Arriving early means getting to watch the older girls
I have a dancing dream
hazy in the distance
one two three taps
toes feet slap
across the floor, I remember
rhythm, the beats, the hot hot hot
tunes as a cassette crackles,
a jarring click, rehearsal over,
sweat droplets all that remain
on the linoleum floor, our softer,
lighter, less practiced steps take
over, bodies sway, fingers grip
rainbow scarves, a colorful
spectrum of taffeta trembles,
fills the space their curves left
behind, I remember, yearn—
but all I have are others’ words oxidized
hung out to dry in the dark, echoes of
my own pleasure, not unlike the scarves
swishing in the heat of what came before
…..
This poem is from the Tendering the Body by Brittany Brewer (Finishing Line Press) and is available at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/tendering-the-body-by-brittany-brewer/
Tendering the Body is a collection of offerings—to queer adolescen[ce/ts], [found] family, and bodies that endure. The poems suture together backyard bonfires and secrets at Steak n’ Shake, ruminations on body hair and therapy and friendship, and bits and pieces of a grieving body newly acquainted with illness. This book is a meditation on the juxtaposition between the visibility of bodies and the invisibility of their affective experiences made material.
Brittany Brewer (she/her) is a queer poet, [theatre] artist, and educator who has lived and grown across eight states. Currently, she lives in Michigan where she is also a doctoral student in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education at Michigan State University. Her research interests include arts-as-research, embodiment, queer theory, young adult narratives, trauma-informed education, and feedback practices. Before MSU, Brittany worked as the Associate Director of Education at Philadelphia Young Playwrights where, among other things, she facilitated over 315 classroom workshops and created/facilitated professional development workshops for classroom teachers, teaching artists, and classroom actors. She is passionate about cultivating more “Young Adult theatre” and crafting tools for those beginning their theatrical journeys. As a playwright, Brittany’s work has been produced by Revolution Shakespeare, Going Viral Festival, Elephant Room Productions, and Allens Lane Art Center. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Rougarou, Months to Years, Wild Roof Journal, and Hole in the Head Review. She is an alumna of Indiana University, Brown University, and the Arden Professional Apprenticeship program. For more, visit: www.brittanybrewer.com.
The Paddock Review 