THIS OLD BODY DANCING

This Old Body Dancing
wood collage by Candace Knapp   10 inches x 10 inches  
 
THIS OLD BODY DANCING

Just a little stiffness
in the knee
a tight shoulder
a clunk when my head goes back
It won’t stop me.
Nothing interferes.
When the drumming starts
I move out gentle
a tiny swish of the hip
and the rhythm grabs my feet
a bare foot SLAPS against the floor
again and again
I want more
I am an African warrior, proud and sure
my legs carry the weight of ten men
but then . . .
the violins intrude
I turn, stretch and whirl
I am a gypsy, dark and mysterious
sliding across the room
dark curls fly
head back laughing. . .
I dream
myself
into
a blue and quiet melody
that floats me to the floor
a white swan landing
on a mirrored lake.
When an old woman dances
she can be anything!