Monday, 24 February 2014

Dancing the Night Away


I remember a boyfriend’s parents once telling him years ago that I had bewitched him, and it wasn’t even Halloween! They said I had been sent by the Devil to tempt him into evil ways...! How can intelligent (?) people believe such rubbish?

We stayed friends long after we split up, but he was never reconciled with his family. Yet, he has lived very happily with the same partner for the best part of twenty years now and his partner’s family has no problem with their relationship.

Oh, but human nature can be a monster at times! It can take a while for us to find the strength of character and conviction to venture out and take it on.  Some of us (like me) take encouragement, guidance and fortitude in nature where other socio-cultural-religious so-called ‘role models’ fail us.

Whatever form love takes, any ‘temptation’ is but to share its beauty and spirituality with another person, and no one should be penalized let alone ostracized for giving in to that. Yet, that is exactly what (still) happens in various parts of the world. Some people not only never learn from the harsher lessons of history, but seem intent upon perpetuating them. We can but take them on and hope to educate them into a more enlightened sense of humanity.

This poem is a villanelle.

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY

Shadows dancing on my lawn,
(open window to see better);
a misty-eyed moon looking on

Sense change about to happen,
(reshaping my life forever);
shadows dancing on my lawn

Silhouettes, men and women
(looking so right together);
a misty-eyed moon looking on

Putting aside threats unspoken
(reassured by Earth Mother);
shadows dancing on my lawn

Witness to ties as yet unbroken
(by culture, creed or colour);
a misty-eyed moon looking on

No sign of dancers moving on,
(nor can I resist any longer);
shadows dancing on the lawn,
a misty eyed moon looking on

Copyright R, N. Taber 2009

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