Crowded streets awaken,
Coffee cups clutch tight,
Shoes tap a morning rhythm.
Rush hour, red lights
Glare down, impatient.
A sea of faces waits.
Greenlight, then a surge,
Let’s go!” the crowd exhales,
Pushing, never touching,
Horns a symphony
Metal snakes inch forward.
Wide chorus line forms,
Moving to the beat,
The subway doors hiss open.
Bustling atmosphere,
Shoulders brush, a glance,
Words lost in the murmur.
Serious or smiling,
Eyes locked on glowing screens,
Lost in private worlds.
Arms jostle for space,
The air, thick with exhaust,
The city hums its song.
Yellow light’s slow brake,
Another wave arrives,
The crowded street churns on.
equidistance is hard to achieve
yet Rockettes did it for decades with ease
in matching outfits, each one was a star
kicking those legs up extremely far
with huge headdresses on their heads
dressed in blues, pinks, yellows and reds
a fabulous show every single time
mind-blowing beautiful dancing chorus line
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cracks map forgotten rivers: tar-black seams~
occasionally, one splits into a canyon.
hot asphalt breathes tar-scented hymns
while bus brakes screech the chorus line.
pigeon’s sudden backheel scatters scraps.
ants haul crumbs like miniature sherpas.
a dropped coin rolls, gutter bound.
discarded receipt whirls, a brief and weightless ghost.
above, glass giants hold the sky’s reflection—
my eyes stay earthbound, counting
the braille of footsteps left behind.
my shadow stretches, thin as doubt at noon.
here, gravity feels optional.
I walk. I ponder.
Barely old enough to be in this place
Urban-savvy, aware, not overly friendly
Reasonably pretty, ravishing in some ways
Life has given her hard choices
Enthusiastic in the chorus line
She would love to be the headliner
Queen Dee would have much to say about this
Understudies here have horrible accidents
Expect no one to be honest about this
Quiet weep
This inspiring song strongly reinforces our global beliefs, originating from the depths of Africa. The chorus has gained considerable popularity online. While some may argue that it is more radical than spiritual, I respectfully disagree. It resonates deeply with those who hold these beliefs
“No turning back” comes with a lot of meaning, behind this chorus line
I know of a lot of Genz who do believe in religion
But to see how they react to the chorus “I have decided to follow Jesus
Make us believe that we can conquer the devil.
They took up, they crossed and followed thee
Was it the beat in the songs or the lyrics that inspired so many
Of them to get up and dance along?
As poets, we might refer to this as zigging and zagging,
As Genz will probably say, free up your minds
I would say trust the song, not the singer
Distressing without demonstrating.
Camping without thinking,
Moving gracefully without political approvals
Let them see the youth at their best.
And more things as the Caribbean would
They come to play. No turning back
I think I am nineteen some days, twelve others.
Seventy is no biggie, but if I had my druthers…
I would not have arthritis in both of my knees.
I tell my daughters to grab everything that they sees.
With gusto and enthusiasm for they may fall apart.
They think I am kidding, but being seventy is an art.
Keep your positivity and do something fun every day.
Who knows how long you have to be merry and gay.
The trick is to live ever moment with pizzazz.
dance in the chorus line of life with razz-a-ma-tazz.
dogs danced the dance
dressed as if in France
with mustard bras
legs gave me pause
did I have a chance?
A fork I did pick up
thinking I might sup
on this chorus line
fancy and fine
procuring winners cup
Cats
the longest running musical on Broadway
the one that knocked A Chorus Line out of first place
After it had been the King of the Musicals for a long time
Cats
a musical my husband thought was boring
He walked out of it before the second act
Cats
a musical I always wanted to see
I watched for fifteen minutes on TV
before I also walked out
Witness the folly of the yammering crowd
Those that speak smugly and those that speak loud
Spitting out syllables the live long day
With nothing to show and nothing to say
A chorus line of mechanical mouths
A bevy of bores from the north to the south
Wherever you go they're standing beside us
Let's pray that they all catch laryngitis
Merry was the prettiest M that ever could be
She was swirly and floral, a gorgeous sight to see
We tried to compliment her, but she did not hear
She was unassuming and modest, a melodious dear
She could carry a tune, marvelously melodic and fine.
