POEM: Mother

Ballet, tap, acrobatics —
the three R’s of
my childhood
after school practice
encouraged by my mother,
the former dancer.
Each week I would
go through my paces
in class
returning home to
repeat steps and positions
for my mother’s critique.
She always found
an improvement to
the teacher’s instruction
to shape me into
a more graceful ballerina
and rhythmic tapper.
Yet, I was not the willowy
light-footed dancer
aspiring to
perform on stage.
I was merely the child
enjoying the pulse of music,
camaraderie of friends
gliding along the smooth
floor in class,
while mother danced
alone at home awaiting
my return to share
this dancing pleasure.