Dance

Enchanted

O you, whom I have but a moment known
Do stare into these full enchanted eyes
And smile, like one beyond their years so wise
As we do dance, and with each step, alone
We are as one, midst floating thoughts unknown
A moment, captured twixt two lovers sighs
You whisper words which rational defies
The star struck heart within my breast is thrown

So soft a touch, my face you do caress
Let go, you spin me back into your arms
And promise what we both know to be true

You hold me close, our bodies tightly pressed
As though afraid I’ll vanish with the stars
I’ll not forget this moment spent with you

Enthralled

Your face soft pressed against my beating heart
Does calm it’s quickened pace and quells its fear
Empowered, I whisper words you long to hear
You lift your head and blush, while I am caught
In wond’rous eyes, too quick you turn in thought
With lowered glance, infringed with lash so near
Impulsively, my hands lace with your hair
As I am drawn to lips not often sought.

With fire and with silk you do respond
And other girls I’ve known I now forget
As you do sigh in pure and total bliss
We still do dance, I spin you once around
With but one chance to slip away… too late!
As I reach out, so eager for your kiss

Empowered

Do I dare raise my eyes? I think I must;
Be still my heart! As I do find transfixed
Upon my face your gaze, a deep abyss
Into which I look deep and soon am lost
As hands, a whisper through my hair are caught
As palm to palm through holy palmers kiss
For lips to do as hands it is in this
That hands cradle my cheek, my neck, my heart.

Though caught and fiercely held in your embrace
My eyes do sing, my heart does smile in song
And with another kiss you again prove
In a forever moment lost in space
Our moment, that for which my life has longed
I’m drawn into your warmth, your strength, your love

After the Dance

J Waterhouse

Choice

How can a heart that is so steeped in love

even consider giving that away?

Giving up that which she has dreamed of

and letting her heart be led so astray?

But oh, how tempting is her other choice!

A blend of passion, laughs, and mystery-

She can’t deny the spark found in his voice,

nor can she find the strength to stay away.

But something in her heart; she’s urged to wait.

To not give up what she has premature.

Her current love might be her lifelong mate…

She shakes her head, she never shall be sure.

Oh tortured soul! So lost, yet unafraid;

She’ll take this journey - day by day by day

Miranda - The Tempest

J Waterhouse

Violet

The fading violets bloom in blinding light

Of jealous stars that weep and fall astray

And so her aching heart bemoans its plight

It fears (yet dares) to give itself away

To one who never truly understood

The fragileness of that which he received

Or maybe He was just inept at love.

Perhaps as foolish, if not more, than she.

But rather than admit to her mistake

To judgment rash, or lack of common sense

Mistakes that eager hearts do ready make

She suffered. His joy at her expense.  

So now the withered violet hangs its head,

Its petals fall, as tears do for the dead. 

Flora [picking flowers]

J Waterhouse

Whisper

An ancient whisper rises, circ'ling tow'rs
a call of misty tales to line the walls
of old and stony mansions, greater powers
than thine cruel selfish ways do dance the halls.

The scrolling works and bright emblazoned crests
look down upon a generation lost
and now I feel in my own beating breast
a shiv'ring chill like that of tempest toss'd

at freezing waves, a celtic tale forgot
of faries, elves, and other folks of lore
a beau'teous loss of life, of love, or not;
as never seen in our green vales before

to realize that never was it known
that with these shadows, we are not alone

In the Peristyle

J Waterhouse

Dream

A whisper, circling round our heads does sigh
as stars and tears do sing, and yet, do fall.
To fly would bring more pain than lying still
To Dream would break the soul. To even try
would risk that Dream we have; the wish that calls
this tortured heart to rip itself to shreds.

To you, who holds my hopes, my fears, my all
I think I understand your Dreams; but will
you help me? My Dreams I still don't know.
My hand does seek out yours, as we sit still.
My feet, they tremble, as through deep woods I tread.
My mind, it wanders, my thoughts dart to and fro

To sit among the stars, to ease this dread
and maybe then, in dreams, we both may grow.

Echo and Narcissus

J Waterhouse

Footsteps

To feel I have no love for you to take
is not, I dream, a life I wish to feel.
Your voice, it whispers urging me awake;
your eyes regard a moment, Yet they steal

the song my heart shall sing when you appear
cannot, will not, have meaning if you fly
out of my arms, soar far away in fear
without a backwards glance. I cannot try

what Love is known to say; when all is well
our footsteps dance and leap. We turn and sway
in syncopated time. But who can tell
once gentle winds do whisk our spir't 'way.

We cannot chance this love to starry nights-
those ousted candles void of flick'ring light.

Thisbe

J Waterhouse 

Farewell

You say forever, I still say until

And yet until grows longer with each day

You whisper, hope and cry you love me still

I said I loved you once - now though, I doubt -

And yet it seems my love grows with each breath! 

My heart’s not sure if it can live without

Your promises of love, you said you’d wait

As long as needed so I could be sure

But as I feared before, you are too late.

I promised I’d come back, we’d try again

But that is not a promise I can keep

Decisively, our chapter now must end.

I loved you once, but do not love you still.
And so, my love, I say to thee Farewell  

Apollo and Daphne

J Waterhouse