Dancing with Margaret

 

Dancing with Margaret

Growing up, dances were part of her life,
Maybell and Baggs and Meeker and Craig
with Charlene and Carmen and Mame and Lou —
like the dance at the Goose Egg up on the North Platte
where Wister’s Virginian and one of his friends
switched the babies around and nobody knew
’til they were back home at their ranches next day.
Music and dancing and cowboys and friends,
and she married me and I didn’t dance.
I was too stiff to circle and sway.
She didn’t complain and I didn’t know
the feeling of what I was taking away.

Now she is gone but I still hold her tight
and I know every song and we dance every dance
and I take her to Maybell and Meeker and Baggs
and we dance ’til they play “Good night, ladies, good night.”