Atavistic Barbarity

Center ring…

A majestic bull,

Dun-colored creature,

Arching horns,

Ponderous dewlap shuddering,

Neck shaking with steel-barb sticks

Hooves dragging dust painfully,

Vapor cloud enveloping nostrils,

Rolling black eyes,

Torero stands motionless,

His ballet form of sequined gold and silver,

prepares the muleta

Bull’s head appearing monstrous,

Unimaginably vast.

They stare at each other,

Breath fogging the chilly air,

Before beginning the final dance.

A lateral arabesque,

A stomp of front legs,

Furious explosion of dust,

A lower head,

A charge,

A dodge.

Another turn,

Charge,

Slide.

Bull darts left,

Defies matador’s swirl,

A flick of the bull’s ears,

A toss of its head snorting,

A roll of eyes,

Ecstasy of fear and fury,

Black hooves sending skyward

Steady eruption of stones and dirt.

Muleta in left hand,

Sharp pointed sword in right,

Bull charges,

Matador plunges fatal thrust,

Estocado.

Suffering beast…

Exhausted creature

Pawing clumsily at ground,

Skin rippling with a long torturous tremor

Ears lay flat on huge skull,

Two long strands of spittle dangle from its mouth

A final shudder,

Lowered head,

Eyes sadly rolling,

Slumps and falls to its side

A creature reduced from primitive icon

To grotesque and pathetic corpse,

Legs stiffly crooked like broken planks,

Eyes finally shuttering closed by settling dust.

Crowd cheering,

Flowers jettisoning,

Matador bowing.

And we...?