On Seeing a Blind Girl Worship

blind girl, blind girl,
lost in a darkness river,
drowning, drowning,
then, rythm! patter-patter,
a footstep, clap clap,
you can see it in her eyes
blank and staring wide
at the form of the noise
"rejoice" her blank eyes cry

drum roll, her feet shift
the ground begins to form
heart stop, the beat lifts
crescendos all around
odd-eyed and off-balance
she stumbles to the tune
leading in the dance that should be
filling this stony room

but the rest of the worshipers
fix their lying eyes
on the words they are chanting
until the time dies
still as statues
lips moving in rows
eyes bending backward to mock
her oratorical throes

they finish and file out
into the devil's arms
she stumbles after
betraying with halting step
the fact
that she walks in a world of light