April 27, 2018

The Ballerina in the Lantern

By In Poetry

Clad in delicate peach and orange, she begins her dance with a curved bow to a curious audience.

Her left foot structural on a weightless form, her right toe motions to a singularity below, she looks, arms blowing back behind her in an invisible breeze.

Her reach curves back with right digits at her shoulder, left trailing, eyes closed as her pointed toe curves back into her walking body tracing an elliptic.

Swans cross above her head, back arched, head to the side, her right foot a tether, her left flagging behind, back arched, skirt straight.

A jump!  Left hand falls to her eyes, right hand points to the West, right knee sets sail rising on an ocean as the left reaches achingly back toward land.

Landing is a Zeppelin split underneath pouring everything out save a shoulder of hope which flutes a rising finger, clouds apart and struggles into infinity.

 

Photo by the late Katerina Kravtsova

Written by Jon Hillenbrand

Jon Hillenbrand is a Chicago-based artist working in photography and filmmaking. He has over 15 years of professional award-winning experience working both locally and nationally in television, print and web advertising. He currently calls Evanston, IL home.