Spinning to the Center

On By Michele LeeIn Dancing, Verse

An eight by six-foot mat, free-floating and grey –
just enough cushion to protect long muscles and absorb the long day.
Spinning to the center of self on squares,
snapped together that appear dull and lifeless.
Appearances deceive.
Grounding grey underneath vibrates, hums, and pulses
with passion, sweat, and tears.

A dancer ready to spin toward a lifegiving cord that spun away –
a lifeline pulled in too many directions,
by teeth clenched, words spent, and arms flexed.
A lost connection
no longer guiding her way.
She must pick up the slack and dance back to her essence,
that is now tattered, unraveled, and frayed.

PUSH, PUSH, PUSH
Why won’t this thing play?
frozen display
One more attempt, yet the silence remains.
Why won’t this thing work?
failed streaming
Question unanswered, demand unheard.
On the verge of screaming!
Pivot and turn.
Walking away
from frustration.

Walking toward
where rhythm lives,
where fairytales exist,
where a soul finds bliss.
The dancer begins to paint –
a swoosh here, a splash there,
turning the muted grey, into a colorful canvas, vibrant.
A warmup without external beats will suffice,
but the dancer cannot move forward this way.
She needs the songs in her heart to take up space.
She needs the melodies to occupy more than her own mind.
She remembers… voices and instruments
can blend when the needle descends.
A dusty device can groove and spin –
expanding her grey matter spinning above the grey square.

12-inch vinyls
meant to be heard
each turn streams a memory of a yesteryear
scratchy, wobbly, dusty, warped, and at times, unclear
sometimes skipping a beat or missing a word
imperfect,
the sound of the turning tunes
imperfect,
just like her
⏺🎶

Frustrated at first, I am glad my streaming device failed more than thrice. Twenty-first century fails turned my attention to old vinyls and inspired these spinning lines. Turning to my dusty record player allowed me to think outside of my dancing square, which led to an enjoyable evening spent moving and connecting to youthful memories and music without corners. Me and my spinning circles finding our center – I am pleased I found my way there. 💃🏻 Thank you for visiting. Be well. 💗 Michele

Photos: me and a few of my vinyls 🎶😀

© 2021 Michele Lee Sefton. All Rights Reserved.

82 thoughts on “Spinning to the Center”

    1. Aren’t they wonderful, despite their imperfections. Compared to the millions of smooth streaming options, old warped vinyls are quite inferior, but also perfectly flawed. 💖 A delightful ending to a frustrating beginning. Thank you.

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    1. They are fun! I worked in a record/video store just out of high school and starting college. I remember when CDs were introduced. We had a few long days switching out inventory. Funny to think back on that. 😆 Sadly, so many of those places have closed. Streaming generation.
      Yes, many grounding options to regain our balance, our center. 💖 Thank you.

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      1. Answer & Clarification
        (For mis-understanding)

        Respected Michele Ji.,🙏

        You are absolutely right. 100%

        Thank you for asking this. 🤔
        But your question is correct but the wrong person has been asked.🤔

        I guess your question is not for me or not the right person for this ??(There may be a mistake here)

        Okay…I am sending this message because I believe in equality strongly & Always supportive.

        I want to say one thing about my blog Posts whenever I post or say about women empowerment🤔 I have lost my number of followers and this reality has happened again & again…  What is the point of thinking about what is going on now? questions…🤔

        I am not thinking about it because I am here to build a good community instead of just increasing the number of followers.
        I do not have time to increase the number.

        But don’t worry I’ll post about women empowerment here again & again…Because i am true supporter.
        In my ways…
        If you have any questions. I am ready for this because I am a true supporter (women’s empowerment)
        But before,
        If possible, read my previous blog posts.(Your answers available)

        I want to say more, but enough to know about it,  I think so….🙏

        Thank you.🙂

        Like

      2. Amit, my question to you was rhetorical. I was being a bit sarcastic, which does not always translate well across written communications, languages, and personalities. I appreciate you visiting, supporting women, and for honoring Women’s Day on your own blog. I respect your goals of wanting to “build a good community…” and extend gratitude to you for including me in your blog interactions. Thank you for asking for clarification.🙏🏻

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  10. Girl Michele, between my husband and me we have oodles of 45’s and LP’s. There is something about listening to music on an old record player that takes you back to a time that quenches our parched musical thirsts. You are so right, streaming can present a lot of frustration, but there is just something about a vinyl record where the experience is just different and so nostalgic. ❤ 🙂 ❤

    What a beautiful poem! You can feel your journey through rhythms depicted in your verses that are living through you! What an experience back down memory lane. Love it! 😀

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    1. I love it! I love that you have oodles in your collection. 🥰 I love the sound of the needle touching down, just before it strikes the first note. The scratchy sound adds character and personality. A few of mine have a bit too much! Thank you for reading and enjoying my musical-memory poem. A funny memory includes a neighbor pounding on my apartment door, then yelling at me to turn down the music. haha! Good times! 🎵 💓

