The Project

How heavy the head,
how full of misgiving and trust
as it leads the spine,
bone by bone, to the floor,
until the world appears upended.

That’s the project, he said,
walking the rows of hips and heads.
A critical touch, slight adjustment,
and tension released like a sigh.
Memorize this.

The sternum must float
as the ribs relax.
The knee, in attitude, must lift
as the pelvis eases down,
shape and strength measured by mirrors.

We turned our legs out,
ourselves out and inside out—
depths rising to air
just inches beyond the palpable.
The more that could surface,
the closer we were.