She takes his hand and guides him
To the center of the floor.
He’s disguised as the good guy
But he’s the one that leads this dance.
It’s all sudden-
The way things turn from good to bad.
One wrong move
Causes frustration to rise
In his steps.
He’s thrown off rhythm
And instead of him gently placing
His arm around his partners hip,
It’s exchanged for a cold hand
Upon her cheek.
Brisk movements
Cause the dance to get faster
And soon she can’t keep up
With his quickened steps and
Increasing pace.
She grabs helplessly for guidance
But trips over his feet
When he says step to the left,
As he’s striding to the right.
She can’t follow him anymore.
His movements are more complicated and
She doesn’t know where to go.
The dance floor seems bigger
Than when they started,
And the distance between the partners
Is so great
That she no longer can reach out
If she gets lost in the routine.
She stands in the middle of the floor
Alone
And removes her mask
As the dance comes to an end.
She stands with that fake smile
Painted across her face
And a tear dripping down her cheek-
Posing the best she can
Beside his mask lying crumpled
By her feet.