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      1. Girl, when a neighbor pounds on your door like that, it means the music took control and you were in a whole new dimension! 🎵🎧🎶

        And don’t talk about that crackling sound that let’s you know without question you are listening to old school technology that transports you to a universe where the angels of vinyl records exist! You’re right…good times! 🎤🎷🎹🎸🎼

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady, I got it, read it, injected it in my pores, and saw a big read SW (Super Woman) logo appearing on my chest!!! LOL 😀 😀 😀 You were spot on Michele. Thanks so much for sharing this masterpiece with me! I sent you a reply email back on it! You’re “right on” girlfriend! ❤

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thank you, Super Woman! Yes!! Make an entrance, twirl your cape, and flash your bullet-stopping wrists! 🦸‍♀️ I am delighted you like my “Human Relay” poem. It was my pleasure to share it with you. You, writing the word “baton” made me think of it. 🏃🏻‍♀️🥈
        Have a super day, Super Woman!! 💓

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Al Bell

    You did it again, without pause, Michele.
    My trusty turntable is an always beckoning arm’s reach from where the world of bits and bytes converges on the often mysterious, and sometimes balky computer. Not only the distinctive sound that waits there, but the deliberate, hopefully delicate process of setting the sound in motion. The often delightful and informative jackets, with print large enough for old eyes to read. A few among my two hundred or more discs reach back over a century, to barbershop quartets still part of the vaudeville circuit, captured on platters almost a quarter inch thick. No jackets on these; just dust covers, faded and fragile.
    But the experience they provide is exactly as you have described it. Not a bad way to recapture one’s footing in the madness of digits chasing each other around and the calm that settles in after you let them go or they get lost in their own complexity and you choose to spin your own web of memories.
    As the old song goes, “Thanks, for the memories….” Best heard at thirty three and a third revolutions per minute.

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    1. Al, I am so honored to have received two visits from you today. What a pleasure. Your words delight the mind and senses. Your collection sounds extensive and impressive. How wonderful! I do love the album covers, almost as much as the music they advertise and protect. Definitely “Not a bad way to recapture one’s footing in the madness of digits…” Thank you for your comment. I enjoyed every musically-infused sentence!

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  12. *looking over your shoulder even though it could be construed as rude*

    Some ace slices there – Standing On A Beach/Looking At The Sea & WOTWS/Best of Lou Reed & Kick/INXS is a surprisingly resilient album, too.

    A lovely and well-crafted piece of poetry, too, Michele.
    Bravo!
    x

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Funny! You are not being rude. I am the rude one for enjoying my albums while having my back to my camera. 😆 For some reason students do not like when teachers look over their shoulder. I don’t blame them, me either.

      Keen eye, Nick, especially of the Lou Reed album, which is tucked in there. Great album! I saw INXS a few times before they became mainstream. The first time was in an outdoor amphitheater venue in Arizona where they opened for Adam Ant, and the other time was in Denver when they played at a small club. I was just a few feet from Michael, then I waited by his trailer after to catch a glimpse. 💓 More musical memories. Thank you, musician, for the visit and kind comments.
      X

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      1. An absolute pleasure! I goddamn love Lou ‘mutha-effing’ Reed! I’d spot that a mile off. There’s not a day goes by here at Reeves’ Mansions without some of the rock n roll animal!

        Oh, boy! With Adam Ant, too! Another favourite! Saw The Antz at The Electric Ballroom (80?) and then again on his ‘come back’ come back sometime in the 90s. My favourite and weirdest though was when I first moved to London from the west country as a teenager. I saw an advert in New Musical Express in 1979 that The Antz, The Damned, The Stranglers and the NME staff were going to have a cricket match (?!) in Victoria Park one afternoon. That was perhaps the defining moment of my punk rock education! Stuart Goddard, to me, was – and remains – the very last proper old skool pop star – he had it all…the grubby beginnings (ace, check), the breakthrough drop-dead debut of Dirk… (ace, check), the teeny bopper cross-over (check), the style (check), the global success (uh-huh), the melt down, the comeback, the meltdown (check, check, check). Untouchable – and, again, not a month goes by.

        I saw Inxs once at somewhere in N. London – it was a giveaway ticket, someone was ill, but, y’know, I was more than familiar with Kick as it went through a period at work where it was never off the stereo. We sat front row and it was a cool gig as I recall [‘terrible skin’ I want to say 🙂 …oh, well, I said it! But that is my enduring memory and I guess proves how close we were to the stage action!]

