ENTERING PINA’S WORLD
IS LIKE EMBARKING ON A VERY SERIOUS JOURNEY
TOWARDS THE ULTIMATE PLAYGROUND.
BEWARE, IT’S NOT ANOTHER SELF-FINDING TRIP.
IT IS A TRIP.
IF YOU HAPPEN TO FIND YOURSELF,
OR ANY SELF,
ALONG THE WAY,
EVEN BETTER.
IT’S ABOUT PEACE OF MIND.
AND HAVING FUN THEREBY.
IT’S ABOUT BREATHING.
NOT THE HECTIC, I’M ABOUT TO FALL OVER, KIND OF BREATH.
THE EXPANDING, CALMING, WONDERFULLY QUIET BREATH YOU TAKE
WHEN YOU DO YOGA THAT IS NOT ABOUT HASHTAGS AND SEXY CURVES,
BUT EASE AND QUIET AND PROPER MINDFULNESS.
TALKING TO PINA,
IS LIKE READING A SELF-HELP BOOK,
BUT BETTER.
BECAUSE IT’S FUN.
BECAUSE SHE MIGHT ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE
OF WHAT ANY SANE PERSON WOULD ADVISE YOU TO DO.
BECAUSE IT MIGHT HELP YOU EXACTLY LIKE THAT.
SANITY IS OVERRATED ANYWAY.
LOOKING AT PINA,
IS LIKE WITNESSING AN ACT OF TRANSFORMATION.
SHE CHANGES AND DOES IT CONSTANTLY.
SHE FLOATS AND LAUGHS
AND CHEERS AND CRIES,
WITH ANGER AND WITH JOY,
BUT RARELY WITH FEAR.
FEAR IS WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT
IN THE WRONG SORT OF WAY
MAYBE THIS IS THE REASON
WHY SHE SEEMS TO WALK A LITTLE LIGHTER
THAN THE REST OF US.
HERS IS A VOICE THAT IS SOOTHING, SEDUCING, AND SINCERE
AT THE SAME TIME.
PINA IS A WOMAN WHO BELIEVES IN THE UNIVERSE,
AND YOU MIGHT LAUGH AT THAT
AND FIND YOURSELF WANTING TO BE HERS.
WHEN SHE TALKS TO YOU, SHE LISTENS,
AND WHEN SHE LISTENS, SHE CARES.
BUT THEN SHE MIGHT BE DANCING, TOO.
HER SONGS ARE DARK AND BRIGHT AT THE SAME TIME,
A HYMN TO LIFE AND ITS EULOGY,
SHE PRAISES HER SISTER
SHE SINGS WITH HER LOVER
SHE MISSES HER MOTHER.
PINA IS A SISTER.
SHE’S A FRIEND AND A REBEL.
BUT ULTIMATELY, SHE’S A QUEEN
WHO THREW AWAY HER CROWN ON THE DANCE FLOOR.
© ROBERTA FISCHLI, JANUARY 2020