Beyond Life's Metronome (Revised) Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Wanting to prolong joy I keep a soap-bubble moment
alive - watching two young dancers perform the same
enchanting scenes again, delighting in creamed icing
of true classical ballet

Less enamoured with the dance and being impatient
you could not, you'd rather continue to walk in dreary
reality without the edges shining - whereas I need to
drink in all joy and beauty to fortify my heart

When returned to the darkest parts of reality, the
repetitive dissonance of a grey monotone reciting
litanies of criminal deeds with recriminations has
me buried by it - unable to dream of assistance

Failure is a testament to the strength of my desire to
reach for spiritual life where my need for roots and
anchors led to my changing into a root anchoring
me without beauty, music and harmony - though

I listen to song, sway with the dance - beyond life's
metronome slowly comes to a standstill