Unmatched Rhythms

In the ballroom of connection,

We stepped onto the polished floor,

You and I, strangers in motion,

Attempting a dance unexplored.

I extend my hand, an invitation,

A gesture of hopeful start,

But your grip is loose, hesitation

In the spaces where our palms part.

I lead with quickstep, eager,

You follow with shuffling feet,

Our tempo is jarringly uneven,

Two hearts in disparate beat.

The music swells, I twirl and reach,

But you've stepped back, eyes averted.

In the silence between each measure,

I wait, alone, disconcerted.

Hours stretch like endless minutes,

As I stand, hand outstretched in the air,

Your response, a whispered "Sorry,"

Echoes through the empty fair.

Should I persist in this lone waltz?

Or bow out, grace intact?

For in this dance of expectations,

It takes two to keep the pact.

The clock chimes, a gentle reminder,

That time waits for no one's cue,

In this unmatched choreography,

What's a dancer supposed to do?

As the last note fades to silence,

I ponder the steps ahead,

Whether to seek a new partner,

Or dance solo in my stead.

For in the grand ballroom of life,

Where connections ebb and flow,

The most important dance of all,

Is the one where self-love grows.

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