“Dance with the Wind — Photo-artistry by kenne
Dance with the Wind
I can’t remember the first time I was asked,
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
I do remember it was not the last,
each time dancing out whom I wanted to be.
Projecting an image,
more than motion,
more than a reflex,
it was a feeling
transformed in the act.
In my freedom of expression,
adults around me loved the movement,
reflecting an awareness of where I was,
often lost in their youth.
With age,
answering the question became more difficult,
movement losing feeling
as I went through the motions,
coming under the influence of a fashion,
unaware of the freedom
evoked by experiencing the feeling.
By way of schooling,
I learned the programmed dance steps.
The more I practiced the steps,
the better I dealt with the known,
ignorant of conventional limitations
being placed in the unknown.
Still, going through the motions
was not without the sound
of Mother’s words,
“always be yourself,”
playing in the background.
The music of these caring words
handing me a string to the kite of life,
without which I would not be able
to dance with the wind.
By hanging on to her lifeline,
I learned the wind was my friend,
forming a rhythm alliance,
enhancing my feeling for the dance.
Each step taping to the music,
dancing in the wonder of life,
gliding in the midst of reality,
the dance always being new,
personal,
alive.
— kenne
(A draft of this poem was first written December 2000.)
Every stage of life brings change and new wishes. Sometimes I still wonder what I’ll be when I grow up. Life goes on.