it is dark
only a soft blue spot
smoke rising
in her hair
a splash of colour
it matches her g-string
bright red in the raven
her hair is the colour that death might be
and the ribbon cutting through it
the music is mournful
men sit in silence
each a fantasy in the making
she dances for one man only
by the end of the dance
she is wearing only the ribbon
she is not naked
she is wearing the ribbon
it covers something
she is wearing the ribbon
the music is racing
the red ribbon is flaming
the light gets softer
fades with the fading music
her white flesh disappearing
until there is nothing
but the slash of the ribbon
the ribbon
Copyright©michael dennis/Pulp Press Book Publishers 1988