I was six when,
in dance class,
I learned the
basic positions
of life, dance, and
decorum.
 
She taught us the story
of Haydn’s surprise
symphony, the needling
of the dozing royalty,
the priming of the
subsequent
aural jitters
 
But the most valuable
lesson: three steps
forward
one step
back
 
And the ease
with which we mastered it,
preparing us for
love, loss, and
all the
in-betweens


© by Katrin Talbot.
Used with the author's permission.