what it is to dance around the fire

let’s dance around this fire,
let’s pretend like we don’t know what’s going on,
and let’s dance like natives worshiping their elemental god.
let’s dance closer, and closer, to this fire,
let’s pretend like we forgot the sting of flame,
and let’s get closer to the heat we want to remember. […]

what it is to dance around the fire

let’s dance around this fire,
let’s pretend like we don’t know what’s going on,
and let’s dance like natives worshiping their elemental god.
let’s dance closer, and closer, to this fire,
let’s pretend like we forgot the sting of flame,
and let’s get closer to the heat we want to remember.

…you dance like you afraid,
like somewhere, someone, is watching, judging,
like your every liberated move is an act of blasphemy. 
instead, dance like you are emboldened,
like right now, right here, you’re here, (much more than) merely being,
and like the only eyes on you that matter,
are these that frame you dancing, simply because 
you’re happy to be right here, (no less than) wondrously living.

this fire, this moment, is frozen in time
and melting in space, 
before we can barely blink, ashes will replace embers,
our imitation memories will replace our tangible joys.
so for right now, (and for the only now that matters,)
let’s do our best not to blink as much,
and let’s dance, let’s dance like the 
world around us is crumbling down,
(…because it is…)
and that the only thing that can save us,
is our passion that burns brighter, 
the closer, and closer, we dance around the fire. 

1.2.14
M. L. Michael 

 



About…

Don’t You Dare Think Despair

Imagine –
in the midst of the ink of Oblivion,
floats a lone candle – a solitary flame
.
Does it flicker, in despair,
or does it dance, out of defiance?

Don’t You Dare Think Despair 


Imagine –
in the midst of the ink of Oblivion, 
floats a lone candle – a solitary flame.
Does it flicker, in despair,
or does it dance, out of defiance? 

 06/25/12
M. L. Michael

About…

you begin with a beat…

There are times I come home,
after a long day of being out, dealing with the unreasonable,
dealing with the twitchy, the glitchy, the software-screwed society,
There are these times that I come home –
and it’s all I can do but turn up the music,
…and dance like some damned fool
[…whose clothes apparently appear to be invisibly on fire…] […]

You Begin With A Beat…
You Dance[Live] For Yourself…

There are times I come home,
after a long day of being out, dealing with the unreasonable,
dealing with the twitchy, the glitchy, the software-screwed society,
There are these times that I come home –
and it’s all I can do but turn up the music,
…and dance like some damned fool 
[…whose clothes apparently appear to be invisibly on fire…]

There’s never an audience. (it never matters if there is an audience.)
Dancing is an exercise mimicking the art of living, the art of loving, 
of shaping your body to sync with another beat…
a beat we’re all lovingly familiar with -
it’s the first beat we ever recognize, the beat of our mother’s heart… 

….

And although I had my performance bug bitten
from the most ridiculous-circus act-break dances
during a talent-show of my grade-school peers and their parents - 
I, gratefully, never made the, seemingly inevitable connection and conclusion.
That there was this: the exhilaration that comes from my dancing and feeling alive,
And there was that: these groups of eyes examining me and my every jesterous jive…

I am thankful there was no clique of raving-hipsters leaning against the walls, 
mocking my spasmodic interpretations as a type of iconic, ironic, joke..
And I am grateful there was no panel of “Reality Show Judges”, 
shaking their heads at this hopeless kid, flipping and wriggling, 
like a little worm hopped up on Ritalin, 
(…he’s just thrilled to be off the hook…) 

I am indebted to all the people never judging what they knew was all for fun,
Because they could have killed, via a slow drip of self fulfilling self destruction, 
at my love for one of life’s greatest interactions…

…..

…There are times I come home,
after an almost endless day of computers, customers, and chaos,
when I can feel the tension of my wired back, winding ever tighter.
These are the times that I turn out all but the strobing neon lights
and turn the music up to a soothing pounding, 
…I give the music a moment to recharge my batteries…

Then I start my dancing, and I begin my unwinding… 

I dance, and I unwind… 
I dance, and I unwind…

…and there is never any applause…

(…unless you count my rapidly beating heart,
exclaiming: “bravo! bravo! encore! encore!”)

