All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
Dance of the Star Person
Look, there she dances!
Behind the curtain of dusk colors
Sunflower yellows and rose reds
And a spotlight of orange projected from
God knows where
The audience is chatting amongst themselves
The director stuck his head in a barrel which he found
In his mother’s back yard
Because it’s kind of fun to scream into a barrel
No one can hear you
Her dress is woven with cloth hearts
Tickling the black, wooden floor around
A pair of bare feet
Which tap in tune to a song
Only she can hear
Tapping
Tapping
How can there be a breeze backstage?
But there is
So this must be an enchanted place
Sit still and be nothing
Then maybe the Earth will touch you
Many would die for the chance
To feel the shiver of those burning fingertips
But everyone must die a little
To live a little
Then live a lot, if you want to join the dance
But that’s the difficult part
Leaping into the moment as it quivers far below you
Her face has the tranquility of statues
And the fluidity of water
The beauty of angels
And the humility of a servant
The nakedness of stars
And the mystery of God
To grab the golden heart, as it floats on air and time
Would be to jump into the fire
Even though it says it promises not to burn you
So she dances on
And the audience is made up of cowards to leave her behind the curtain
But that’s the way it is
Maybe in the end, they’ll join her
And they will all dance behind the curtain, center stage
And laugh and hug and cry, shedding tears of light
Similar Articles
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 20 comments.
"To grab the golden heart, as it floats on air and time/Would be to jump into the fire/Even though it says it promises not to burn you"
Those lines particularly grabbed my attention- quite beautiful imagery you have there. For some reason, though, rather than picturing a golden heart, I imagined a golden apple...
Once again, you astound me with your majesty :)
Aha, both inspired me, in the selfsame form. :)
I thank you kindly for your comments; they are most well received.
Its awesome the way you use your words. It makes me wonder what inspired you.... I almost always wonder that though... A dancer? Someone in love?
I like the lines "But everyone must die a little/ to live a little/ Then live a lot, if you want to join the dance"
That sounds intriguing, Stargirl; I'll certainly look into it!
I've been reading a novel which speaks of insanity, and the way that "sanity" is only what the majority decides.
Thank you so much!
And (uh oh), maybe I can't top it... ;)
Hey Raven, I've got a really good book for you, it's called "Dumbing us down: the hidden curriculum of compulsory schooling". It's about public school, and it talks about how schoolchildren are taught not to think for themselves, just like something you once said.
Anyway, the book's by John Taylor Gatto, if you're interested :)
Danke, Liz. Dancing is graceful (for some, at least, not me).
I haven't heard of Josh Groban, but I'll give him a listen.
Bjork is, undoubtedly, one of the most unique artists out there. But silence often makes a beautiful accompaniment, yes. :) Henry Nouwen taught me that, in fact.
I like that line, too! It sounds really egotistical for the author to say something like that, but often, I feel like I'm only pulling together stuff that I experience for my poetry, so it doesn't really seem like my work.
I'd love to scream into a barrel, because there are quite a lot of emotions I'd like to put into the scream. Good and bad. ;) It's a pity that people assume the worst of such a situation. Otherwise, I'd be giving the sky my all as well. It would feel good to be whittled down to your raw self, yes?
It's wonderful of you to say that, you darling Star Person. :)
Oh Euphoric rush of the soul!
Oh frabjious day, Calloo, calay!
Oh the rainbow and Oh, the sea!
I thought that I must turn off my music to read this symphony of a poem, and turn off my music I did. (Even though it was Bjork and she's quite the Starperson herself, only silence could accompany and compliment such a silent melody)
"Because it's kind of fun to scream in a barrel", my heart leapt at this line, only heaven knows why, though you probably know as well.
I know that it is fun to scream in a barrel, even though I'm not sure I've ever done it.
There's just something in me lately that wants to scream and yell and shout into the sky without the bindings of someone else hearing and wondering who is committing mu.rder. I think too much...
Raven, your voice, in every poem you've ever written -whether it reads as quiet or loud, is strong and confident and incredible.
