They look
Like jaundiced ballerinas,
Stretched out
Along a long chrome barre.
Heads back,
Necks curved;
Proper posture,
By the pound.
Strict technique:
Up-right, then oblique.
Eyes closed;
Beaks aimed high.
Each pose,
Precise;
Each tilt,
“So nice.”
À la seconde.
À la quatrième.
À terre.
A-da-gi-o.
Avant, en.
En arrière.
Big steps, here;
Small ones, there.
Eight jaundiced ballerinas,
Warming up their act.
Until the Master Cook arrives,
To take his fixings back.
