1075. Dancing is silent poetry. ~Simonides

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To dance is to reach for a word that doesn’t exist,
To sing the heart-song of a thousand generations,
To feel the meaning of a moment in time.
~Beth Jones

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Where Does the Dance Begin, Where Does It End?
Don’t call this world adorable, or useful, that’s not it.
It’s frisky, and a theater for more than fair winds.
The eyelash of lightning is neither good nor evil.
The struck tree burns like a pillar of gold.
But the blue rain sinks, straight to the white
feet of the trees whose mouths open.
Doesn’t the wind, turning in circles, invent the dance?
Haven’t the flowers moved, slowly, across Asia,
then Europe, until at last, now, they shine in your own yard?
Don’t call this world an explanation, or even an education.
When the Sufi poet whirled, was he looking outward,
to the mountains so solidly there in a white-capped ring,
or was he looking to the center of everything:
the seed, the egg, the idea that was also there,
beautiful as a thumb curved and touching the finger,
tenderly, little love-ring, as he whirled,
oh jug of breath, in the garden of dust?
~Mary Oliver

And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might… ~Excerpt from 2 Samuel 6:14 ✝

**Images via Pinterest; collage created by Natalie

29 thoughts on “1075. Dancing is silent poetry. ~Simonides”

  1. Wow, that is a fabulous poem by Mary Oliver. And I must say, I am loving these ‘dance’ themed posts Natalie. That one line, “Doesn’t the wind, turning in circles, invent the dance?” is spectacular. I love it.
    Love and hugs.
    🙂 ❤

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  2. When I was a little girl around 5, my grandmother insisted that I take ballet—and my mother acquiesced—this tomboy, tree climbing, frog catching little girl took 1 year of ballet and 1 year of tap—-I hated it—and thank the Lord, the powers that be (Nany and mother) relinquished the thought of me becoming the star of Swan Lake or the next Ginger Rogers—-in the 6th grade it was year of ballroom dancing…hummmm…late 60’s early 70’s and we’re fox trotting….while the country is rocking out….
    Next there was Saturday Night Fever and the disco craze and finally in college it was Beach Music and the Carolina Shag—-whew—
    I’ll stomp a foot every now and then, but that’s it with me and dance—but you just keep shaking that money maker of your miss fancy feet 🙂

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    • Oh I always wanted to take ballet lessons. My best friend did, but for some reason mom said no. She let us take tap and ballroom dancing though, and then James and I used to love to go country western dancing! I love to dance but we don’t go anymore so I just dance out in my yard sometimes. And what money maker would you be talking about??? I’d sure like to find it so we can go to Ireland and Paris missy! 😊😊😊❤️

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  3. Such a beautifully wonderful post dear friend. I wasn’t much of a dancer even though I tried at times, but used to always watch the Musicals and especially Shirley Temple. Could always see a very simple freedom in each dance.

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  6. Simply beautiful! I love to honor my Lord in dance and dance like David danced. And nothing improves my mood when I’m feeling down than a little “holy dancin ” 😄

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  7. Pingback: 1075. Dancing is silent poetry. ~Simonides – womanofgod2016

    • I love that you enjoyed and shared my post, but please in the future do it as a reblog so that others can find their way to my blog. As I recently stated in a post, I consider what I do here as a way to fulfill my Godly purpose and perceive it as a mission field. Blessings, Natalie

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