Static notes linger in the air
just above the heads of the dancers,
Low drawn out cello notes absorb the darkness,
The stage falls into a black set.
One dim spot covers the dancers white skin,
Illuminating life.
The dancers move in unison,
morphing into one body.
The light follows the story around
Until the dancers twist the strings into submission
A final beat, then silence falls in the orchestra pit.
The breathing of the dancers and the
noise of their limbs in contact,
slapping skin to skin,
or skin to wood,
sinking, followed by the rise and fall.
Falling against the mirrored surface they appear twinned,
entwined, exhausted, the melody fades and
they beat their bodies against the percussion,
until the music builds again.
Pace picks up, a torrent of hurried movements,
He lifts his partner
effortlessly
above his head,
lost in a whirl of muscles and ragged costume edges.
Grease paint and pain,
Practised choreography
unseen rehearsals,
slip away
as the dancers caress their reflection
and the audience watch in awe.
From my seat
I make a silent wish
To the Gods of yesterday,
I want it still,
To be in the fading light of
the last dance.
Only those who have
will understand
what it is
to watch others
trace over the steps
you made.
awritersfountain 
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What awesome lines, quite an imagery you’ve created with their dance. The last stanza speaks volumes.. Great take on the pic.
Thanks, I freewrote the poem and the last stanza took me by surprise too, I hadn’t planned it to the end that way. I really liked the picture, I think I could get a lot of writing out of it.
Very nicely done. Strong sense of loss at the end.
Thanks for reading, I’m glad the sense of loss carries in the ending that surprised me as i typed it!
As a dancer (Ballroom) I flowed with this as if on wings…
That was wonderfullllllllll…. 🙂
Thank you, kind words – I love the way it has drawn you in.
Loved this part of the poem – ‘as the dancers caress their reflection/
and the audience watch in awe.’ Caressing their reflection. What a beautiful image! Thanks for contributing this week to Picture it & write, Neenslewy. 🙂 I hope to see you next week!
– Ermisenda
Thank you, I discovered your challenge last week as I was logging off. Loved the photograph and held it in my head for some days, then free wrote this poem. When I saw your new challenge I posted straight away, how could I not, a ballet shoe!
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