Long Ago (and Far Away)

You danced with that awkward,

chubby boy, one night, when he moped

at the corner at prom. He drank

punch, his date had

flew off to the crowned king. But

you slid in, holding one

shoulder, squatting ever slightly —

he didn’t cry, but he couldn’t

gaze at your face. You never

whispered a word, no glass

slippers, no polished promise,

he never was a prince, but your

hand held his and drew

him to the tiled floors. The DJ

was blaring Eminem, but you

put your hardened hands behind

his waist, his hand atop

yours. He was never the best

dancer, underfooted and fat,

but still you guided him,

shimmied your forearms up,

patted him, and nervously

laughed. He was biting

his lips, almost keeping to beat,

at least, not wanting to make

you be a fool. But you never

cared — you became a fool

for him. And, when

midnight struck, inside your

chariot, you brought

him home.

And after all these years, I will always be thankful that once upon a dream you brought a chubby, awkward young me home.

——————-

This is the 100 Songs Project, a 100-day writing challenge based on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs. Every day, I write a short poem, prose piece, or play based on, reacting to, rejecting, accepting, or doing something related to one of the songs in the top 100 list.

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