Dare to Wear

Designed for me and by me (its wearer)

that red dancing dress was by far more daring

than anyone before me

had ever dared to be

in the constrained arena of competitive Irish dancing

with rules as rigid as our dresses weighted down

with cardboard panels.

Red had never before been done by a dancer.

The bodice had a black lace insert like a burlesque corset!

On the skirt panels-

medieval-manuscript eagles

with their love-tangled,

never ending, Celtic-knotted legs-

wore golden fishnet stockings

while their talons shone and gleamed- faux gem stones.

A gold sash flew behind my blazed trail

like a shooting star

or comet

as I grazed across the staring eyeballs of the audience and judge

delighting in my boldness as I reached for the stars with immobile arms.

My hands- a fist as I punched the air

with my legs.