Sie tanzt

She Danced​

she danced for the love she felt
 the love she gave away
 and the love she kept​

she danced to free her spirit
 and to free other spirits too
 she danced in response to joy
 and to process pain
 she moved her body
 like her life depended on it
 praying for love to come,
 for sadness to go
 she danced in gratitude

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she danced for all the people
 who can’t dance for themselves
 she also taught others to dance
 for justice, for truth, for possibility
 for healing the broken-hearted
 she danced to break the ties that bind
 our women ~ our mothers
 to bring awareness and healing

she danced to break open the hearts of
 our men ~ our fathers
 to bring truth and compassion
 to invite friendship and art
 into the open spaces
 that the dance created

she danced to keep the flame of true love burning
 she danced when she was too tired to walk
 she danced between the worlds

she danced because a celebration
 calls for dancing
 the twirl of skirts the rhythm of feet
 the snapping and clapping,
 the exultant inhale and exhale

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she danced with lovers, she danced with friends
 she danced alone too because some nights
 we all dance alone and because sometimes
 dancing is all that can be done

​

she danced for the artists and musicians
 and scientists and alchemists and midwives
 and physicians and housewives and gas stationers
 and waitresses and poets and for all who work
 too too hard, for too too little

she danced for all the creators of invention
 and those whose gift is just: TO BE.
 she danced to dislodge the caught gifts
 struggling to get free in each of us

she danced for the living and for the dead
 in birth and in mourning
 for peace, beauty and creative expression
 she danced our prayers all the way to GOD
 which isn’t so very far after all…

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“Shall we dance?” asked the Creator of Dance
 they danced until the sun came up
 and this time, she didn’t have to lead.

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(Shiloh Sophia, ©2015)