El Jaleo, by Kathleen Granchelli

El Jaleo, by John Singer Sargent (USA) 1882

El Jaleo

Ah! to be in Sevilla that night
lit with Sargent and friends
in the ruckus tavern laughing,
drinking, stomping, clapping,
enraptured by the Roma bailaora
dancing in light and shadow,
pulses pounding to the sound of zapateado,
percussed by each nail embedded in her heels,
the collective rhythm beating in our hearts!

A castanet clicks as she lifts an arm,
sweeps the other down, cinches her skirt, 
snaps satin in sync with each step, 
swirls and swishes her shimmering dress.

Candles alight footwork,
silhouette her crowned head
as musicians caress gleaming guitars, 
strum gut strings into mournful chords,
pluck the dancer’s aching beat.

She strikes a foot to move the music, 
lifts her voice in vibrant song.
Guitarists erupt in rapid strumming,
call forth a frenzy of steps,
dancer and musicians ablaze in joy
transcend all boundaries of flamenco
until we rise and roar, "¡Olé!"

Kathleen Granchelli

Kathleen Granchelli spent her career in communications and community relations at a not-for-profit R&D organization following four years teaching English on the high-school and freshman-college levels. Upon retirement, she reignited her passion for poetry with a focus on writing. Her chapbook forthcoming later this year, For the World, She Said, is drawn from experiences living in Australia and Greece and other travels. She lives with her husband, David Granchelli, in Massachusetts.