Club Dancer

From our table We drank And laughed Made cutting remarks Each one of us Trying to sound smart. Ordering another round Heavy hands rested on the table Waiting for the night to end. I saw her dancing by herself Others noticed her too Dancing with her eyes closed Looking to nowhere in particular Colored lights played on her skin All the while she danced Precariously Like an angel on top of a pin Moving and moving Ever so gracefully. Some said she was dancing for herself Someone else criticized her dress But there was tenseness in the air As men followed her With a wildness in their eyes. I said she was dancing for herself Spinning and spinning Towards an unthinkable Place in the night The table erupted in laughter And another round was ordered. The night slowly reached its climax Empty glasses littered our table As we fumbled to pay the bill. When I looked up The dance floor was empty Our dancer was gone Somewhere in the night. Struggling, I made my way home Through the empty streets Searching the occasional light Left on In some empty apartment Waiting to welcome a wayward traveler. In the fog of night Her memory Tugged at me And I wondered if she too Had left a light on.