Three Seconds

Three seconds was our time
perhaps a second more if God allows.
Curtains opened to another soul
admittance to the grand show.

One to affirm the mutual link
eye to eye when no qualms
our space is shared as bodies link
this is confirmed by our eyesight.
Moving through the space unduly shared
by other couples on the floor
they vanish in the first second
with only us left here to dance.

Two to find the zero point
with two lives balanced on the edge
of music's grasp and movement's tug
when this life is left far behind.
If I trip I may forever fall
when there were no measure
what came before and is now
the latter is all that matters.

Three to make the unsaid promise
voiced by the eyes and the heart
we'll may leave each other in the now
but we'll remain through the swing.
Monuments may yet be built
to commemorate the high moments
these are but dusty stones
to swing's measure in our lives.

To separate is our harsh task
when eyes break their gaze at long last
through three seconds we could see
the edge of shared eternity.

© 2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20160611.

I was looking for inspiration on Tumblr and found a meme that said “Three seconds doesn’t seem like a long time, but when you’re gazing into someone’s eyes, it’s long enough to make a silent promise”. This reminded me of the three seconds of intimate gazing possible during a contra partner swing. These thoughts led me to write the poem “Three Seconds”.