A Ritual

by Sha Had Aroba

Doom-tec-a
Doom-tec-a
Doom-tec-a-Doom

Kneeling on the soft sand
near the roaring fire
My bare torso pulsing
To the beat of the drums
Tears dripping on a small bundle
Lying beneath me

Doom-tec-a

I turned my face to the Gods
Raising my arms in prayer
Beloved, sweet Gods
Almighty Gods
You are my rulers
My makers
You control all that happens in time

Doom-tec-a

I beg of you
To make fertile my womb
Plant a seed so I might give
My mate a son
With arms and shoulders
That can carry rocks and buffalo
Make him a great hunter
A great ruler
A king
With strength of wisdom
Strength of passion
So he might rule with a wise heart

Doom-tec-a-Doom

Gods
Take this ox hide I have stitched
With my raven hair into a robe
To warm you in the seasons of the
snow and the rain
Take it please
And take my precious daughter
That has died from death
Into your bosom
Return her to me in the form of a man
So my mate can have a son
With arms and shoulders
That can carry rocks and buffalo

Doom-tec-a
Doom-tec-a
Doom-tec-a-Doom

Belly Dance Bellydance Belly Dancing Bellydancing Belly Dancers Bellydancers Bauchtanzen

About The Poet

Sha Had Aroba, also known as Kay Gerdes, started Middle Eastern Dancing in 1981 with the Rubaiyats of Port Angeles, Washington in the northwestern U.S. The wife of her supervisor at work was a dancer for many years and was her first teacher. She has danced in shows, fairs, for family and friends, at Mediterranian Festivals and at a Middle Eastern dance festival known as Fantasia.

She has enjoyed dancing mainly because it has kept her in shape and given her a great deal of joy. It has taught her a lot about herself and given her many opportunities to expand her life. She has written many dance poems that express her feelings about the dance and how it has enriched her life. She has written poems about other dancers because they inspired her to keep dancing when at times she was too busy with life to dance.

Sha Had Aroba is a costume designer who has made many costumes for herself and others. She does intricate beading on her costumes and has designed turbans, the Sha Had Aroba hip scarf, hats, and vinyl girdles which are easy and inexpensive to make. She is an amateur photographer and enjoys taking photos of dancers. Her poems have appeared in Jareeda magazine from 1989-1993. One of her costumes appeared in the January 1992 issue.

Kay has been married to Bill Gerdes for 34 years and has two grown sons. Her family has always supported her dancing. She will soon be a grandparent for the first time and is very excited! She works in a day care center and loves her job. She is going to college to get her Early Childhood Education certificate.

Belly Dance Bellydance Belly Dancing Bellydancing Dancers

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The poetry on this page was done by Sha Had Aroba. Copyright 1987 by Sha Had Aroba. All rights reserved. If you want to use it elsewhere, you must first get permission. To request such permission, contact Shira, who will then contact her on your behalf.

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