Author: Natalie Jones
Category: Poetry
Dance is liberating, it comes from the heart, and it inspires others.
words she once yearned to speak
were at last set free:
each pronounced
down to the syllable
with every pointed toe.
as the flame on her silk ribbons
matched that of her heart,
every muscle, every joint, every bone
flowed in calculated yet elegant synchrony.
and she danced.
even if the heavens
were her only spectators,
the stars she danced beneath
were iridescent diamonds
sewn into the blanket of the night
that would touch her soul.
her grace concealed the moments
when gravity was not so kind.
the clouds expressed their approval,
showering her with wet confetti.
in that moment, she knew:
she would dance until
every last star in the galaxy
burned out.
she was by no means the only dancer that night:
the ground was dimly lit
by dance of the love of fireflies.
so while she drowned in the praise of the clouds,
she danced.
soon she found herself
stepping into the lights.
but even in light,
she looked into an unending darkness:
finally giving herself permission
to be free.
she held her destiny
in her breath
as her arms silently sang to the music
and set fire to the stage
beneath her feet painted pastel pink.
and she danced.
the spark from her rosy shoes
continues to live on;
even years after her final bow,
it is still lit somewhere
in the heart of a little girl
so on the count of eight,
she danced.
August 1, 2022
