Best Dance Hall Poems
Knotted in the Dance
Our eyes in a silent promise locked,
the way only stranger's can.
Perhaps foretelling of lover's, unfrocked,
langoured and breathless ran.
You, I think, blushed in surprise,
though I really don't remember.
For I, like a thief rushed window pried,
saw only endless splendor.
Your face laying against my chest explored,
and traced the furrow'd line.
Though indifferent to that wound ignored,
the scar I tried to hide.
You, now with arms around my neck entwined,
my hands, the master of your curved hips.
Knew how with charms, bound to defect, divined,
to lands where time stands unperturbed in eclipse.
Few hovered the hall that night as we,
caught in love's magical trance.
Two lover's enthralled in flight shall be,
forever knotted in the dance.
Away in a dance hall
No dance for me yet
Then I saw you sat there
And broke out in sweat.
I walked up and asked you
Would you care to dance
Your face was a picture
You said not a chance.
My dream had departed
I felt such a fool
But my momma told me
Go fish in the pool.
Never make the first move
My papa did say
Stay sweet and delightful
Till love comes your way.
So I’ll wait patiently
With a smile and song
Whilst hoping and praying
My prince comes along.
I'm standing here in limbo as
I see him wander in.
That no townsman has warned him
is truly a mortal sin.
He slides up to the bar and
takes a curious look around.
He orders a shot of whiskey.
No one else has made a sound.
The barman just ignores him
as he has the others here,
and keeps on mopping up the bar
as I try to wipe a tear.
I still have strong emotions
with no way to express them.
I don't know about the others.
They all look like wooden chess men.
When that dying gunman hexed us
with that evil, malevolent curse,
he didn't doom us all to death's call
but with something even worse.
He said we'd stay almost forever,
exactly as we were right then,
until some day, some one would free us.
But he didn't tell us when.
I'm a dance hall girl who hasn't danced
for lo these many years.
I just stay as frightened as I was then
as I try to wipe my tears.
I see the stranger stiffen
as he searches for some cash.
He'll reach for it forever.
The spell has hit him in a flash.
So I know he's not the one
who can break the wicked spell.
We'll keep doing what we're doing,
but I guess its just as well.
For the only one who'll walk out
of this doomed saloon alive,
is the hombre who can break the spell
that keeps us in this dive.
When the spell has been broken
we will all be turned to dust,
and be blown to Earth's corners
with the wind's first heavy gust.
For town of Rotgut contest.
My “Dance Hall Days”, now decades past
Were full of fun and Disco glory
A song or two bring memories cast
Yet only skim the perfect story
The whimsy of youth directed the course
The quest for love was its driver
A powerful need, an unstoppable force
And through it all, a survivor
Yet woven through those days imbued
With flashbacks of dance floors and love on the run
There is more than what I thought I knew
Thoughts flowing in, restraints undone
I've got a tiger by the tail
Its plain to see came a Buck Owens wail
From the jukebox hidden near the bar
In a West Texas dance hall far
Away on a farm-to-market road
Near a cotton bale load
Hammer man tuned the piano, sunlight gave way to moon
Barmaid dried the glasses, as twilight settled around the Texas Spoon
A Post cowboy and a Hale Center mill man
Rushed inside to find a spit can
Near the stage where Marcia Ball
Soon filled the dance hall
With girls swinging to the ivory
In a bluesy stomp-rock of zydeco finery
Hammer man tuned the piano, sunlight gave way to moon
Barmaid dried the glasses, as twilight settled around the Texas Spoon
The cowboy danced with a petite fireball
Grabbed her by the waist and kissed the doll
She smiled, drew closer, then ran away
Into the night air in a swirl of grey
A smoke cloud escaped out the front door
As the barrel racer looked back at her suitor
Hammer man tuned the piano, sunlight gave way to moon
Barmaid dried the glasses, as twilight settled around the Texas Spoon
Drunk and laughing he followed
Slapping his buddy desperado
Steadying his hand on friends shoulder
Stumbling on the wooden dance floor
Reaching the dusty parking lot to find her gone.
Bouncing away in a PowerStroke half-ton
Hammer man tuned the piano, sunlight gave way to moon
Barmaid dried the glasses, as twilight settled around the Texas Spoon
He tipped his hat back, swayed over the loam
The girl he knew would be home
With a shower, steak, eggs, coffee and biscuits
To sober him up for the next day of excess.
after it was over
we were party clover
got to the beat
it was danceing feet
to win we met many friends
we had a ball
it was
ELECTION
DANCE HALL
Away in the dance hall
no partner in tow.
I had it in my mind
to put on a show.
But with my two left feet
trouble lay in store.
Attempting the tango
I cleared half the floor.
Most of the ladies there
just gave me a glance.
When asking for a waltz
they cried not a chance.
Until a young lady
at last caught my eye.
I asked her for a dance
she seemed kind of shy.
But alas just like me
she had two left feet.
So parted company
in time to the beat.
She was all decked out in petticoats plus.
Tried to get on the stage with us.
But we pushed her out onto her rear.
No fancy women allowed in here.
Our men laughed at our evil action.
But we did not care. Gave us satisfaction.
The good book helps us be mean to these kind.
What would Jesus do? Let’s never mind.