Sometimes I Dance

(from Brainstorms &
Artwise Poetry Cards)

Sometimes I dance in the moonlight,
Soft in my skin,
Fluid on my feet.
Limbs brush through the cool night air,
Painting new maps
In this territory
Between earth and sky.

Sometimes I linger in the rain,
As though its liquid would seep into my pores
To replenish me.
Languid.
The weight of the water
Pulls me down,
Holding me in a space
Where I can’t help but remember.

Sometimes I bask in the sun,
Dressed in black and too warmly for the weather,
Absorbing as much heat as I can stand
As my left arm stretches up
And over the back of the chair.
Face tilts up.
Eyes close.
I lift my feet off the ground,
Extend my right leg,
And that movement
Sets me gently rocking.

Cradled in the perfect balance
Of motion and stillness,
A thought arises:

I only wanted to stop my soul from dying;
I never imagined what it would feel like
To live.

Photo credit: Arjun Seth