THE LAST DANCE

The years had past by like a kitten on the winters snow, it left it's paw prints on her soul. She sat alone on her porch as the southern breeze blew, making her long hair dance around her. No longer was it dark like the North Dakota coal, but with age it had finally turned to a soft white which only enhanced her grace and beauty. She sat and closed her eyes and like so many times, she drifted back in time. Sweeping her back to a time in her life that she couldn't still to this day forget. Her heart still raced when she thought of him. He was always there, she could still feel him. She knew he was alive, but she had lost contact with him over the many years. You must be a hoot around the holidays. It was the first words he had spoken to her. Well he didn't speak them, he wrote them to her. But she still remembered them. Her hands caressed a memory book he had made for her so many years ago. The cover was frayed and tattered. The pictures were yellowed with age but the smiles where ageless and priceless. She could cite each and ever poem that was written in that book. How he had touched her in such a special way. No man had ever seen so deep within her soul like he had. His words made her heart come alive and still to this day they had a way of making her feel his love. Her mind was a whirl now as she could feel him even though it had been many many years since she last touched his lips with hers. He had such a touch, it was like being caressed by angels. When he was around the air was crisper, the sun shinned brighter, his love was intoxicating. Slowly she whispered, "Jack, where are you my love." She could remember so much about him. How it felt the day she left him and how she kept hoping to hear from him. The days went by and she tried to cope with it. Months past and she kept the faith that soon he would come for her, but he never did. Her chair creek as she shifted her weight and closed her eyes. His eyes burned within her soul. He made her feel like she had never felt. His love was so pure, yet so simple. He had a way of making her feel like she was a goddess. He's touch was....love. She could never explain it, she had tried for many years to explain it but all she could say was....love. Why had she done what she had. She wished so bad so many times that she could turn back the hands of time. She would have done things differently if she could. They would be together.Then she would have never had to live with all these years wondering,"what if". She never knew a person could miss someone so completely like she missed him. It didn't matter what she had done through that time he was always a part of her day. The clouds gathered as the sadness encompassed her. The fall leaves dropped from their perch and meandered to their resting place. The leaf covered ground looked like a quilt with it's patches of color. She had moved from the north about 10 years back trying to get away from the cold that she never got use too. Her wrinkled hands turned the pages of the memory book. With gentleness she caressed each and every page. Her fingers ran over the pictures and the memories flashed with brilliance in your still youthful mind. She touched the bracelet on her wrist that he had given to her on one of his many visits to her. She looked up from the trance that imposed her and took the glasses from her eyes as once again a tear streamed down her face. Her heart still ached with such an emptiness. For all these years she had walked around with an emptiness within her. She had fought it, tried to pretend she was happy but she was the only one who really knew the true sadness that was buried within her. She could hear his laugh. Ha Ha Ha, what a laugh he had. It had a way of making her smile like she never knew possible. She glanced down at the photos and there were the smiles of two young lovers. He was her lover for eternity. She could still feel the love that dwelt within her when they had been one. "Jack", she whispered. She closed her eyes and wish that he could feel what she was feeling at that moment. How many times had she done that throughout the years. She would sometimes think of him so hard hoping he could feel her. They were soul mates, so she knew without a doubt that sometimes no matter how far he was from her he could feel her. For there were times when she felt him. There were times that in the middle of the night she would wake and lay there, starring off into the darkness and she could feel him thinking of her. Just like now she could feel him thinking about her. It was almost as if they were together at those moments. It didn't matter where she was when it happen, be it in the bank, or in the grocery store it always felt the same. She would stop in her tracks and savor the moments. And as it would subside there would always be a heartfelt smile left in it's wake. Even though she was old now, she longed to be with him. Could it be possible that they still could be lovers even though they were to old, both of them, to even do such acts. Was it possible to touch someone as they had years ago still at this age. She could feel his caress still to that day how he made her feel so loved. The way he would look at her always made her feel