mandag den 4. marts 2024

Poetry Monday :: Swan Lake

Poetry Monday is a challenge, normally hosted by Diane at On the Border. But from Monday, January 8, 2024, Messymimi and I have conspired to keep the chair warm for her, as she's taking a break due to health issues. We will each set the topics for one month, I began with January, Mimi supplied for February, and so on until Diane returns.

Today is
Swan Lake - at the anniversary of the premiere of the ballet.

So even if this was my own prompt, I had a hard time writing anything. Then I was awakened very early this morning by sons leaving for school and garbage collectors. I proceeded to write two fine verses in my head and repeated them several times to commit them to memory, which usually works, and then I fell asleep again. Only to wake up and realize I had forgotten the verses! apart from the first two lines.

I had to start over. These verses are not as good as the morning ones, but more honest.


The Swan Lake in my youth I saw
With nimble dancers in tutus.
I studied hard and read for long
How can they dance just like a song
    For sure it is not easy

I stretched and bend and did pliés
And limbering and 1-2-3s.
I studied books, I watched TV
A ballet dancer I would be
    For sure it was not easy

I danced for hours every day
For ballet shoes my mom I'd pray.
But then I read of broken bones
Of bleeding toes, of resting homes
    For dancers around forty

To the pliés I bid adieu
To limbering and 1-2-3s
I loved to run and climb and prance
That was incompatible with dance.
    I'd like to run at forty

Now I watch ballets on TV
Again do limbering and the pliés
To keep myself from growing stale
This is the end of my ballet tale
    I'd love to run at sixty.

 - - - - -

Next Monday's prompt: Distancing (remembering the Corona closing down of 2020 - or whatever touches your mind.)

6 kommentarer:

  1. Nicely done! Yes, the ballet exercises are excellent for keeping strong and limber, but being a ballerina is too hard on the body.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. We can have the good parts only as amateurs :)

      Slet
  2. I used to want to do ballet too, then later in life I read about the pain and damage done and am thankful I didn't learn. But I do wish now I had learned tap dancing.

    SvarSlet
  3. Anonymously Esther O'Neill, because google insisted that i pick up security texts. No signal where we live, and slow broadband. Cannot dance at all, nor can my husband, just as well, because I'm 156 and he's 190.5. we'd look silly - though he would be able to lift me. Irish jigs are fun...

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Googl is quite mad at times, this seems to be one of them.
      You would look just a tad silly, but having fun is what counts.
      Irish jigs ... written on my list of things to try. Thanks.

      Slet

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