The Ultimate Triumph

The Ultimate Triumph

Her steps are long and deliberate. Her legs move with precise elegance and grace. Years of practice guide every minute detail of her step. She lifts her legs and points her toes with controlled and effortless modulation.

She holds her head high and purposeful as she walks toward the audience with poise and dignity. Pride, joy, and wonderful achievement radiate from her every movement.

Her coat gleams in the light. Smooth. Totally black. Velvet. A perfect fit.

The marveling eyes of the audience clear a path for her magnifying presence.

A scream of fright stabs the air.

The intent dancer continues her pace across the stage with superior elegance and style. She walks with her trophy of victory held tightly and motionless.

She steps from under the lamplight. The sound of retreating applause lingers in the air. It mingles with the breathless moment of ultimate triumph.

There was no encore as the black cat disappeared into the night with a huge rat held steadfastly in her mouth.

Enid M. Silvera, a retired educator from the New York City Department of Education, is cultivating her love of writing as she helps to facilitate the adjustment of her two young grandchildren and their parents with their recent relocation to Seattle, Washington.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" in the search function above.