Pete Morgan

Elegy for Arthur Prance
- "The Man Who Taught The Stars To Dance"

The toes that tapped through morning air
were once stand-ins for Fred Astaire.
The heels that cool in the gutter where
the dancer lies up-ended.

The one time only Arthur Prance -
"The Man Who Taught The Stars To Dance" -
had reached his z enith with a jig
which once went over very big
on radio.

The feet that clicked from ten flights high
and danced flamenco down the sky
had once made Ginger Rogers cry
"His entrechat is splendid."

The one time only Arthur Prance -
"Th e Man Who Taught The Stars To Dance" -
possessed an act of wide appeal
especially his eightsome reel
danced alone.

The one time only Arthur Prance -
"The Man Who Taught The Stars To Dance" -
performed his final pirouette
and heard appl a use he didn't get.

Late Fire

The fire won't spit. It will only glow.
The lamp throws a shadow to the wall.
The whole of the world is this one room
where someone yawns. The clock's impatience
throws a loud voice to the round world's rim.

Somebody sleeps, a head grows heavy.
The unknown dream is disconnected
by that quick cut: to fact from fiction.
Somebody wakes and arises, shifts
the unknown world to the next known world

Main Say

There's always one who ups, away -
no messing! But we ignore that honesty,
that pride which leaves us stumbling mid-sentence
and leads to some diversion in the day...

a winning round, a cow-tow toward the strength
of one who lets us know her fear, her feeling,
her true discomfort in so false a meeting
when she is ushered somewhere not quite wanted...

but on return - or if - comes celebration
to grant some little hope back to the heart
and calm the quickened pulse of our dis c retion.

---

Peter Morgan: Born in Leigh, Lancs; has made TV programmes about Robin Hoods Bay, as well as a series on Canals and Waterways in the Midlands. Lived by his writing since 1969, as live performance poet at universities, theatres and arts festivals as well a s USA, France and Spain under the auspices of the British Council. Collections: The Grey Mare Being The Better Steed, The Spring Collection, A Winter Visitor. The Yorkshire Ridings is his latest, non-fiction book, produced in collaboration with a waterco l our artist.

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