so wanted and needed. The tears continued to flow from her eyes and she looked at the pictures. With trembling hands she raised the memory book and placed a kiss on his youthful face. A smile framed her lovely face as she could feel him close to her. The leaves pranced and danced there way across her yard. Without a warning one single leaf bounded free and tip toed across her porch. She watched as it meandered freely from one end of the porch and skirted across to the other side. With a wisk it was lifted high into the sky. Twirling and dancing it flew high up in the air. The hand of the wind carried it high in the graying sky. From up above the leaf had a birds eye view of the town that laid below it. It floated freely as the wind carried it to it's destination. Softly it landed only a few blocks from where it had started its journey. It skipped and hopped till it braced its self up against the rocker of a older gentlemen as he rocked back and forth. The older gentlemen stopped rocking, he slowly bent down and picked up the brightly color leaf. What a beautiful leaf you are, he thought. He touched it with his wrinkled fingers and he stopped and pondered for a minute. Such beauty in something so simple he thought. Just like the women that still owned the key to his heart. He sighed, and slowly he closed his eyes and started to rock again. She was a thing of beauty. He had never seen someone so beautiful as her. It had been many, many years since he saw her but still her loveliness was blazed within his minds eye. He had once been an artist so he remembered ever little detail about her. The beauty of her smile and the way her freckles had highlighted her face. Her eyes were filled with so much joy and he would find himself getting lost in their trance. So many times he would just sit there and look at her not saying a word, only a smile on his face would say it all. "Rose, where are you my love?" he whispered. He missed her so. She was the women of his dreams, he had never known such beauty. It was not only the outer beauty that held him in awe but it was the beauty of her inner soul that captivated him still to this day. Even though it had been many years since he saw her, still to this day she owned his heart and soul. Age had come to him in so many ways but it was his mind that was still as sharp as it had been when he was young and youthful. He often would dream about her, the things that they did. Their time had been brief, but oh my the times that they had were ones of wonderment and of pure joy. The old man continued to rock. His eyes were fixed upon the leaf but his stair blazed past the leaf like it wasn't even there. He could see her. There were even times when he could smell how wonderful she had smelled. God she was so beautiful, she had such a grace and style about her that still with all the years continued to leave him in awe. He couldn't even begin to put it into words, even though he had tried so many times over the years. A tear began to well up in the corner of the mans eye. It made it's presents known and then leap from it's hiding place and made it's way down his wrinkled and tired face. The wrinkles on his face where likes lines in a book each one of them told of a story and so many of them had been with her. Even though he was not with her in flesh, he was with her in spirit. There hadn't been a day gone by that he hadn't thought about her. He had kept to his promise he had given her so many years ago. He had never remarried and he had never been with another women. He had never lost the love for her. It still burned just as bright as the last time they saw each other and had told each other they loved one another so much. She was truly the love of his life and it sorrowed him so to know he had lost her. Why, still to this day he often pondered why it had all happen the way it did. Had he not shown her enough love? Had he not shown her that his love was true and he was devoted to her and her alone? Still to this day he could remember her words, "you have all of my heart", she had told him. "Oh Rose", he wept. The sky began to get dark as the day was coming to an end. It was the same darkness that covered the old mans heart. It was as if someone had taken a dark vail and cloaked his heart with it never to see the light of day again. The rain began to fall as if it were tears falling from the angels above. As if the angels were looking down on these two lovers and the sadness could not be held back any longer. For you see it is love that is a gift. Often times love comes many times in ones life but it is a special love, a true love that is so rare and often never found by those who seek it all their life. To have obtained it and then to have embraced it only to open your hands and set it free is truly the saddest experience in ones life. Once you have drank from its cup you will never be the same again. The old man stopped rocking. He looked off into the distance. Another day had come and gone. He had checked his mail hopping like so many times over there years that there would be a letter, a card, something in there from her. But nothing. He knew she was still alive. He could fell her. "I miss you Rose", he said with sadness in his