THE GUIDE

To A Dance Teacher
(For Kim)


“Come . . . ”
She said,
“Come dance with me . . .
Take the magic from my hands . . .
And I will teach you
To sail among the crystal clouds
And catch the mist of morning in your eyes . . .
To weave a golden gauze of wind
Into patterns for your feet to follow

Come dance with me . . .
And I will show your body how to sing
To melt with melody . . .
To leap exulting into luminous song . . .
To shape the curve of silence

Come dance with me . . .
And you will see
That glistening canvas of movement
Which will hold more joy, more peace, more pain
Than any picture ever painted
Any word ever spoken

Come with me . . .
And we will dance down rainbows . . .
We will feel the surge of a wild ocean through our arms
Feel the beat of our blood in our ears
We will froth like a bubble bursting in the wind . . .
Fly like an eagle toward the sun
We will dream . . .
Lifting into the silent night sky
We will spin with webs of starlight

Come . . .
Dance with me . . .
And we will stretch your body into beauty
And sing your soul into joy”

“Come”
She said,
“Come dance with me . . .
Take the magic from my hands . . .
Learn the love from my heart . . . ”

©Edwina Peterson Cross