12/31/23
End of Year Waltz
One two three, One two three—
won’t you come dance with me?
Out of the old year and into the new,
I’d like to spend the time waltzing with you.
When the clock chimes, we’ll be on the floor,
welcoming in two zero two four.
A friend has pointed out that today’s date, seen without slashes, is 123123—the realization of which gave birth to this poem.
Art Imitates Nature
Suspended in this plastic world, my heart a gaping wound
if not for all the beauty in which it is cocooned.
How would we salvage anything from war and greed and lust
without art’s kind revision of all that is unjust
to make us reclaim hope in life simply because we must?
It’s the alchemy of nature to which we are beholden.
It takes our baser natures, transforming them to golden.
Prompts today are golden, salvage, wound, plastic, suspended, and revision.
Blushing cheeks and fluttered lashes,
cotton frocks with satin sashes.
That first dance, paired with a boy,
equal parts of fear and joy.
Sweaty palms and faltering feet.
A different style, each boy you meet.
Shyness, then—a major dose.
Terror he’ll hold you too close,
then, affronted when he doesn’t.
Wrong when he was and when he wasn’t
romantic in that pre-teen way,
as forward as that time of day
permitted, with your parents there.
Beaded foreheads, scraggly hair.
School dances never missed.
Holding hands, but never kissed.
Except one time, when cheek-to-cheek,
that butterfly kiss, furtive and meek.
Eyes met for just a moment, then,
to celebrate your mutual sin.
Oh the terrors and the joys
Of school dances and touching boys!
This is the second poetry challenge that resulted when Carol from the Relax blog posted a poem about her kittens that had an opening two lines I loved. Her poem veered off completely from those two lines, so I challenged her to write a new poem that centered around the opening lines. I did the same, but one of her images prompted a new prompt. This time I “dared” her to write a poem about butterfly kisses. She accepted the dare but said me first, so here it is. Carol, your turn. Post a link, please, after you’ve written your poem. When will this end? If anyone else cares to join in, you are most welcome. The prompt is “butterfly kiss.”
Pleasure is everywhere. It’s just up to us to pick it.
Click on first photo below to enlarge your pleasure.
Life goes better with the dance,
so do it when you have the chance!
(Click on first photo and then on arrows to enlarge photos and view.)
Moving Right Along
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 