The beat is steady, unsyncopated
The singing wordless, the melody minor.
The dances symbolic, ceremonial
The grass dance, the smoke dance,
The shawl dance, the blanket dance,
The jingle dress dance.
Each dance has a story.
Colorful regalia, feathers, beads, and bells
Leggings and breechcloths, moccasins, and shawls
The children dance and I watch.
I have watched them for years
As I have watched their parents.
At first tripping, awkward, unable to keep the beat
And now precise, expressive,
Having learned to contain youthful exuberance
With respect and dignity
They spin with the accented beat
They stop exactly when the music ends.
Lorna Coppola
Mastic
Coppola is a member of the Hampton Bays-based writing group Poets Rising — Ed.
Safeguard the FutureRegarding the article on September 10, about Poxabogue Field [“Fate of Southampton Town-Owned Poxabogue Field, Within Sagaponack Village, Is Debated at Town Board Meeting,” 27east.com, September 10]: Most people care about the environment and understand how essential natural resources are...
Questionable MotiveMy mother wanted me to be a brain surgeon, so after graduating from high school, I opened my medical practice. I know — at that point I had no college degree, nor a medical school diploma. I never interned at...
Expanded ViewLongtime Westhampton Beach resident Mark Bernardo is running for Southampton Town clerk in the November election. Mark has managed complex teams and large budgets during a highly successful career in television design and production with all three major networks, starting...
Don't Divide UsThe stop lights that were set up at Halsey Neck Lane and Hill Street this Monday made Hill Street look different. They made Hill Street not look like Hill Street. A detour: In the early 1700s, Hill Street was called...
Great ShowingThe Water Mill Village Improvement Association would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all underwriters, sponsors, participants, spectators, and volunteers for making our car show a resounding success. It was a wonderful day on the village green, with hot...
Let It BeLast week’s article “Fate of Southampton Town-Owned Poxabogue Field, Within Sagaponack Village, Is Debated at Town Board Meeting” [27east.com, September 10] brought to light the concerns of some Southampton Town Board members that changing the status of Poxabogue Field from...
We Are Not ImmuneI was born in Dublin in 1960 and grew up watching Northern Ireland tear itself apart. Once violence was unleashed, it became the language of politics. Over three decades, more than 3,500 people were murdered before peace was finally secured...
When Is ComingI live in Eastport, opposite the Eastport School. I use the crosswalk, which is on Montauk Highway — a crosswalk where my son, 40 years ago, along with the crossing guard, were inches away from being struck by a tractor-trailer...
