Ruffled Spendor Poem by Denis Mair

(for Abdelhaq Djellab's painting 'Combat de Coq')
... ... ... ... ...
Flashing forth in a humble market corner, energies confront each other and expend themselves in a grand display, each side demonstrating its strength that can flex every muscle and feather in an explosive dance. Life knows itself and makes itself known through encounters that draw upon deep reserves. Even the onlooker is drawn a step or two outside his private castle of identity. Ruffling brings out an unexpected splendor. Passion never lowered itself to a monotonous single purpose! Now beauty and power and pride and ceremony are all rolled into one. Energy from the animal's dynamo- core needs to be dissipated, and only a worthy adversary can bring all strengths and graces of movement into full, regal engagement. The people coming and going randomly in the market are static in comparison, relegated to being a backdrop.