If a dream was a dance and that
dance was a waltz
I’d be whisked off my feet to the
beat of your pulse:
I would whirl and I’d twirl as we’d
own the dance floor
and my skirt all a-swirl would in-
vite, ‘Just one more…
‘Have this last dance, this last dance, this
last dance with me!’
At the end of which dance you’d bow
down on one knee
as you held out your ring and en-
treated me please
‘Just say yes, only yes, put my
fraught heart at ease!’
And I’d look in the book, in the
book of your eyes
and I’d answer, I’d answer…now,
there’s the surprise!
Written for dVerse
Tonight, Björn is hosting ‘Meeting the Bar‘ and has asked us for a waltz in poetry form, stating specifically:
‘what counts today is the beat. You can use (again) anapests, a variation. Maybe you can listen to a wiener waltz, and imagine dancing around a ballroom… counting one two three.
Let the dance be your poem.’
I have employed anapests to convey the ‘one-two-three’ rhythm of waltz time. Each stanza starts with an ‘up-beat’ (the first two words) after which the waltz time begins. I’ve split the lines to emphasise the ‘one-two-three’ pattern.
Featured image: ‘The Viennese Waltz,’ by Vladimir Peruvinsky, 1957.
And here’s one of my favourite waltzes:
Beautiful images and rhythm. (K)
Thank you Kerfe. I hope you will dance over to the bar later!
I haven’t had much time for writing lately. As you yourself have noted, we can’t do everything. I hope to get back to dVerse at least once a week soon though.
I can imagine you have enough on your plate. I enjoy your work wherever it appears 😊
Thanks Ingrid.
Such a pretty poem Ingrid. Delightful ☺️
Thank you Christine, sometimes I need to lighten up a bit 🥰
The way you decided to break works wonderfully to add rhythmic dance quality to this work.
Thank you 💃
Aww, this is so sweet and beautiful.
Thank you Lucy ❤️
You captured this prompt wonderfully! I love your rhythm and the beat of your soul!… and then you leave us hanging at the end!
Dwight
Thanks Dwight, this one was fun to write!
it is great when the lines flow!!
What a delightful poem. It fairly waltzes across the page!
Thank you Beverly!
This was beautifully written. A lovely and quaint rhythm.
Thank you 🙏
My absolute pleasure Ingrid!
A lovely, romantic waltz of a poem, Ingrid!
Coincidentally with your video, I’m wearing an old t-shirt with the Pennsylvania Ballet Logo on it. I won it when our kids were little and I won a contest for tickets (box seats!) for the four of us to go see the Nutcracker at the Academy of Music–a beautiful old theater in Philadelphia.
How lovely: I bet that was an unforgettable experience!
We have the big nutcracker they gave us to remind us. 😀
Wow 😃
Even I, Mr Falsefoot Wallflower enjoyed this work, Ingrid. Wonderful proposal.
I have two left feet myself. But I like the idea of being able to dance!
This is so sweet… like one of those Harlequin novels almost. I love the ending though… I think we were on similar thoughts but I wrote from the guy’s perspective.
Yes, I’ve just read yours and if you read the two together you get the ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’ effect!
LOVELY/LOVELY/LOVELY!
Thankyou/Thankyou/Thankyou!
You had a lot of fun with this one, Ingrid and I like that tease at the end. This could easily be set to music!
Thanks Lisa, I did envision it as a kind of song! 😊
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Artist: https://www.fineartphotographyvideoart.com/2019/11/Vladimir-Pervuninsky-Viennese-waltz.html
Thank you Lisa – I will add the credit in!
You’re most welcome 🙂
I love the idea the dance is to the beat of his pulse, so romantic! 😍
Thanks Tricia! I don’t know what cane over me 🤭
I can hear a waltz rhythm in this one. I’m afraid I couldn’t get it in the one given as an example. This one waltzes though!
Thanks Jane: it waltzes better than I do!
It took me a while to get the hang of this rhythm, not being much of a waltzer either!
Say, YES! How delightful your dance is and I am swaying to the beat in your verses. Have a good weekend.
I am glad you enjoyed this Grace. Have a lovely weekend too!
Wow! You knocked this completely out of the park Ingrid! So lovely and lyrical, and the strategically placed repetition really made it float and spin. Wow! Beautiful! I went silly with mine, oh well…
Thanks Rob, I did enjoy writing a dance. I can’t dance at all so it’d quite ironic!
Ingrid, the rhythm in this is beyond enchanting … I read it aloud and it bounced off my lips.
Thanks Helen – that makes me smile 😊
This is totally soulful and enjoyable and I loved the ending. 🙂
Thank you 😊
Great use of anapests, Ingrid, and I like the way you split the lines to emphasise the beat! It brought back learning to do the waltz with my nan. I love the lines ‘’’d be whisked off my feet / to the beat of your pulse’. A romantic waltz – it would make a great song. You should Send it to Andre Rieu.
Oh good idea Kim, maybe I will 😅
Ha ha. Love it. I am Elizabeth or Emma or Catherine or Anne – any of the Austen heroines – as I read your poem. The romance. The ballroom. The link of eyes. I love it all.
Thank you! It was certainly a work of fiction for me as I’m a terrible dancer 🤣
Ha ha ha. Ah well, what is writing for if it’s not to dream a little. I’m a terrible dancer too so thank goodness we don’t live in an age where that was one of the skills women were measured by!
Oh my goodness! That and sewing? I would have been left ‘on the shelf’ for sure 😂😂😂
oh me too!! 😀 My palms sweat at the mere thought of a needle and thread.
Just beautiful.
xoxo
Thank you Gabriela 💃
My pleasure 🌹
A lovely read – ooh and I love the ending.
Thanks! Will she, or won’t she…
A lovely waltz with words. I hope she says. Yes
😊
Ingrid let the waltzing begin with your words that move just in time for the weekend❣️
Yes, get out your dancing shoes 👠
got the dress 💃 and you got the shoes.2 dancing Queens💃💃❣️
I feel a song coming on 🎶
sing it girl … a collab?! who has time.. someday maybe💖❣️
Oh yes that would be fun 🤩👠🤩💃
❣️💃🤗✨💓😝
and I’d answer, I’d answer…now,
there’s the surprise!
Love a decisive response in any situation, more so here Ingrid!
Hank
Thanks Hank!
Hah– love the twist ending!
Thanks Xan 😊
“I’d be whisked off my feet to the
beat of your pulse:”
loved the sound and rhythm of this waltz, very well done
Thank you!
Thank you 😊
Many people have trouble getting rhythm; they try rythm and rythem and one I heard even tried rythum, but not you! You got it.
It’s interesting because with music, rhythm is what let me down. In poetry, you don’t have to do the whole ‘rub your tummy and pat your head’ thing 😅