Why Aren’t You Dancing?

Come dancing. An invitation you cannot refuse.

—

Why aren’t you dancing? Come dance with me. I can see you’re sad, I can see you’re down. I’ll hold you close and you can rest your head. We’ll choose a slow song and I’ll take the lead. We’ll mark the spot rocking back and forth, let your worries slide, relax those arms and let me guide, drift away lost in the tide. Banish those thoughts, there’s no need to think at all, let those anxieties fall. Come, just you and me, none to see. There will always be days like this but that’s no reason not to dance, come take a chance and let’s dance.

Why won’t you dance? Come dance with me. I can see you’re drained, I can see you’re spent. I’ll hold you up, I won’t let you drop. There’s a song I know, tho somewhat nouveau but listen to the melody. It has its own life, its own energy, its own harmony. Forget the beat, just move your feet and we will follow the harmony along its path. You see music isn’t selfish; it lends its life, shares its strength so come dance with me and we will wander this halls length. What the day takes the night replenishes so come, take the stance, let’s dance.

Why can’t you dance? That’s just an excuse, come dance with me. I can see you’re bored, I can see you’re weary, come, don’t be leery. Not all songs are sad, not all songs have love’s lost pains. No, some have hope, some have light, and it’s to these ditties we shall delight. Can you feel that beat, yes it’s syncopated, strong on the downbeat? I can feel that smile, come, drop the guile, I know it’s new to you, dance with me, it will be worthwhile. Don’t you see we choose the songs, the songs don’t choose us and now it’s time for new songs, songs to make us laugh, songs too happy by half. What song shall you choose; let’s have a glance at the song to which we shall dance.

Come, shall we dance? I know you want to, I can see you sway, see you tap, come leave the sidelines, your feet aren’t clay. I can feel the song in you waiting to depart, down through your hips, past your legs, straight from the heart. I know you want to write it across this floor, a feeling you can’t ignore. Let me be your pen, let it be sublime, oh so Zen. I’ll let my lead follow, let you shine, you hear the gods, and yes that’s Apollo. God of music, god of poetry, he has your hand, he guides the band, who are we to defy. A night like this, where stars align, our steps scant confined, let’s dance this halls expanse.

Why aren’t I dancing? There is no dance left in me. I can see you ask, see you question. Can you not see, this hall, this night, has claimed another victim, me. Feel my heart, beating so fast, chaos runs through my veins, no rhythm remains. My head is lost, thoughts covered in frost, I have given myself over and this night I shan’t recover. Your boundless energy is too much, too vast, and I am just a mere man so all I can do is clutch, hoping you steady me so we finish what we began. There shall be other nights, other delights, whatever your mood. We shall dance, in a trance we may take that chance but not tonight. Tonight we will remember. All things must end yet keep this memory we shall, this glowing ember, a spark for another night’s fire.

*A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. The Modern Minstrel observes the world around him and shares it with us as lyrical story. This series was inspired by Luke Davis, whose eye for story and ear for lyrical prose are featured here.