The Doomed Dancer

By Erin Costello, 15, Florida

Skin draped over stark bone,

Twisting and turning alone.

A lone dancer, an abandoned stage,

Their gazes trap her like a cage

She spins and skates, bends and breaks,

She cannot make one mistake.

Beating stage lights press upon,

And though the symphony is gone,

Violins and pianos clash to broken chords.

An instrumental crash, discord—

Forces the dancer faster again,

The audience stares, soulless then.

Her elegant body contorts to the tune,

Of an eerie, off-key bassoon.

Her neck snaps from side to side

As she prances the stage, wide.

A plastered smile strains her face,

Tears streak her face and trace,

The deep cracks in her façade.

She breaks.

Crashing to the floor, she shakes,

The audience files quietly out,

Not a single clap nor shout.

And they do not see how,

She attempts her final–fatal–bow.

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I wrote this along with the song “Rain, in your black eyes,” by Ezio Bosso. The poem describes my inner desperation to be seen and keep the attention of others.

Instagram: @erinspoet

Photo by Sergei Gavrilov