she hops on her right
he bounces on his left

dancers practice
self-defense hidden

in their footwork
her skirt flapping

sweat of ripe banana
slides down sleeve 

flute hisses hollow
claps drowned in oil

women shade tones
pigmented from

island sun once
magellan landed 1521

kneeling before a god
crucified to erase dirt

birthed so they cover
brown faces—do not

fall as bamboo sticks
pound earth shaking

bones buried in lava
under smiles painted