The Dance Floor

This is for all of us who have fought any type of chronic sadness, loneliness or any of the dastardly states of mind that drain all the beauty from this magical place.

                   The Dance Floor

                       Sometimes,
      in moments of great loneliness,
            I take a very deep breath,
                    just like the one
                 that must be taken
                 before a deep dive,
           and in so doing I will swell,
                well beyond my size
                 and I must assume
                   a better carriage,
          the erect posture of a man
                    dancing a waltz
       with the partner of his dreams
                  and we are as one.

              With arms held just so,
           I take up the space of two
                 on the dance floor.
                  I am looked upon
               with all the mixtures
             of admiration and pity,
               of envy and disdain.

                  After playing out
                   this pantomime
              of saddest moments,
                  I may find myself
                     at the far end
                  of the dance hall.
             With the music fading
                    into the rafters
                         I can feel
                a smile on my face,
                a flush in my cheek
              and excellent posture.
        Although my arms are empty
                 my heart is less so
                 and so, for this day
                 at least, loneliness
                has ceded the floor.

                            10/23