Waiting for the Tai Chi Teacher

(We are taking "tai chi for better balance" through the YMCA. It's a limited set of eight movements. The course is designed to keep seniors from falling. I wrote this because the way people select each other for pre-lesson conversations reminded me of a slave market.)  

      
Maybe he felt it's like
a marketplace
as we arrange ourselves there
waiting for the teacher.
We do stand erect and
face forward. We do
pass each other, inspecting.
While we await the teacher
we do hope to be bought.

Maybe he thought
this is what we naturally do.
We've been driven to wallflowerdom
and shyness by such
strong need. We never
assume our value.
We wait to be bought.