THE LAST WALTZ

twilight enters the room
it doesn’t  bother to knock
“Ahh…yes…a guest…I know Mr. Death!”

Death bows before me
like a bad
impression of Rudolph Valentino

death asks if
he can have this dance
I feel I can’t refuse

“Ahhh… Death…Mr. Death!”
I swoon as if in a bad melodrama
“I could die in your arms!”

and suddenly the party was:
over in an instant
the orchestra packing up their instruments

the Past had been packed away
the Future to be put on hold
Now was the only now I could afford

music lingered
like cigarette smoke
writing itself upon the air

“Ahhh…that’s Life!”
trying to ****** it from the air
the music slipping through my fingers

“Now…now!” Death smirks
“I’ll have none of that!”( my heart stopped )
I took his hand…we…stepped into the dark.

*

Someone I used to look after in the long long ago. She was a ballroom dancer and a very good one in her time so I guess when her time came to go and she nearly went but didn't( which was how she was able to tell me what it was like )she thought of Death as a dapper young whippersnapper who would sweep her off her feet. I used to sit in many a twilight with her and just hold her hand in silence or softly...very softly...hum THE MERRY WIDOW WALTZ to her.