New Orleans

BY TARA KING; ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH GROTH

air as it leaves the lungs

throat mouth lips

mouthpiece tubing bell

air as it goes through the horns

air that goes inside ears lips

mouth throat lungs

then

blood legs hips hands

air that rings and pleads and

cajoles that rigid core

air just like all the other air

air with brass and booze and spit and sweat

air in accord with dancing skin and slick crowd

An outline in red of an abstract figure moving against embossed white paper.

~~

Tara King is a poet and choreographer who explores the space between bodies and language. Tara has published work in DASH Literary Journal, Avatar Review, and Jersey Devil Press. Their collection of poetry documented summer 2017 in real time. Tara also co-founded the award-winning, Minneapolis-based, dance-making collective Mad King Thomas in 2005. Tara has danced for Julyen Hamilton, Emily Johnson/Catalyst, Anna Shogren, HIJACK, Judith Howard, and Skewed Visions.  Tara lives in Albuquerque and is working on her first novel.

Sarah Groth is an interdisciplinary performer, choreographer, teacher, poet, and mixed medium visual artist. After achieving a degree in Contemporary Dance and Intercultural Communications from the University of New Mexico, Sarah set out as an independent artist and traveler. She has had the privilege of moving, creating, and performing with renowned international artists across the world. Sarah has been published in the Albuquerque Journal, Blue Mesa Review, Daily Lobo, Stance on Dance, and Forty South. Sarah is committed to addressing the complexities of humanness in conjunction with self and community — aiming to bring the intensely intimate forward, creating openness within juxtaposition and identity.