virgina and i should dance

(tribute to Virginia Woolf)

Virginia, of my mind, let’s go into the night
and find our way to the Room’s Tavern
the red and white wines of truth

Virginia, thank you for ruining
your good walking boots for me
scientist, doctor, philosopher, explorer
do you think we could try
dancer, musician and hot, crazy lover?

put down that mending and follow your
knotted thread back to me
i’ll fix your hair and show you its softness
and release you, for a moment,
from your lonely vigil
you sent out a shrieking, white light
that you called truth
to warn us of those shadows that wait to move
at the bed of
Every Woman And
burned through
the red hour of emotion
to destroy those shadows for me.
i thank you, Virginia,
for walking in shadows for me
let me repay the service
and take you dancing with me
for I have found a truth, steeped blood red,
for Every Woman And,
that you may have overlooked

and I would love to see you laugh
at my expense
put down that mending, and follow
your breaded path back to me
nothing remains embedded
in the banks of the river
we chose to press small round stones into the sand
all in a row
and call that a straight line …
nothing remains embedded
in the banks of the river
it is human that creates linear time as deep and high as it can go
jump up, Virginia and let the river flow within
the truth is, that the human soul is a terrible medium
floppy-jalopy and never still
why do we insist? why do we insist?
o, dance with me, Virginia
teach me most of all,
that even you
scientist, doctor, philosopher, explorer
can dance and sing upon this old wooden floor.

© lyw

This poem is a sample from the This Business of Dance and Music poetry chapbook by lyw