The Dance Of Now

The Dance Of Now

None of us can ever dodge
The downbeat of reality,
How time twirls fickle as a wind,
Scattering seconds as sand
We once surmised were ours to keep.

Life is impermanent,
A candle flickering
A hush of unseen breath
In constant motion,
A river rushing towards
An ocean it never meets.

Death is a silent, sudden,
Unsympathetic summons
It can take us at any time,
Without explanation,
Without any reason,
An invisible eraser of footprints
Unexpectedly finishing our path.

Here in this breath, in this heartbeat,
In the golden glow of
The only moment we own,
We are given a gift
Wrapped in uncertainty:
The ability to live, not just exist
Cherish the fragility of flesh
And the fire of spirit,
Exercise our precious clay
Become our own artist
Shaping light with willing hands.

If by some chance we learn to dance
Not in rigid steps or borrowed motion,
But in the rhythm of our soul,
Born to live and move to,
We might find that
The music was never outside us,
It was humming beneath
Our skin all along.

The length of our days doesn’t linger
It’s the depth of our love,
The content of our character
Created as the hearts we touch
Our capacity to care,
A tide which doesn’t recede,
Swelling and crashing,
Leaving behind for others
Something greater than ourselves.

No matter how long or short time is
Let us move with grace,
Give generously without fear,
Dissolve the devils
Dancing in the moonlight
And be the melody that remains.

Copyright © 2025 Charles Edward York
No part of this poem may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any way or form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the author.*