Short Stories

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LAST DANCE

Today was one of those gorgeous fall days with breathtaking beauty everywhere. The cloudless sky was bathed in a rich shade of blue, and the fall foliage on every tree was bursting with multi-color brilliance. With no breeze to disrupt the stillness, the day was a picture of perfection. I quickly stepped out onto the backyard deck to enjoy the serenity of the moment.

Once outside I quickly became aware of unusual activity taking place high up in the lofty tree branches. This will sound crazy, but I was almost certain I could hear tiny voices emerging from somewhere within the tree’s upper canopy. Seeing nothing, but focusing my ears toward the sounds, I believe I heard several of the words being spoken.

“Okay, it’s your turn. C’mon, you can do this. Let yourself go. The world is watching and waiting.”

“Yeah, I know. I can’t hold on any longer. Please don’t push me. I’ll do it now.”

A few seconds later I saw a curtain of the world’s stage rise up before me revealing a slender, agile actor immaculately clothed from stem to tip in striking hues of yellow gold, crimson, and rusty beige...all blended together with subtle shades of green. A dance masterpiece performed by a lone actor using a unique, free-style technique had just begun. Although the dance had never been rehearsed, it proceeded with precision, grace, and beauty as if accompanied by a world-class orchestra.

During the opening seconds of the performance, the actor began to slowly weave bodily toward center stage where he began soaring to-and-fro while appearing to defy gravity much like an eagle in flight. Then, his supple frame began to seemingly twist in a fashion that would make Chubby Checker proud, but it soon reverted back to a smooth, graceful motion again. However, that lazy, fluid-like movement quickly transformed into a brief display of dizzying, spinning, twirls and loops.

As a grand finale to the dance exhibition, the actor did a couple of well orchestrated back flips along with intermittent shimmy and shake moves. Then, as he floated near to the exit, he simply fluttered from side to side as if waving good-by to all who might be there enjoying his final performance. And, it certainly was a spectacular sight to witness from my front row vantage point!

His last dance ended when he glided softly into an assemblage of other cheering actors that had gone on earlier to complete their last performance. All had been patiently waiting for him on the stage floor. Although an encore would have been delightful, many more dancers would surely follow before the stage curtain closed for the season.

Then, after the last dance is finished, the fall clean-up crews would surely arrive with their leaf rakes in hand.

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