Betrayed by the Four Gold Tops by James Taylor
I reached out
to touch the bar
where you ordered
your plies and and an entre-chat
to go,
Even took
the overnight bus, five hours,
arrived sleepless in time to watch
the dawn's milk floats rising
to stutter round Victoria.
Some dancers got dry cornflakes,
I didn't care.
stretching all the way from Jarrow
up to Highgate Hill
on your quivering points,
under Dame Nanette's watchful stare,
absently tapping her stick
keeping the line well balanced and still.
I even took
the overnight bus, five hours,
arrived sleepless, in time to watch
dawn's milk floats rising
to stutter round Victoria.
Some dancers got dry cornflakes,
I didn't care.
Finally, we met for lunch,
you were half an hour
late,
we ate platefuls of silence,
I had reached out as far
as I could
but you just weren't there.