Charleston Blues

Charleston Blues

A chance to dance through fear, saved,
to sidestep through the fire
Left feet... granted ears, brave
… in period attire

Dancing under mushrooms, raved,
contagious are our beats
We move 'midst fauna, foreign, gauged,
courageous are our feats

Steps our souls set, laid out blind,
as tigers cross the floor
Steps build softly to a shout,
… speak easy, to a roar

A different time, a different place,
so very far from home
A finish line, a different race,
a different space to roam

A floor, to which I'm not attuned
A story that's not mine
With flaws, my star just ebbs on through,
… in vain, I try to shine

In spite of all the others here,
who share... move round this space
With grace, with face, with lovers near,
the clumsy know their place

In the corners, awkward... prone,
Wallflowers, where we play
They've torn us from our comfort zones,
… to spirits, we are prey

Regardless how our footwork falls,
our phantoms do their worst
Some partners beckon louder, call
… some people just come first

Some footsteps we will follow blind,
a face may take the lead
It's sometimes hard to swallow, find
… the weaknesses we bleed

Cross life's dance floor, barred locales
Prohibited, proof beats,
Pulses race through feet decals,
praying that they'll meet

Converging under mushroom caps
Such spores, they score our schemes
Jealous of such fantasies,
… in envy of our dreams

Standing there with two left feet
We wait, to take our chance
Sitting awkward out of reach
… just waiting for the dance