en pointe

toes chafe

breath shakes

back straight

shoulders ache

arms float like fairy wings -

be strong as steel, look soft as lace

first half,

doing great

even though

the smile is fake

by now you should be friends with pain -

go on, those legs will not give way

but muscles hurt

...I think they might.

blisters burst.

bloody tights.

there comes a point when body beats mind -

the music scoffs and leaves you behind

that’s why we must practice

before we can fly.

we’ll get it, they tell us,

on our hundredth try

repeat from the top! stand up! on your feet!

slouching is lazy! the floor’s not your seat!

oh well.

back to jumps, turns, extensions, and rises

whilst bearing the pain of foot torture devices