she was standing
on the sidelines
of life and time
waiting for the right moment,
a raison d’être, a sign,
a wall-flower girl
too awkward to take the floor,
left without, alone,
afraid, five seconds
from the door
hypnotized by the brilliance
of a twirling glass ball,
the flickering flashes
of light, sparkling façades
how much longer
could she cower and hide
the longing to let go
abandon reason, resign
to leave safety’s side
the bench so cold and hard
to twirl the skirt,
feel sweat upon her back
break in the shoes,
she’d bought for that
small possibility
courage would emerge
she’d listen to the sound
the song she’d always heard
but this time respond
to the music of chance
break free from what held her
and respond when asked
why, yes…
I’d love to dance.
Trace Sheridan‘s prose, poetry, and photography have been published in the US and UK and can be found in journals 55 Words, BluePrintReview, Nerve House, apt: a literary journal, Mud Luscious, Cautionary Tale, Static Movement, and Libbon, to name a few. She is the co-founding editor of 34thParallel, a quarterly print magazine that features fiction, poetry, photography and interviews with new and emerging writers and artists. Currently completing a MFA, she lives in southern California with her husband and young son. Website: http://www.34thParallel.net
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