Pepper’s Lost Highway

Pepper Highway is a reclusive poetess who lives in the desert under a Joshua Tree. She is a distant cousin of Canadian playwright / musician Tomson Highway and dancer / choreographer René Highway. This short piece is one of her very few public appearances. Pepper’s Lost Highway: Like rain on a blackened highway in a David Lynch film I dance over asphalt Splashing a peppery light reflecting off water Pirouetting a tangible memory of René His long red muscles An intertwinement of sinew, an oil gloss Whipping blue black hair In the darkness of a lost highway I dance over asphalt My feet tapping the stories of Reservations Tomson’s residential schools His clear dark eyes piercing glass The tapered fingers smoothing ivory into melodies I dance the stories of lost highways Of René and Tomson, of lost cousins Lives fashioned in the curved expanse of lost roads I dance over the asphalt of city streets Of highways across the wheat weaving prairies Roads bending across the story of Canada Written and danced Mouthed and played My cousins and I touch fingers We three spirits are the personification of two spirited people Polar opposites Raven and bear Trickster and coyote We embrace the difference our people celebrate in myth and song I dance over the asphalt that solidifies the legend of Highways A legend of the lost Highway