Many merrymaking suiters stood next to her in a chorus line.
Each wanted attention, because Merry was totally lovely.
She was truly the prettiest M that ever could be.
Have I done enough good
to offset the bad
have I delivered enough performances
that were deemed acceptable
to place in the chorus-line
my performances that were not
or
are my disappointing performances
out there centre-stage
whilst those that were pleasing
perform a bit part
a supporting role
unnoticed and unremembered
part of the scenery
a piece of the backdrop
against which my disappointments
powerfully present
well-remembered
indelibly definitive
give a command performance
have I become type-cast
rendered immutable
do I need to re-think my character
review my lines
change my costume
re-invent myself
or
do I become less of the harsh critic
the unflinching detractor
and give myself a break
go a little easy
allow what is me
to just be
am I faced with a conundrum
or
is the whole shebang
not a mystery
something be solved
but purely
just part of the magic of being alive.
the snazziest boots ever arrived by Prime delivery today
The lid flew off the box, and the boots yelled out “hey! hey!”
They line danced around the kitchen, clomping up my floor.
My husband came to see them and yelled “forevermore!”
“Where did you get these boots?” he asked, scared of them he was.
I truly did not know but they were stomping now like FBI fuzz.
I took a peek at the address, and guess what? They were not mine.
They were now doing a kick that rivaled any chorus line.
They belong one street over, I said, but I wonder what size they are.
You are not keeping them surely! My husband yelled from afar.
I am thinking about it I admitted as they threw themselves against a wall.
These boots were a party waiting to happen, so loud and proud and tall.
Froggy bottom chorus line was jazzy and smart
They obeyed with rhythm, they bogeyed with heart
They brought their dance routine to a whole new art
Choreography of their steps, courtesy of leader, McLart
This boggy chorus line danced nearly off the chart
Every one of them, even smart little missy Tart.
I was mesmerized said my dour cousin Bill Bart.
Best of all was when the whole line began to belch and fart.
Scaring flies who did not know which way to dart
Dot to Dot
. 2 . Point to point
Painting life by the numbers
A moving chorus line of choice
Random patterns spurned
Unbroken pointillism paints a soul’s portrait
In shades of shadows and sunlight
. 2 . Day to day
In a sanctuary of measured stillness
Sunset and sunrise on a calculated thread
Sun and moon follow precise lines of gavotte
Like a moving celestial stairway
The pilgrimage of each morning and each night
. 2 . Mile by mile
Plumb line for restless steps
Stepping stones of revelation
Crossing over potholes of quick sand
Passing detours of indiscretion
Wisdom’s oasis marks each passage
. 2 . Note by note
Winsome, plaintive, joyful melody line
Rises from the deep eternal’s depths
That reads each note as written
One voicing after the other
The song of each life stitched together
. 2 . Line by line
Stars joined with silk filaments
Sweet ambrosia of constellations
Fiery guardians in strings of astral confetti
When north stars and southern crosses
Make paths through our tangled valleys
12-20-22
Contest: Dot to Dot
Sponsor: Kim Rodrigues
Marlene Dietrich was Berlin-born, but she despised the Nazis.
She studied violin, theater and poetry.
Her dreams of being a concert pianist was over when she injured her wrist.
She got her start on the stage in a chorus line.
Paramount pictures wanted her, so they wooed her.
Gave her a green Rolls-Royce Phantom II, in 1930.
She was known in the USA as a mysterious femme fatale.
She played several rolls as a cabaret singer.
German’s Nazi party offered her a lucrative contract.
They wanted her to return to Berlin and star in Nazi productions.
Marlene refused their offer and began selling war bonds.
Her $450,000 salary went into escrow to help Jews and dissidents escape Europe.
She was vocal about her beliefs, standing up for integrity.
She knew what was happening in Europe was wrong.
Few women are as brave, vocal or beautiful as Marlene Dietrich.
Many owe their ancestors’ lives to her.
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.