Dancing Girl

Elongated woman – a whole head taller
Than me. In this students’ kitchen
She walks in a circle and although
Distressed, we turn away, we talk
She mutters on, clutching her winter coat
It is the beginning of June

She will not stop dancing through our lives
‘I’ll never stop,’ she cries and we laugh
We stare, turn away and look back again
She is nothing like her former self
Who sucked this girl’s essence out of her
While she was sleeping?

We did not know what to do so we turn
Our backs upon her. We are afraid but will never admit it
The muttering goes on but in our eyes
This girl is a stranger among us. We force her out of our minds
Then some thick set sensible girl stands and stalks off
I feel the silk of her skirt as she passes

Hours pass and we still sit around that table
We are people made of crystal. Distorted glass.
And the dancing girl can feel our fear
Like some ferocious dog, poised to pounce
And then the doors opens and the doctors come
To drag that mad girl away

The door closes behind them and we exhale
And we collapse in a heap of shattered crystals
Onto the floor for when the mad, dancing girl has gone
There is no one left to entertain and amuse.