Dance Steps

By John I. Blair

Once I skipped down stairs,
Right foot, left foot, kicking
Out alternately, a little dance
To celebrate my body, my
Agility and grace.

Now, five decades thence,
I stop,
Grasp the handrail
And take each step
Carefully, with thought.

The stairs
Are all the same
But I am not;
My capriccio’s forgot;
My cautious years are here.

But still I think the view
Looks just as fine
Or finer
In my adagio descent
As when I danced the stairs.

©2007 John I. Blair