Exotic Rites

Heels over head
stomping legs
circling
ground-bound
dance.
They wore
weird masks
and the circle
of feet
was held wide.
The music was strange
speeches were held
no sound
drowned
out by flying legs
the dance
how much I loved the colors
and
the strangeness
but the food
got me in
the end
my brain might be
adventurous
but
behold
be
my stomach
and I held it
when I went back
to the hotel.