Mystical Reminding

Or: If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your prayer...

The worst thing we ever did
was take the dance and the song
out of prayer
made it sit up straight
and cross its legs
removed it of rejoicing
wiped clean its hip sway,
its questions,
its ecstatic yowl,
its tears.

I don’t recall the first time someone emailed me and said, “You need to read Chelan Harkin.” Admittedly, I get emails like this all the time, and whil…