Dancer


"Are you free?"

"Yes, now I have freedom."

"What are you going to do?"

"I shall dance."

The boy sat on a grassy bank
The light wind
Blowing his grey-brown hair about. He
Watched the grass
Greening again after the winters
And saw it growing
Up out of the moist rich earth
And taking strength from it. He
Watched the trees,
Some slender and young,
Others gnarled and sturdy, as
Their branches were gently tossed. He
Watched the flowers
Spreading bright petals to the
Sun
And glowing in their colours. He
Watched, and then he stood. He
Rose, and then he looked about.
He danced.
~~~
Slowly,
Twirling,
Spinning,
Arms wrapped around himself, he
Danced, his faced turned upwards to
The sky. He
Smiled a little
Feeling
The warmth from the sun, and
Laughed a little
As
His hair blew in his face. He
Danced beautiful dances that
He didn't remember knowing. He
Danced ancient dances that
No one had taught him.
He danced with joy and
With sorrow,
With a strange power that he
Trusted to carry him.
~~~
He stopped,
After he had done this for a time, and
Simply stood. He
Held out his arms as if he
Had a partner, and danced again,
Although the partner was not there.
He stopped again, and
Held up his arms to the sky, as though
Offering to embrace
It all.
~~~
At last he sat again,
And looked around himself. He
Watched as the earth danced. He
Watched the grasses swaying in the breeze. He
Watched the waters of the far-off river
Rippling in the winds.
He closed his eyes and
Listened to the world
Sing.
He heard the birds playing
A waltz for him, and for the earth.
~~~
He lay down,
For he was done
With dancing. He
Let the grass stroke his cheek. He
Let the wind brush his hair. He
Sang a little, songs he had
Almost forgotten, songs that he
Now remembered.
Then
He slept, there,
In the green,
On the hill,
Peaceful
Silent
And in his dreams,
Still dancing.

"But the world?"

"The world is not free."

"Will you free it?"

"Yes, for everyone should know how to dance."


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