Monday, May 29, 2006

dancing

I chose this poem as a deliberate contrast to these togetherness-y photos. it expresses the flip side, we may look to others to bring the healing we need, but if they don't come through for us, we have the option of choosing between staying locked in helpless pain, or choosing, trusting in God's grace to provide, to embrace healing on our own.

DANCING

No, these my feet have never danced.
I always stood against the wall,
Dressed bravely in my painted smile,
While the non-dancers came to call.

Some dance out there, upon the floor:
The beautiful, so brave, so strong;
But I must stand against the side
And, tight-eyed, watch the happy throng.

They twirl, they whirl; their laughter rings
Against the music. I am still.
My rigid smile costs all my soul
To hide the tears that must not spill.

Will no one come, will no one see?
Am I so desolately plain
That no one wants to dance with me?
I am condemned by my own pain.

Oh these my feet – they itch to dance,
To tread a song they’ve never known …
My heart commands that I must move,
And I am dancing on my own.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like this very much. I got the message from it, in my singleness, that it's okay to dance alone -- that I don't need to depend on a man in order to enjoy life. I don't know if that's what you were saying but it's how I have adopted it for my life. :-)