Poem - Dance
About
Introduction
Chelsea is a wonderful human being. I met her at dance. She is full of light and energy. In her eyes is the wisdom of a sea turtle, yet she still learns. She's usually the first person I dance with on Monday nights, and if one of us is ever down we can pick each other up. She's about to retire from teaching, which I think is a loss for the world, because I have no doubt she's an amazing teacher. She showed me her classroom once... man - almost made me wish I was young again, so I could be one of the students in her class! :)
In late 2015 wrote her a poem: "Sea Turtle" (one of her two spirit animals) and not long after we had a lovely dance and she wrote me this back. It gives me goosebumps. Thank you, Chelsea! I hope it's okay that I share the light of this poem with the world.
A Dance
We locked in at the end of a song--
your arms strong
enough to adapt--
my eyes deep enough to see
an earthbound need
trying to reach heaven.
I saw it occur to you
that I refuse to be lead
anymore,
and so we met on that floor
in agreement--
bereavement for the selves
we mourned
then released,
damp haired joy
for the feast of the unknown,
your shoulders
an electric home--
and our forearms pressed together
daring fear to cross,
daring the bastard
to label anything lost
as our faith hit the floor
in urgent,
flesh possessed feet--
answered the beat of drums,
downward pressure in your thumbs
brings up my will to fight
external
definition.
A tornado of breath
and vision
rises from
my sap green trunk
and begs me to listen,
to summon support--
not abort the availability
of your close chewed
fingers in my
hair,
arms across my
chest,
twirl the space like a plaything
then beg it for rest--
exhausted boxers--
but this new song
doesn’t stop.
Your body seems grateful
to speak it’s fear--
I remind you
I’m here,
hand on your neck,
not finished yet
with this effervescing
oneness--
and though my lungs
burst for doneness--
I am honored to travel
with you.
-- Chelsea Delaney.
See Also
- Poems
- Poem - Limbs That Flow - another amazing poem by Chelsea.
