Belle Of The Ball

There is no escaping the fact that I’ve been inspired by LGBTQ History Month, so inspired in fact that I’ve written this poem on topic of dancing especially to commerorate the event. I’ve deliberatly written it from the point of view of two mature women one of whom may be a transwoman, becoming romantically involved after meeting at a dancing class. I’ve given it the title Belle Of The Ball I hope you enjoy the read.

Belle Of The Ball

my partner birls me round the floor
I’m feeling apprehensive
she told me relax
as she takes me in hand
and whispers something io
says she knew that I was just the right type
she would teach the steps and the twirls
from that moment on
I gave her my trust
I knew she liked dancing with girls

Of course she’d been married
for most of her life
the respectable types
always are
she knew she liked women
she had since her teens
though she thought it a step too far
as she taught me to waltz
as a women should do
and to tango the
Argentine way
we kissed under stars
and got in to the grove
our desires had come to play

she told me her daughters encouraged her
to take up dancing lessons
the youngest one said she should talk to the priest
and maybe start going to confession
it’s just in case you meet a man
who gets you all excited
or maybe do what Katie did
like kiss a girl and like it.

my dancing partner smiled at the thought
as her youngest daughter blushed
I’ll just see how it goes she said
and enjoy some fun filled lust
her daughters thought that we were friends
until they saw us kiss
in ways that only women know
we shared some midnight bliss

She told them all it’s my time now
it’s time to take a chance
your dad would be so proud of the fact
I taught this girl to dance
he knew I had my tendencies
and the passions I kept at bay
he said that I should dance with girls
if that was nature’s way

As its if he was giving his blessing
she told me as we danced
she’d waited all her life for this
we had to take the chance
a woman knows what a woman knows
and she knew what to say
I felt like the belle of The ball that night
and we danced to the break of the day

© Gayle Smith 2022

Other Girls

When I was a teenager my mum said I couldn’t be a girl because I’d never be like other girls no matter how hard I tried and often when telling me my trans issues were just a phase she would ask why I couldn’t be more like other boys. No matter how many times I told I felt like a girl and wanted to be one she kept on repeating the question in the hope she’d get a different answer which was never going to happen. Luckily other girls saw the real me I was trying hard to hide and took me under their wing. This poem is dedicated to them and has been given the title Other Girls I hope you enjoy the read.

Other Girls

Other girls were not like me

other girls wore pink

and could wear make up

providing their mum’s approved

in our teens other girls could wear mini skirts

and practice posing in high healed shoes

till they perfected the art of walking in them

other girls had boyfriends

other girls shared secrets and plans

other girls were proper girls

in ways that I couldn’t be

and in ways I wasn’t allowed to be

but other girls knew my story

other girls knew my fear of being labelled queer

at a time when it had a different meaning

to the one it currently enjoys

some people said it wasn’t normal

a boy wanting to be a girl

and those to quick to judge

called me names which hurt

not that I cared too much

for the opinions of dinosaurs

but other girls were nice

treated me with respect

talked about crushes and sex

without mentioning the word

knew I was no good at football

and got embarrassed in changing rooms

when I saw boys I liked in shorts

© Gayle Smith 2019