Poetry: The Dance
She walks in,
beauty surrounds her,
love abides within.
While the music blares,
she looks around the room.
He sits alone in the corner,
darkness hovering around him,
hatred covering his heart.
Hush…the music quiets…
He walks over to her,
“May I have this dance?”
All eyes are on them as they dance,
two walks of life meeting in a common ground,
gracefully moving to the rhythm of their spirits.
The music ends; they let go,
in a rush to leave on the outside,
never wanting to let go on the inside.
Yearning to say another word;
yet afraid to speak for fear of rejection.
They part ways, looking back for only a moment.
He walks out,
beauty surrounds him,
love abides within.
Reflection:
I wrote this version of this poem in 1999 to share my belief about the way people we meet influence our lives. Sometimes we walk into a room unknowingly about to find someone who will change our lives for the best, a person we will become great friends with, or the love of our lives. Other times, we are that person to someone else. Take time today to think of those individuals who you have “danced” with and think of the influence they had on your steps after that moment. Whether it was an intimate moment of deep conversation, a shared laugh over coffee, or a glance across a bookstore, there are people every day who help us become better and take away those “dark” places and the hatred that sometimes sneaks into our lives.
I’d love it if you’d reach out to some of the people who you’ve danced with and share how they’ve impacted you positively. I’d also love it if you’d take a moment to send prayers, good thoughts, or even a letter of forgiveness (if you have it within you) to those who hurt you. Every person in my life, whether good or bad to me or for me, helped me become who I am today. From my oldest daughter’s father to the friend from high school who told me a few days ago how much my life today inspires her because of how I am using my gifts to help others, every person I have met along this path has had some form of impact on my life. I could never list them all, but I am truly thankful that the bad experiences didn’t kill me and the good ones made me stronger. Because of that, I now let people know how I feel about them being in my life.
Shell Vera 