Dancing By The Lake

Dancing By The Lake
© Surazeus
2025 01 29

Through golden absolute of singing stars 
that weave our brains from pure atomic light, 
Anita paints conceptual platitudes 
as rugged mountain range that writhes with trees 
of graceful flames which dance in ecstasy 
while river current undulates blue eyes. 

Adjusting eye-phone in extended hands, 
Anita films while her best friend forever 
Shahida dances cutely in short skirt 
while singing with her favorite romance song 
about her unrequited love for Mike 
who pretends not to notice as she flirts. 

Giggling as they review her video, 
Shahida and Anita discuss how 
they can improve her choreographic style, 
then sip icecream floats with artistic pride 
as they watch count of views and likes increase 
when they load it on her tiktok account. 

Skipping together on the market street, 
they squeal pleased at its popularity, 
amazed so many people in the world 
express effusive praise of admiration 
for graceful style she performs with elan, 
then embrace and cry as they bid farewell. 

Annoyed she must leave land where she was born, 
Shahida gripes on plane to Pakistan 
that she was born and raised in Arkansas, 
then pouts when her father with cold stern voice 
demands that she obey Islamic law 
and behave with calm demure modesty. 

Feeling imprisoned in home of his birth, 
Shahida chafes against authority 
her father asserts with masculine pride, 
so she sips out and visits city park 
where she films herself dancing by the lake 
in sync with her favorite Taylor Swift song. 

Walking home as she gazes at her phone, 
excited by the many views and likes 
her dance video elicits from admirers, 
Shahida stumbles startled, and stops shocked 
when shadow of her angry father looms, 
and cries surprised when he shoots at her heart. 

"You are my father who created me 
and cherished me with love since I was small, 
allowing me to live free as I wish, 
so how could you eradicate my life 
to assuage your precious masculine ego 
fragile with toxic weakness of false pride?"