aging voice. He slowly set the leaf free and it tumbled carefree off his porch. He slow reached into his pocket and pulled out three items he carried with him each and everyday. There, in a piece of wax paper was some rose petals. They were from the first roses she had sent to him. There was a picture of her and him when they had met in Los Vegas and then there was the gold chain she had gotten him for his 40th birthday. He grasped the items tightly in his shaking hands as he started to pray. It was the same prayer he had said over the years. He asked the sweet Lord to please watch over his sweet love, Rose. Amen. He reached down and picked up a note book. He took out a pen that he always used to write to her with and once again like so many times he jotted down a few loving words to her. My Dearest Rose, I know you are still out there and I know you will probably never get to see all these letters I have written to you over the years. I have written so many and they are all in these note books that are tucked away in a special place. Once again I have to say something to you my love. His pen became a blur as his heart poured out onto the paper that was before him what was deep within his heart and soul. Words leaped from his finger tips, his soul weeped.As Jack finished writing, a tear dropped to the page. It was to be the last time he would every write a poem in this life time. The rain continued to fall and it was getting late so the old man, Jack, picked himself up out of his rocker and headed inside his lonely house. Later that night as Rose was getting ready for bed, she stopped and looked at some of the things Jack had given her. He always seemed to have a witty mind back then and always knew just what to get her. But by far her favorite was the simplest. It was a little box painted dark red and hunter green. It had her name blazed across the top of it in gold letters and inside, was the key to Jacks heart. She picked up the box and held it close to her. Her aging fingers had a hard time getting the clasp to open, but finally it popped open. She gently pulled the tiny key out and read the poem he had written so many years ago. He truly was the love of her life. She sighed as the loneliness filled her heart once again. She slowly walked over to her bed and with ever so much ease she climbed into the bed. The sheets were cold and she started to laugh. "Where are you Jack, when I need the bed to be warmed", Rose said with a happy thought in her heart. Rose slowly took off the tiny chain around her neck and with some difficulty put the tiny key on it. There she said, you have a nice place to sleep and you will be close to my heart. Rose got comfortable and once again said a prayer before turning off the light. "Dear sweet Jesus, please watch over the man that gave me this key so many years ago". She continued as her voice began to quiver and tears began to fall. When she was done she reached over and turned off the light. The room fell silent and dark, except for the night light that cast a glow down the hallway. Jack walked his way to his bedroom. He reached over and slowly lit a candle just like he had done every night for so many years. The night was a special time it had always been there special time so once again he couldn't help but think of her. With ease he got up and walked over to the mirror and with hands shaking he for the first time in many many years put the gold necklace on she had gotten him. He looked over and there on his dresser was a picture of her in a clock she had given to him the last time they saw each other. He picked up the picture and carried it over to his bed stand. He still to that day had the look when he gazed upon her ever lasting beauty. He put the picture down on the night stand and slowly eased his way between the sheets. He turned and clicked off the lamp and the room was filled with the glow of the single candle that burned so brightly. He quickly said a prayer and then with a sigh in his voice he told Rose goodnight like he had a thousand times. "Goodnight Pooh", he said, "I love you." From the heavens the angels descended. They came with a host of others to be with these two lovers. It was time. Life comes to us and we travel along it's roads, only to find that it is a brief journey. But life doesn't end just now, we go on to some place that we will all be together. As the two lovers closed their eyes in unison the angels looked down to help them with their next journey. Jack was the first to go, he looked upon the smiling face of the angels and knew everything was going to be ok.For he knew he would finally get to see his beloved Rose once again. Rose closed her eyes and a smile swept across her face as she departed to be with the man she had loved so much. The angels came for her and took her hand. She didn't fear a thing for she had waited for this time for many many years. The angles took her hand and carried her to her destination. Jack and Rose, finally were together again. The angels knowing of their undying love brought the two lovers together. The smiles they had filled the heavens above with a brilliant light. They joined hands and with a song in their hearts they danced their way to heaven............