Together they stopped, setting bottle of wine on the rail
she said “don’t let me fall” as she danced in the moonlight,
hair spinning, her feet flew and her body turned without fail
and without pause she raised her arms to the stars out of sight.
Performing the sacred ritual of dance, her eyes were bright,
swollen with the moon. Her sunflower sat on weathered wood,
petals lost to darkness, foretelling tears to fall that night,
but she danced as I held her, pulled her close as I could
so that she couldn’t see the troll under the bridge. It would
not be allowed to harm her, she would not become his prey.
His world was of darkness and she was absolute good,
mind clear of such thoughts and notions, spirit light as day.
Yet, as I shielded her from him and she danced full of mirth,
I waited to collect fallen petals and return to the earth.
Sweet wine and soft lips
