The Dance is Over - a poem
The Dance is Over
I bid goodbye to an old friend today.
He is marrying, and won't need me anymore.
Or so it seems.
Once we danced together,
Baring our souls innocently…
At least I did.
We rarely so much as shook hands, it is true,
Yet it seemed we waltzed beautifully,
Making sure we understood
Where the other was coming from,
And, more importantly,
Where they had been.
Then the music quieted.
It was harder to catch the rhythm,
And our steps strayed.
Life took a turn,
And at last we parted,
Smiling for a while
Across the distance of
Limited contact.
No longer we waltzed, praying together to Almighty God;
No longer I could watch him with guitar and drums,
His soul-blood mixing with that of mine
Until I felt alive enough to praise,
And pray with confidence.
He showed me how
Real praise to one's Maker goes.
He had worship down to an art,
And inspired me more than David
Dancing before the Ark.
But the music stopped.
I wish him a long life,
Fulfilled, with all his dreams in place.
May he teach ten dozen more to
Dance with the same fervor
As he welcomed me with, long ago.
- January 11th, Sunday - 2009
Big Fran's Baby (fitting waltz)
Fitting Emotions
Comments
AUTHORQuill, you're a real kick. :-D Thanks for the visit, and the reminder to dance, no matter what.
To even have danced is a blessing and we need to dance more often...why I even dance with Mrs. Quill when we are grocery shopping...she sometimes hides in the beets...smiles.
Blessings
- AUTHOR
DeBorrah, I am honored by your visit and comment. I am learning to dance, no matter what.
Joy At Home, Lovely Poem! Beautiful illustration choice by Renoir as well! David truly danced to the point of embarrassment! Well done! Always, Continue to dance with the Lord HE will bring you much JOY. "The JOY of the LORD is your strength!" Thank you for sharing, Blessings!
- AUTHOR
Sarmack, thank you for your comment. I appreciate very much your thoughtful reading of this poem.
David danced before the Ark of the Covenant, when it was brought back to Israel after being in Philistine hands. (II Samuel 6.) He danced with wild abandone in physical praise to God - in fact, with such abandon that his wife, Michal, was ashamed of him. She thought he was making a fool of himself. But obviously God didn't, because He punished Michal with barrennes, when she kept despising David her husband. This is the dancing "before the ark" that I was referring to. It would have taken too many syllables of the poem to make that explicit. :-)
God bless you.
This is a thought provoking poem. I liked it... but, David didn't dance before the ark, Noah did. This may be the way you wanted the poem, I don't know... It is nice, anyway.
I will. The rewards are so much better than any other ulternative gives. I love you, sister.
- AUTHOR
No Body, I hope those people see that same love you gave them back then, too.
I know what you mean about loving people who probably never took much notice of you, or have cause to remember who you are.
I am glad to say, however, that in the case of this friend I wrote about, he was not quite as gone from my life as I had initially thought. We are long-distance friends now, but after a few phone calls and e-mails, and his getting through with college and marrying the girl of his dreams (I am so happy for them), I feel a steadiness and a peace in our friendship that is the same kind of love we shared before, under a different guise.
Because some people tried to make us feel guilty for being friends (we co-taught a Sunday school, and some labeled our friendship "an appearance of evil"), I feel compelled to make it clear there was never anything romantic between us, nor did we want there to be. But he was my soul-mate in a more felt way than even my husband is, or is likely to be. My husband is my soul-MATCH, and this is altogether different.
No Body, keep loving, even when no one seems to notice.
There have been so many people that have come and gone from my life. I love very easily, platonically I mean. I really do feel all those I love you's or I wouldn't say them. I see something in that person that I can emulate or admire. I long to know that they are alright in their lives and struggles. Alas, one can not have everyone in their everyday circle and God knows how to answer prayers. My heart deeply misses so many people who I'm quite sure don't even remember who I am. I pray that when we all meet round the throne of grace that they can see the same love that I gave all those years ago.
- AUTHOR
Ivorwen, I'm sorry to hear about your friend who moved in without you. You seem to understand perfectly why I wrote this poem as I did, and I won't muddy up the beauty of your comment by handing back platitudes about "Serenity" (if you know what I mean). I'll simply say: May the God of all Creation fill the void in your life with a few faithful friends, who are true to their word, and true to the reasons for which you danced in the first place.
This poem struck a cord deep inside me. Saying goodbye to a friend with which I have waltzed in harmony and been inspired by has been so hard to do. He moved on suddenly, without me, leaving only the hint of a friendship that once was.
- AUTHOR
Jerilee, what girl in her right mind wouldn't love to be the woman in the painting? The man looks like maybe he's a "Harvester" type character (Gene Stratton Porter). Thanks for reading, and thanks for the upcoming link. Looking forward to the hub you mentioned.
Couldn't help but love this hub! My favorite painting by Auguste Renoir, one in which I once dreamed vividly as a young woman -- that I had been the woman in the painting. When I write a hub about the painting that another artist used to depict all that I dreamed, I'll link this fine hub.
- AUTHOR
LiftedUp, your comment brought the tears to my eyes...tears of joy, that one day there will be no more separation, and tears of sadness, that right now the world is full of Great Divides. Thank you for living up to your user name.
This is a beautiful picture of the heart-closeness I think we all long for in a friendship. I too have a friend with whom I have at times shared such closeness, and there have been days when the thought of losing this friend to another place, another position, have weighed heavily on me. On those days I have had to relinquish into Jesus' hands my fears of life without this friend. We both belong to Jesus, and it is His to do with us as He pleases. His ways are always good, and one day, there will be no more separation. One day, neither distance, nor time, nor yet an inability to truly communicate heart-to-heart, will keep us from the ones we love. Jesus will be right there among us, and we will know Him, and each other, as we truly are.
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