Cinderella

He catches my gaze from across the room, questioning I shrug; shy and hesitant We drift together, drawn by an invisible thread He wraps his hand gently, carefully around my waist Our fingers entwine, our eyes locking in one frozen instant of bliss He is not quite how I pictured Prince Charming His grin is crooked His steps are clumsy But to me, he is better than any fancy Prince And he makes me feel as though I am his Princess I am special, beautiful, protected This moment, I decide, cannot be real, for it is too perfect It feels like a fantasy, one that ends with the abrupt closing of a page But there is no “Happily ever after” just yet And the blank, unknown white of the pages paralyzes me with fear What if the happy ending I long for does not exist? I do not let myself hope for much, so I may not be disappointed Better to shut my heart tight and let none in But I look in his eyes, and the door opens ever so slightly Allowing my anxieties to swirl out of sight Lost in the melody of the music And now I can dream Even if someday this dance is a shadow of a memory I know it will always be a sweet one My breath catches and my heart races And our eyes meet again with a smile We dance not with form or grace, but with the power of affection And the song in my heart endures long after the music fades Because in the time it took to open the door of my heart and let me dream He makes me feel Like Cinderella