        Marco, Merrick, ‘Michele-Lee’, Gary Tibbs & yours, truly! Nick Reeves 🙂 x

        Liked by 2 people

      2. This is fantastic, Nick! I am all smiles reading your musical memory shares and feeling your excitement. 👏🏻 I kept the tunes turning and listened to some more albums just a bit ago, including Lou Reed. Such a poet! I was in middle school when I saw Adam Ant. 💓 Let’s just say, I was in a bit of trouble for going to his show. It was completely worth it! I wish I could say I was that close to Adam, but that was not the case. Oh well, we still had a good time with Goody Two Shoes. Thanks for sharing your passion for music/musicians! I sure miss live shows. Someday, soon. 🤞🏻 x

        Liked by 2 people

    1. I take most of my photos, including that one. Tripod, camera, timer… click, click, click. 😆 Beautiful words to describe my creative outlets. I love that! 💓 Thank you, David. 😊

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  15. Ah ! My head is spinning ., am twinkle toe dancing 💃🏽.. love that picture of yours. I read your verse, then went for a quick peek at you again. Rocking good. You write so well. It’s like a whole chapter in a book. Makes for very interesting reading. I like the way you define your thoughts into poetry. Your perspective is spot on and effortless. I think I learn from reading you.

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    1. Oh my, my head is now spinning too and my heart is singing. 🥰 Thank you for the love, for my photo and my writing. I love when you visit. Stop by anytime. 😁 The thought of this (or anything I have written) being a chapter in a book makes me smile. You would laugh at me if you saw me taking my selfie. Focus, click, run, sit! 😆 I laugh at myself. I should share the photo blunders. 😂 Have a happy Monday. 💐

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      1. Your head spins a song and that is a rendition of purity that your heart spills.
        I wish sometimes I could write with that beautiful clarity that you write .
        You are one of a kind. If there are blunders in your selfie , they look creatively awesome. Have a safe week. Be well.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. You are a sweetheart who writes with a softhearted and insightful pen. 😊 Thank you.
        I put my best face (or back haha) forward in this photo. The one, just before this one, showed my hair in a whirlwind because I was rushing to sit down. Wind machine effect. 😂
        Hugs to you! Catch up soon. ✍🏻💗

        Liked by 1 person

      3. My wise one with her own spilling wisdom. Some ethereal quality about your persona ., I can almost see you in a fairy 🧚🏼‍♀️ garb with your wand spinning stardust of verse. Your hair spun of the finest gold , your smile beautiful bewitching, my fairy girl sister , the zephyr effect caught in the eternity of poetic beauty. That’s you , Lee 😘

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you. 😊
      Records made a bit of a trendy comeback, but not like the popularity of their glory days. A few of mine are sadly aged. Hopefully record players will not become a thing of the past, making records unplayable.
      Thanks for the hair compliment, which is quite different from a hairy compliment. 😆

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  18. Beautiful poetry Michele. Also Vinyls are amazing! I think they bring a certain quality A soul to the music that modern devices don’t replicate. Hard to explain. I look forward to reading more of you work in the future. Wishing you well 🙏

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    1. Thank you kindly, AP2. Of course, I agree with you. A sound that evokes so many emotions and memories. 🥰 Thank you for the visit – I look forward to your return and will be doing the same with your posts. 🙏🏻

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  20. I thought first of yoga reading this delightful poem that sings off the tongue, but I loved the new view your note at the end brought me! I went back and read it again with new eyes. Poetry that changes like a chameleon is especially alluring.

    “imperfect,
    the sound of the turning tunes
    imperfect,
    just like her”

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Love that! It could be yoga. 💖
      I too love rereading. I always find myself doing that with your work. In the writing workshops I help with, we always start with a poem that is read two times before writing and responding happens. I may have to share your thoughts about that: “Poetry that changes like a chameleon is especially alluring.” 👏🏻 Thank you for the visit and feedback. 💖

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  22. Michelle
    your posts are a breath of fresh air
    this one particularly took me back to my childhood days when Vinyl records were the only way to enjoy music
    while modern living has brought many conveniences, some of the old methods have left us asking for more

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    1. A breath of fresh air… I love that and I love that you enjoyed my nostalgic post! Thank you so much. 😊 So true, sometimes having to work a bit harder for things makes them more enjoyable and more appreciated. I enjoyed my vinyl-inspired evening and the memories evoked. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and for the visit. Happy day to you. 🌞

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  23. Pingback: Ding-Dong, Let’s Dance! – My Inspired Life

  24. Gotta love the imperfect sound of old vinyl spinning tunes 🎶🎵 I’ve enjoyed your writing as always, and agree with a comment you’ve made, that is: hopefully record players won’t disappear, as have so many other mechanical devices (VCR, typewriters, etc.). One thing I do know, having watched and so enjoyed your dance video ~ with a song it your heart, you could paint any grey surface into a work of art 💃🎨 Have a pleasant evening, dear Michele, and I think your new Gravatar is lovely 🤗

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      1. I think you’re a work of art, Michele ~ a beautiful woman and very talented ✍🏼 writer, with a great sense of humor, and someone who also enjoys nature, fitness and photography…oh, my! Yes, I know you’re married and so must apologize if this comment crosses the line – but, I’d like to send you a kiss for good luck 🍀 and another 😘 just because. Enjoy your weekend, my friend 🌞

        Liked by 1 person

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