… ‘come …dance with me,’ she said… that was 46 years ago… we were living in Tobermory on the beautiful Scottish Hebridean Island of Mull… I recall it today as if it were only hours ago… have a wee look at the date on this piece I came across in my papers while I was searching for sum’thing else… of course, I danced with her… and in the full fury of teenage indulgence, fell completely under her spell… prob’ly my first ever real immersion in the twin joys of Love and Heartache of youth… then, just as swiftly, she moved out of my life… but I still have this collection of WURDS I penned for her… when I read it again this morning, strangely, across all the decades, it felt good… it felt warm… and it felt right to share it with yeez…
… ‘come… dance with me,’ she said…
THOUGHTS ON A WILD THING
A kindly evening breeze
blows its welcome cool
where damp, perspiring beads
their burning course have run.
Mirrored with mercuric detail,
the coil of tousled hair,
and cheeks,
flushed with fast and furious flurry
reflect happily the history
of a hurly-burly, flinging reel
and the execution quite profound
they called a strip-the-willow.
The same cool air
sends a shiver
through the muffled avenue
of leaf-laden birches
which dance in simulation
to an earlier, pleasing version
that blessed a saintly waltz,
copied by ages through ages,
then by us.
The wind in spasmodic gusts
whips lightly at the branches
and a vision becomes reborn.
Now feel again the polka
dashing fire to the heart.
Thankful breath recalls how,
tempered with these,
the subdued Pride of Erin
rests its stamp.
Still, a daring foxtrot
leaves its poignant memory
to a happy, tired legacy
and another wild thing is dead.
Seumas Gallacher
September 1969
… ‘come… dance with me,’ she said… so, there yeez go…I danced… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!…
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Oh My!!!!!! Lovely…. What times!!!!! When we were young we didn’t think about we will become harmless codgers!!!! hahahahaha
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..indeed, m’Lady, Rosa:)
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The poet’s roots and we never knew it.
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;):):)
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That was a lovely poem. You both must have been good dancers to complete so many different types. 🙂
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..ah, we ALL danced then on the island, m’Lady, Siuzanne 🙂
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i love this poem, seumas!
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…thank you ,m’Lady, Beth… still trying to tempt you to do a Guest Post on my blog,:):)
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Aww….you sentimental thing!!!
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…they tell me it takes a strong man to admit to stuff like this… or a dumb one!! :):)
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Call me sentimental, but old memories of dance bring a wistful tear. This is a wonderful poem, showing lots of movement.
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..thank you, m’Lady, Tess… I was young and full of it back then):)
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Weren’t we all? ⭐
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Lovely indeed. 🙂
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…thanks, m’Lady, Olga 🙂
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Lovely Seumas. May you keep dancing your whole life long!
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..thank you, m’Lady, Noelle… and may you be dancing alongside all the way :):)
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You romantic you.
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….who? Moi? … :):):)
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