure with which the boys grasp my hand
tells me
my graceful movements make up for
my incorrectly proportioned face.
I can dance beauty into my body.
JOYS
of
WINNING
My best friend, Chandra, pushes through the crowd,
slaps my back as though our team just won a cricket match.