Grandma Dances Poem by Lonnie Hicks

It's not that I don't know how;
it's not that I don't know why;
it's just that you're leaving me
and it don't matter no how.

It's not just that love is lost
it's just that I have
a music call-
for me that's enough.

You and me were not
what we seemed.

It's not just that I was joy-prone
It's that I was never seen,
and won't be missed at all.

No one will pitch no fits
'cause I was nice as I was,
no impact
because in fact
it's not my face that's gone.

It's not my eyes or ears
It was my heart
took the purple shaft;
the full-on burning spear.

There was no purple scream
there was no muted call
parting musically too had beat
no problem,
no harm
no foul.

You never knew half-tones,
never got my melody,
and I
could never sing
your sad song
and faking it
didn't seem right to me.

Give me life's song book
give me a melody that's strong
I'll dance and pirouette
all the night long.

You never knew me;
never got my steps;
never never mind
the fault is mine
our rhythms just didn't click.

Now there was the old bebop
today there's the hippy hop;
but my style is live
my hand is jive
show me what you got.

My feet sweep
cross floors on heels,
happiness is just
the rhythm and the swing.

Get your self a tune
that carries the heart's beat
step along side someone
who can hear the music sweet.

Meld the tunes
lift the light,
sample happiness,

which is after all
music;
that no matter what
carries the tune
it is music true lovers
can always hear.

But if you get caught
with silence wrought
and you don't hear no beat
get yourself examified
you may be dead or dying,
or just plain unhappy.

So if you can hear me wailing
with words rhyme and meter
there's hope for you my friend
and coincidentally;

if I reach
the you that's there
and you catch the tune-
good,

that also means
my heart is live
I'm still jive
and both of us
still dancing—
right through
this old age single hood.