M. L. Michael 
/02/28/11

About…

A Light show

remember the raver with the lights?
with the glow-sticks they juggled through their fingers?
you saw them standing in front of hypnotized ravers,
waving and spinning their sticks around awed eyes,
in perfect sync with the pounding-beat, the grooving-melody.[…]

A Light Show
/remembering the raver/

remember the raver with the lights?
with the glow-sticks they juggled through their fingers?
you saw them standing in front of hypnotized ravers,
waving and spinning their sticks around awed eyes,
in perfect sync with the pounding-beat, the grooving-melody.
…
you remember wondering, what the hell are they on?
and when that eight minute song ended, 
the hypnotized party smiled deeply; 
they exchanged unheard appreciations,
and went their separate ways.
…
you followed glow-sticks to a water cooler.
you sat down as they drank their water
and offered a compliment about their performance;
and because you were more curious than conscious,
you also asked, ‘was that person watching you tripping?’
“probably, I don’t know.” they said. 
‘oh, you don’t know them?’ you asked, 
and with smiling eyes, you added; ‘are you tripping?’ 
they laughed. “no, I’m not. I’m just having a good time”
which made you laugh too, and you said,
‘well - good for you, friend.’

M. L. Michael
-8-29-9-


About…

in honor of…

Serendipity showed me this DJ spinning something sweet,
She called herself The DJ Reverend Kathy Russell.

I called her The Reverend of The Church of Sound.
(with the Church, a Dance Hall, and the Sound, the Meaning)
She’s the Spiritual Leader in this House of Worship,
and…damn, can she get this House Worshipping![…]

In Honor Of…
The DJ Reverend Kathy Russell
(first draft)

Serendipity showed me this DJ spinning something sweet,
She called herself The DJ Reverend Kathy Russell. 
I called her The Reverend of The Church of Sound.
 (with the Church, a Dance Hall, and the Sound, the Meaning)
She’s the Spiritual Leader in this House of Worship,
and…damn, can she get this House Worshipping!
Worshipping by hopping and bopping, plus all kinds of moving.
Not only for the Beats that she doth Preach - 
but for the Shake of her Neon-Soul – her Electric-Shimmy-Grooving. 

             …and …damn, don’t get me started on the way this girl moves,
             when she spins, I think, Fuck! That’s Seductive!
             She’s this Ball of Constant Energy Unwinding – 
             this Kinetic Force, this Radiating Force –
             Forcefully Radiating, her energy becomes 
             a Contagion – where she becomes the Patient Zero - 
             of the virus known as Beat. 
             A virus that spreads indiscriminately throughout the dance-floor, 
             and depending on your tolerance,
             or depending on your susceptibility, 
             will determine its success…
             Yes it is a virus – and she is our Patient Zero…



…No, no, virus is an ugly word to depict something so Beautiful. 
This is Non-Denominational Religion, 
This is Belief in the Sound,
This is Belief in only what is Sound.
And this is a DJ who has earned the title: 
The DJ Reverend Kathy Russell…


M. L. Michael 
6/17/09

About…

Children Dancing

The experience I cannot hinder,
By mere words of explanation.
The beat I cannot resist,
By any form of limitation.

Hungry eyes ravish the lands,

Drinking up the scene
With childlike innocence,
Awed by the caring teen.[…]

Dedicated to Thuy ~for opening my eyes to a beautiful experience~

The experience I cannot hinder,
By mere words of explanation.
The beat I cannot resist,
By any form of limitation.

Hungry eyes ravish the lands,
Drinking up the scene
With childlike innocence,
Awed by the caring teen.

The bastard son of Torment,
Pain reveling inside.
Flashing lights pumping,
Radiating the ache outside.

Head down,
Feet dragging,
Suddenly bombarded by love,
Then healed by their helping.

Despite the troubles,
Regardless of pain,
I let myself go free,
Beat exploding within.

The environment was beautiful,
Joyful tears I willingly weep.
My smile stretched into forever,
As our memories guided my sleep.

M. L. Michael
09·24·01

About…

Written after Houston’s Cyberfest 2001 Rave. I was lucky to experience one of the last big raves before they all became banned.