Old Dancing Girls

They congregate at the side of the stage  
in the two thousand seat venue  
dancing   
without a care  
 
There are too many cares in the world  
Los Angeles incinerating  
Blizzards in Florida  
An unhinged, dangerous president  
Hundreds more I could list  
 
Thousands  
 
The old dancing girls have divorces  
Double digit dress sizes  
Wrinkles  
Financial problems  
Arthritis  
Cancer remissions  
Cancer recurrences  
 
One lost her beloved 90-year-old mother  
two months ago  
Followed by the unexpected death  
of her adored cat companion of 14 and a half years  
just two nights before  
And that's why she got up and joined them  
the old dancing girls  
Becoming one of them.  
 
They dance to Whole Lotta Love  
Misty Mountain Hop  
Kashmir  
as laser lights descend in banks of reds and greens  
as the great Zeppelin tribute band  
in their mid-fifties  
rock on  
as LA smolders  
as horrors worsen  
as miracles occur.  
 
The old dancing girls  
have thickened middles  
Teeth that aren't snowy white  
Scars  
Back problems  
Injuries  
Age spots  
Sparkling eyes  
Joyous smiles  
Celebratory dance moves  
 
And they  
(we)    
are beautiful.