Tale Of The Missing Dancer

 

I was a dancer that held my pose on pointe, atop a small jewel case. I lived in a small, magical antique store called "Old Friends For Sale" run by an old gentleman by the name of  Mr. Henley. He would open shop every morning and pull my box off the shelf and put me to display either by his register or the front display window of the shop. 

Mr. Henley loved all of his antique pieces he owned. He wanted to find us all proper homes, so he was particular about who he sold us to. As for me, he favored quite dearly because he said I reminded him of his late wife Emma, who loved the ballet and loved to collect musical figurines such as myself. He kept me near him and would wind the key to play the sweet tune of Fur Elise, as I danced in time to the music. My dancing was limited however and there was no one else of my kind through out the small shop. So I kept Mr. Henley entertained.

But after the store closed for the night, and Mr. Henley returned me to my place on the shelf after spending the day showing off my talent for a few hopeful buyers, he would always tell me "great job, mi lady. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day". 

Soon the lights would turn off but for a few small ones, and I would step off my pedestal, someone else would turn the switch on for a tabletop fan that would blow air in my direction. That's when I felt most free. I'd dance and pirouette, swirl then leap and fly. I'll be caught for a safe landing by action figures like G.I Joe or Marley the the stuffed puppy. A thunder of applause I would hear from all the other trinkets and dolls and such who've also came alive on their own. It's always music to my ears.

Then on one such night, I stayed away longer than I should have. Oh what a magical night it turned out to be. I'd met another dancer from a distant part of the shop, I do not ever recall his arrival to the shop.

He found me dancing alone at the store front window with only the beam of the moon to light the way. He waited patiently till I finished and then approached me. He said his heart longed to dance with me when he would watch from the shadows. 

The moon shone directly upon us when he asked me to dance. So for many more moon lit nights that passed, we danced together .

Then Magic descended down upon us one evening we were dancing.  She made us human with the sole promise that we would continue to dance. She made my partner promise that he would always dance with me, so he promised again. We were given passage to the outside world. He and I smiled at all our friends as we bid them goodbye. Then as we held hands, we slipped out into the night.

The next morning Mr. Henley would come to find my music box alone, yet still playing the tune I'd always danced to. A single teardrop escaped his eye as he nodded quietly to himself then returned to the front of the store. There he would find Magic sleeping on her side. He'd gently scoop her up and return her to her home on the shelf and deliver unto her a kind scolding saying.

"You must stop that now, Magic. I lose many beautiful dancers to you''.

With her impish grin upon her lips, she'd dare a wink. Mr. Henley would walk back over to my music box, wind it up one last time to play and whisper "Then dance you shall". He'd then smile then go on to continue his morning ritual of opening the shop.

Thorns of My Rose

 

I found what I thought to be the most beautiful rose, so I plucked it from the ground. In return for plucking it, it's thorn pierced my skin and I bled. I dropped the rose instinctively and a droplet of my blood followed close behind and landed upon its soft petals.

The rose was quite extraordinary,  unlike any I've ever seen of it's kind. I thought it may even have a bit of magic to it. 

 If you pluck a flower from the earth in a few days hence, it will die. But that cannot be said of my rose.

My rose continued to thrive, and each time I was taken by its beauty I'd reach to hold it, it's thorns would pierce my skin and I would bleed.

My rose refused to die. Instead, it stood tall and proud, like it knew these rules regarding its own life expectancy, yet it held itself strong; defiant even.

Over the course of time, this flower never wilted, it never lost a petal, nor lost the beauty of its color. Instead it changed color often, like that of a chameleon. And again every time I reached to hold it, it reminded me why I shouldn't. Like it was angry with me. It seemed to no longer permeate its scent just held fast in its determination to make me bleed.

So what do I do with it now? I admired it still, but it seemed to treasure its freedom from me, so I left it alone.

In my sadness, I'd went for a walk. During the course of my walk, I came upon a bed of carnations. Learning my lesson from last time, I sat amongst them instead and enjoyed their scent, and was even allowed to caress their petals, until I took solely to the company of one in particular.

My visits with this carnation became an almost daily occurrence.

 It seemed to appreciate that I let it be instead of taking it from its home. When I confessed my story of the rose, the carnation listened with a sympathetic understanding. It made a suggestion to me in regards of what to do with this rose.

 So I returned home with the hopes of reasoning with the rose and giving it, its freedom from me if it so chose. But when I got home, to my regret I found the rose had wilted.

I spent the night trying to foolishly get the rose to speak to me, but it refused. It had kept its silence since the moment I'd brought it home. Giving in, I told the rose I would return it to where I'd found it and replant it.

But by morning's first light, the rose had withered and died. I took it out to bury it and when I laid it down for the earth to reclaim its own, the rose's thorn punctured thru my skin again, causing me to bleed.

It didn't surprise me this time, as it had in the beginning.

I was used to the bleeding by now.

 

Time

 

Time, why do you punish me?

Taking me where I don't want to be?

I haven't lived enough yet.

Still, I'm seeing the sun set

Upon my life half done

Time, I've only just begun.

 

See, I did what I was supposed to for everyone else

Rarely was I able to make time for myself

But you sped up and took away from me

My chance to live life free

 

This morning I found a grey hair in my head, and my hands were all worn 

This is what I've come down to, since the day that I was born.

 

Time, why do you punish me and take me from where I am ?

Your speeding up even more

I can't take much more, damn.

 

I woke up with a weird notion, that today would be my last

Can I say my goodbyes, if I promise to make it fast?

Cause you've been pushing me all along

When I'm just trying to finish this song

 

Time why did you have to punish me and take away my breath?

 

But I guess I won't complain

I made it thru quite sane

I got what I got

Whether it was enough or not

 

Time, when next I come around, don't rush me to my next death.