Some more poetry in honor of dance kicking back up for the year!

I'll post two of my dance poems for y'all. The first one is a picture of exactly what happens to me when I step on stage with my troupe. This is mainly for those who don't dance so that they can sort of understand why I'm so crazy about it. The second one is definitely not so serious. It's pretty much the rhythm of a type of dance in Irish, the treble jig, only put into words. Or at least that was my goal. It has a lot of Irish lingo in it (for those of you that don't know, we almost speak a different language—we can "say" our steps). I guess this one is mainly for those of you who are Irish dancers because it might be a little tricky to figure out otherwise... but I still hope it won't be too hard for those of you who aren't to pick up on the rhythm.

The Dancer

heart pounding
butterflies inside
so many people!
so many steps
my mind is blank.

(it’s Yours, Father.)

the music starts.
seven beats and point
and I’m off!
leaping
kicking
twirling
flying
I feel the music in my bones

(it’s You, Father.)

the rush of energy
sets me free
I soar through the air

but it’s not me.

every ounce of me
wells up in praise
I move,

and it’s Him.

too soon
too fast
it’s over now
I hear the applause
I feel the joy
I take a bow -

not for me. For Him.

heart pounding
butterflies inside
I smile.

~~~~~

Treble Jig

Shuffle cut shuffle-hop back, and back two three four
And step click the heel brush and step click and toe
When you jig shuffle step it’s the beat two three four —
It’s the beat, it’s the rhythm, the pulse in your bones.

It’s the pulse in your back and a rock two three bones
In your bones, in your head, in your mind, in your soul
That makes shuffle step you go rocking and rollicking
Romping and stomping and step click the heel
Stomping and stamping and brushing and tipping
And maybe a click or a toe.

The toe
It tips and it brushes, it lilts two three four
Or it bangs and it pounds and it thunders
It thunders
The storm two three four fascinates, captivates
But when it awakes it stamp toe detonates!

The lilt of the words stamp that cannot be said
A h-aon dó trí, is a h-aon dó trí!
Like the roll of an R, the roll of the foot
Makes the tip makes the trip makes the skip come to life.

To life
From the heart, to the soul, to the life
Comes the stomp and the bang and the tip and the click
To the life to the soul of the shuffle cut girl
To the girl who step jigs click two three with her heart.

Shuffle cut shuffle-hop back and back two three four
And step click the heel brush and step click and toe
When you jig shuffle step it’s the beat two three four —
When you stamp and you shuffle and kick up your heels
When you praise two three four then you jig and you live —
Shuffle one tip one two toe and brush cut heel live.

When you’ve shuffled and trebled and toewalked and stomped,
Till your soul is tip one two spilled over the top
And your music is rambling fast toward the last
Then toe, point and bow, and at last
Collapse.