Beyond the Beginning

Do the dancing elephants of India
dance naturally or are they trained?
It is certain they are trained.
But there are reports that years later,
in the jungle clearings, when there is
no audience, there the elephants are
dancing in the moonlight.
What about you? You were trained
to love, that much is sure.
But what if you get beyond the beginning
and discover your heart is still bright? 
Do what the aging elephants of India do.
Dance.
 
 
*The phrase – beyond the beginning – refers to the loss of any innocence. This could mean the loss of health, loss of a marriage, loss of a child or parent or friend to death, loss of the easy God…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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4 Comments

  1. Amber C Haines on January 16, 2014 at 2:34 pm

    I’m going to tattoo this on my face.

  2. Kelly Hausknecht Chripczuk on January 16, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    Yes, there’s the dancing before and the dancing after – the same, but not the same.

  3. Diana Trautwein on January 17, 2014 at 3:46 am

    “loss of the easy God. . .” Yeah, Dance.

  4. Peg Richards on January 17, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    “Loss of the easy God” caught my breath. I have 17 pages of favorite John Blase poems. This is one of them. Thank you, John, for sharing so much that is truly beautiful. — Peg

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