Poems from Bordeaux: Defiance

I wrote these two poems in Bordeaux, France, during my junior year abroad at the University there. This was some 37 years ago, but for whatever reasons I decided to publish a few of them now.

Defiance

Burn me with fire,
And watch it reflected
clearly in my eyes;
You only give me means
to light a torch to your precious shelter.

Drown me in rivers,
and it will come back to you
as spit
or spears of hard cold ice;

Cover me with earth,
and forever feel it tremble
underneath your feet.

Burn me with fire;
it will only fortify
the fire I am made of;

drown me in rivers -
my eyes have learned well
to see through even oceans;

cover me with earth,
and fear what springs
from my seed.

_____________________

The Dance

Before you pride yourself
in seeing
you've made me
dance before you,
you'd better ask
what kind of dance it is
I do with this look
in my eyes.