My best red dress on

I navigated roads to an altered location
Rain had come, we moved inside
I hadn’t danced in months
Fractures and time stealing my attention
But for a special night like this, we show
Old friends, newer ones greet me
And I’m led onto the floor
We communicate our way through a Lindy
He leads with grace
I follow with giggles
Following his strong leading eases me into muscle memories
Of quick steps, old tunes,
Sweaty strangers agreeing to perform together
I remember how nice it is to follow
Trusting
every move he leads me in
His raising hand tells me turn
Sinatra booms from the mouth of a modern crooner
While I’m dipped and spun by many a lead
Hours and my first swing competition later,
I’m done
Like Cinderella, the clock of my spine strikes midnight with a shoot of pain
I stay quiet, waiting in a chair
to see
If I’ll be given another chance at the ball
One of my closests
declares her own pain
It’s time to depart
Into the night, we waltz away
Drunk on dance, sober to our well-being
Or lack thereof
And now enter
The wait of months
until courage lends itself to let us dance