Zaghrouta
Gossamer pink sweeps the hard granite floor,
In the stillness of the stars; a sea of belly rolls.
Chalk-white skin dabbled with rouge,
Painted lips and a frantic deluge.
Women of all shapes and sizes; swirling endlessly
The gala, the feast; and the awakening of the proverbial beast.
The dull thud of the desert drums;
Ululating crowds and gyrating hips.
Suns and moons resting atop
Glistening necks; entire constellations
Streaked across the eyelids.
Laden in petals and scented in musk,
In the midst of it all —
The cocooned flower;
The pearl in the oyster shell.
Encased,
Decorated,
And presented.