The End of Dance is the second poetry chapbook by Demi Anter, originally published in 2011 during her time at University of California, Santa Barbara. It collected poems written from 2008 to 2011.

 

Newly reissued, a download of the digital book includes a full-color PDF and audio recording of the book as read by the author.

 

The original run was fifty copies, digitally printed on French Paper, and sewn together by hand by the artist. A book from the first printing is in the permanent collection of the Special Collections Arts Library at UCSB. Audio recording by Giuseppe Ielo (2019).

The End of Dance

 

How silly I was to come with dancing feet,

ready to see the ways

you sashay down sidewalks

and twirl the moon on a finger.

 

How silly I was to wear

nice shoes, the nicest I had,

for you.