Dance teaches us
It inspires us
And every good performance needs a dancer,
and an audience
an audience who cheers.

My mother was married to the
idea of me being a dancer
It started when I was young.
I can hear her yelling at me through the memories.
She was never much of a dancer
Just ignorant enough about the sport
to charge into it
holding forth my pointe shoes,
passing her family crest to
dance up on the stage.
I could see the passion in her eyes, but why?

But the portrait of dancing usually sees
elegance and passion
Most dances involve complexed skills
to sketch the idea of the elegant sport
that eats through the pain
When I was a kid I’d hear my coaches yell
“Point those toes and perform like
you won’t see tomorrow!”
Why?