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.
Last week, Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger proposed his politically motivated 2026 village budget, increasing spending by $1.2 million [“Southampton Village Budget Is Nearly Half a Million Dollars Under Tax Cap,” 27east.com, March 27]. That marks the second-largest spending increase...
Members of the Greatest Generation lived through the Depression of the 1930s, learned to cope in hard times, and took responsibility with dedication and humility. During World War II, they answered the call. Sixteen million served, including a million African...
On November 8, 2022, Southampton Town voters approved a law to introduce a half-percent tax on all residential real estate transactions to fund the Peconic Bay Region Community Housing Fund, aimed at creating affordable housing in the town. The Southampton...
The special election for the Southampton Town Board is over, and Rick Martel won. No one seems to dispute that. I also realize that it stings to put yourself out there, spending precious time, energy and money on the campaign,...
I don’t know how Republican voters are feeling this week about the national security breach on the Signal texting app, but I bet that our allies were horrified and our adversaries delighted. As everyone knows by now, the editor-in-chief of...
In my 40-plus-years-long career, I have assessed/appraised a lot of land locally, both improved and vacant. In the early 1990s, I professionally assessed this entire town. So I know a thing or two about this topic. I respect the mayor...
Osprey are back nesting and fishing the ocean. Piping plovers are arriving. Time to move the dredging equipment off the ocean beaches. Elaine McKay Sag Harbor
I wanted to clarify a letter from Jesse Warren in The Southampton Press, March 20 issue, titled “Out of Touch.” In this letter, Warren mentions that Mayor Bill Manger “recently spent more than $6,500 of taxpayer money sending out a mailer titled ‘Our Vibrant...
We're happy you are enjoying our content. You've read 4 of your 7 free articles this month. Please log in or create an account to continue reading.
Login / Create AccountWe're happy you are enjoying our content. Please subscribe to continue reading.
Subscribe Already a Subscriber