In moments of quiet solitude
she pondered, oft aloud,
reminiscing about a brighter time,
the dazzling lights, an awestruck crowd
About those several years and more
that she had given her soul and heart,
surrendering all she ever had
to her life's pursuit, her art
How vibrant her youth had been,
before a shadow age had cast
and the dancer that she once was
had become a memory of the past
Now her tranquil eyes concealed
remembrance of the bygone years
letting go of the mask only when
they welled with those tell-tale tears
The once strong and elegant frame
was now feeble and fragile
but the wrinkled countenance could not hide
the radiance of an eternal smile
Then one day, she heard yet again
the cadence of that familiar beat
the sound that had at one time been
the language of her adept feet
Slowly she rose in submission
knowing this was her only chance
and performed for the very last time
what became her final dance.