Dressing the Dance
By Gwen Knighton
© 2000

Oh, she'll come to you, dressed in her silks and her linens
Her cottons, her ice cream, her smile
Her quickening heartbeat, the flush of her features
Are more than a matter of style
But when you move close to her, she's all awash with scarves
Whirling away from your touch
And over the rustle of silk comes her soft voice: "Unwrap me."
She'll tell you that much

Unwrap her, unwrap her, she's more than her surface,
So slowly the scarves will unwind
Every layer a mystery, legend and history
Dressing the dance of her mind

Oh, she'll come to you, dressed in her fears and her foibles
Her character flaws and her doubts
Her desire to know more of you spars constantly
With her instinct to just shut you out
And when you approach her, she's got all the right words
She'll smile as she plans her reply
And she'll give you sane answers to all of your questions
But the thing she won't tell you is, "Why."

Unwrap her, unwrap her, she's more than her questions
Her levels of doubt will unwind
Every layer a mystery, legend and history
Dressing the dance of her mind

Oh, she'll come to you, dressed in her deepest desires
Her yearnings, her passions, her will
Her dreams laced with darkness, her breathless admissions
Her pulse that seems never to still

She'll tease you with images, hint at the cruelty
That beats the black horse of her heart
Then she'll finally focus, she'll offer her hand
And she'll beg you to tear her apart

Unwrap her, unwrap her, she's thread to unravel
Her will and her wit will unwind
Every layer a mystery, legend and history
Dressing the dance of her mind.

Oh, she'll come to you, dressed in her quiet humility
Lightness and fairness and grace
Her self-understanding, the way she says "thank you,"
The peace and the calm of her face

She'll kiss you for hours, she'll pray in her small way
And though she still may not explain
She will lie there beside you and soft as a whisper
She'll tell you, "Unwrap me again."

Unwrap her, unwrap her, she's yours for the taking
The ribbons and bows will unwind
Every layer a mystery, legend and history
Dressing the dance of her mind.

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