The Thief at the Ball

A warm and reassuring smile

I gratefully receive from him

As he leads me onto the floor

For my dance with Happiness.

 

When the music begins,

He swings me gently

And I twirl gracefully

In my dance with Happiness.

 

Breathless with glee,

I laugh as I glide

With mirth by my side

As I dance with Happiness.

 

The music is flowing

And the lights are glowing.

Giving off the right mood

For my dance with Happiness.

 

I am ridiculously giddy

And I am so content

To stay in his protecting arms

Forever in my dance with Happiness.

 

But suddenly, a black figure

Bursts through the doors of the ballroom.

The music freezes, breaths are held,

Interrupting my dance with Happiness.

 

The glorious room darkens

With every step he makes.

He heads straight for me

To wreck my dance with Happiness.

 

Finally he reaches me

And forcefully wrests me away.

I resist with equal force

So I can keep my dance with Happiness.

 

However, he is much stronger

And I find myself torn away,

Crying, begging, and reaching out

For my dance with Happiness.

 

Now I am weighed down by chains

As the past mournfully calls to me.

For the black man cruelly reminds me 

Of my lost dance with Happiness.

 

Tears fall down my sunken face

As I can only remember,

And never, ever return to

My last dance with Happiness...

Reviews

[secret writer]

No, I like the repetition. It keeps the poem focused, and brings the reader back to the main point. I think it's beautiful, and it reminds me slightly of Poe, as in the repetition part. Remember our parodies?
Anyway, I loved it, and I thought that it was strangely desperate, and innocent at the same time. Seems sad, yet happy at the same time. Vey nice. Want to write another one?

[Deepshikha]

The repetition really works here, and I totally agree with Sister Achoo down there. It's slightly detached, though.

[Jinan]

Is the repetition dumb? If so, what else can I do?