belly of ballet slippers
sine waves o’er th’ ideal leaf
her dinner and bed to make

tireless pirouettes
to a song of the morrow
her rebirth womb to spin

for now, her mother she is
trading belly flesh for flight
till tears the fabric of her egg

flutter… flutter…
powdery limbs to th’ ocean above ground
to jitterbug among the flowers
and even find love

and with love
sometimes give birth these milkweeds
to babies
that crawl
and spin
to bid farewell
to be welcom’d
       …as she