My Nutcracker Story

*

once upon a time,

there lived a little girl

whose dream was to be in The Nutcracker –

to dance amongst the snowflakes, flowers and dolls

but

most of all to ‘live’ the role of Clara.

*

she practiced for hours and hours each day,

thought of nothing but ‘becoming the part’ –

of the sweet little girl

whose gift from her grandfather

became a prince

and

who captured her heart.

*

after two years of being a party girl and bunny,

watching Clara dance from the wings –

the day came to pass

when the cast sheet revealed

she would finally come

to realize her dream.

*

there were rehearsals in studios,

rehearsals on stage,

rehearsals with costumes and orchestra,

nights with no sleep,

big blisters on toes –

she was living in a constant state of euphoria.

*

when opening night arrived it was quite the affair,

there was a dynamic which could not be contained –

from the moment the strings played their very first notes

and

the red velvet curtain was raised.

*

the ballet began with a party and guests,

dancing and playing with toys –

until a mysterious gentleman suddenly arrived

with his enchanted dolls for all to enjoy.

*

there was a very unique doll

set aside for last,

to be given to one special girl –

the mysterious man had created a Nutcracker

for his granddaughter

to enrapture her world.

*

Clara was bewitched as she danced

and

she danced

until it was time for the party to end.

as the guests took their leave,

the house became quiet –

it was the moment to forge onward to bed.

*

BUT

Clara was restless,

unable to sleep

so she made her way down the stairs to the tree –

where her Nutcracker stood guard,

the clock struck midnight

with chimes hailing the beginning

of Clara’s magnificent dream.

*

the big stage came alive as the sets disappeared

and

the tree grew over twenty feet tall –

there were regiments of soldiers,

a mouse king with four heads

and

scurrying mice – some very big and a few small.

*

then it happened – it came – the moment of surprise

when the Nutcracker became larger than life.

he fought with his sword

and

his faithful soldiers behind him –

a battle…….with no end in sight.

*

during all of the raucous,

Clara stood on the sidelines

watching

and

thinking of what she could do,

when a thought suddenly occurred –

‘the mice king needs a distraction

why not throw something at him…

something handy…. like a …. shoe’?

*

SO

*

she held her shoe in her hand,

aimed for one of the heads

and

threw as hard as she could –

where upon the king turned away,

a sword met its mark,

ending the reign of the mouse king for good.

*

Clara stood in disbelief as the soldiers and mice

walked away leaving nothing behind

but

a man

who moments before was her Nutcracker –

now a prince leading her on a journey….

way into the night.

*

the end of act one saw the magical forest –

a snow queen and her prince…

then

a flurry of snowflakes prancing on stage

with ‘snow’ falling from an overhead scrim.

*

˜ Intermission ˜

*

act two began with a ride in a sleigh

to the land of fairies, dancing flowers and sweets

and

a story of how Clara saved the Nutcracker’s life –

broke the spell

of a doll he would no longer be.

*

after introductions were made,

the prince called upon

the kingdom to perform for his guest.

the land of sweets

came bursting alive with dancing

and

classical music at its best.

*

as Clara and her prince sat

in a gazebo on stage right,

she knew in her heart

it was more than a ‘dream’ –

the desire she felt was real…

the journey was real…

it was ‘who’

she was meant to be.

*

the young girl wanted to waltz along with the flowers,

wave a fan in black Spanish lace

and

pirouette in a tutu all around the stage

as the reed instruments in the orchestra played.

*

the last to perform was the sugar plum fairy

along with her cavalier

a pas de deux so beautiful –

so magnificent to watch

that Clara’s eyes began to well up with tears

because

Clara knew – the young girl knew –

the grande finale was about to begin,

when all the dancers performed one last time

and

bid farewell to her and the prince.

*

the end of the ballet brought curtain calls,

a red dozen roses with applause

and

stage hands taking apart the sets

and

storing away the props.

*

*

when the night finally came to an end,

the young girl laid awake in her bed –

all she could see were visions of herself

dancing in her head…

… 

waltzing along with flowers,

waving a fan in black Spanish lace

and

wearing a tutu

twirling

and

leaping

  all around the magnificent stage.

Astier de Villatte Ceramic Figurine
given to me by my mother – 1979

*

*

a brief post script: I really wanted to have this piece completed by Christmas Eve, but it was not meant to be.  I began writing this poem back in November.  It seems I kept hitting ‘mind’ blocks.  Each time I tried to revisit the piece, a haiku was born – thus my Nutcracker haiku series.  I am not certain what, but something happened while my boys were home – creative juices, maybe?  I must say this is the longest poem I have ever written.  I hope you enjoy it.