22 Tutus

22 tutus have graced our stage
with 88 limbs that drew in the air.
22 dancers all earning a wage.
With joy as their home, they all flew without care.

22 tutus are swans on a lake.
The 22 souls of a troupe become one.
With 22 years of our writing at stake
we have 22 entries for contests not done.

When Edgar Degas with dancers a tout
assayed to put paint to a canvas and all,
22 dancers stood resting and mute
awaiting their manager's "Places," their call.

22 tutus with fingers all new-new,
the newbies hold Writing.com as their place.
Creating new words is our gift, if I threw you.
These 22 years our blest "home" is a grace.

22 days of this month, and some more
we'll celebrate 22 years of this place.
Thanking the Master and Mistress of Stor(y)
by making new poems and prose with our space.

22 tutus with 22 pens.
New stories to write of feet, that have spins.

Prompt: Write something with the number 22 as a dominant theme, topic, or idea
in honor of WdC's 22nd birthday celebration.
Written for "The Whatever Contest." "The Whatever Contest -- Closed for Now" 
Line Count: 22

by Jay O’Toole
on September 1st, 2022