This is Why I Danced Today
when I woke up this morning
my lungs were full of new air
my eyes were able to see
my ears heard and my hands
were able to seize the moment
and this is why I danced today
my coffee was bold and hot
and every time I poured a
new cup and went to grab
the almond milk I saw that
my fridge was two thirds full
and this is why I danced today
Mingus played heavenly jazz
made for sinners despite being
dead for over forty years and
the morning poems of great poets
filled my heart with flowers
and this is why I danced today
my checking account was
on the positive side of zero
I had not a single need unmet
and I couldn’t think of anything
that I wanted right now
and this is why I danced today
my children were healthy and I
was loved by lovers, beloved
by my friends and my communities,
my email and instant messages
held more love than I could receive
and this is why I danced today
when I went to run errands my
heart turned the song of myself
up to eleven and my head bopped
my face smiled and I floated from
a happy no one else could see
and this is why I danced today
when the evening faded into night
I remembered to take my meds
and sing my wishes into the black
sky and my conscience was clear
like a spaceship ready for lift-off
and this is why I danced today
this is why I danced today
Dan Denton is a lifetime blue collar worker and union man that is bipolar and 19 years California sober. His poetry has won awards, his short fiction has been nominated for awards, and his novels have been praised and published in multiple countries. His work has often appeared in Toledo Streets Newspaper, a paper that benefits the homeless, and he’s proud to have been voted the best writer in his city, Toledo.
