Poem: When I Saw You Dance

When I Saw You Dance

 

I went to see a show

three hours away from home

through dark clouds and cold rain

in mid December.

 

I sat down in the thick silence

of the packed auditorium

with an umbrella in my hands;

a handmade Christmas ornament,

a present for you,

sitting inside my black jacket.

 

The lights dimmed,

a violin cut

through the dark air;

a soft blue light lit the stage.

 

Then I saw you move,

I saw you stand on your hands,

saw you jump through the air,

in your lovely little blue leotard.

 

My heart was leaping,

my body paralyzed;

but your body,

your movements,

gave me life.

 

I saw the stage beneath you,

and the ceiling above you,

struggling to contain your grace.

 

When I saw you dance,

I saw such a beautiful life;

after the show,

my spirit still shaking,

I stuttered,

my hand  t r e m b l e d

when I gave you my gift.

 

Then I saw you smile;

all my life I’ve wanted to dance,

all my life I’ve wanted to be me.