Dance With Me, Daddy [An Original Poem by Me]

A curly-haired girl in twirling skirts

Dancing around the room

Her mother’s pearls around her neck

She trips in her high-heeled shoes

A lilting laugh met with hearty grin

Her father takes her in his arms

He spins with her around the house

His little girl with all her charm

“Dance with me, Daddy, I’m only four;

You’ll have me for years to come.

I’ll be your darling, your princess, your world

While we wait for my Prince to come.”

Sixteen years old with freckled skin

Sitting in front of the mirror fair

Her grandmother’s bracelet around her wrist

She pins up her auburn hair

A timid smile met with nostalgic eyes

Her father pulls her into an embrace

He waltzes with her around the room

While they wait on her prom date

“Dance with me, Daddy, I’m leaving you fast;

Just look at how much I’ve grown.

But I’ll still be your darling, your princess, your world,

While we wait for my Prince to come.”

Somber blue eyes with smudged mascara

Tears stain her cheeks and hands

Her grandpa’s blanket swaddling her form

She tries her best to understand

A broken heart met with loving arms

Her father pulls her up from the floor

He gently sways her in the comfort of silence

He knows how she hurts and more

“Dance with me, Daddy, I’m torn all apart,

And all I can think to do is run.

I may still be your darling, your princess, your world,

But I really thought he was the one.”

Softly he rocks her, his dear baby girl,

He pushes her hair behind her ears.

His t-shirt marked with his daughter’s pain

His shoulder wet with her tears.

A loving visage looks on sorrowful face

It hurts him to see her this way

And knowing inside what all fathers feel

He takes this chance to say,

“I’ll dance with you, angel, my sweet little girl,

I’ll never let you go.

You’ll forever be my darling, my princess, my world,

And I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

A grown-up beauty in snowy white

Her smile lights up the room

Her mother’s pearls around her neck

She slides on her high-heeled shoes

A radiant face met with teary eyes

Her father wraps her in a hug

She kisses his cheek and wraps her arms round his neck,

Her father, whom she loves

“Dance with me, Daddy, before you give me away,

To my Prince who you know loves me true.

But know that I’m still your darling, your princess, your world,

And know that I’ll always love you.”

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie