dance into desire

Live music pulls us into place
To do love’s mystic dance of grace
And though we fear this true love chance,
One step of faith frees souls to dance.
The pounding beat, the sounding strings
Transforms the meek to mighty beings
These brave join eyes and hands as friends
Their joyful dance of love begins.
The menfolk stomp and strut like flirts
While women twirl to lift their skirts
Lovers meet and swing in a spin
Life’s outer storm lies still within.
They come together—they let go
Faith quickens with this to-and-fro.
Minds of soul mates meet and mesh
They Gypsy melt into one flesh.
But fear can foul a dancer’s feet
Till stumbling steps fall out of beat.
As lovers bloom and fruit to call,
Wallflowers wilt against the wall.
Perhaps their feet were stepped upon,
Or turning found their partner gone?
They flee the floor, heartwarming halts.
They sit love out. They watch not waltz.
As folk engage a ladies chain,
These broken hearted rage in pain.
Their dusty dance cards will expire,
Unless they dance into desire.
Live music pulls us into place
To do love’s mystic dance of grace
And though we fear this true love chance
One step of faith frees souls to dance.

Tom Magruder sees dance as a reflection of life, of how we relate to ourselves and those around us. He and his wife, Denise, teach couples social dance at the Synergy Center in East Asheville [ synergycenter.us ] They met at a contra dance in June 2003, and have been dancing together ever since.