She coaxed him into lessons
With a tug on his sleeve
And a kiss that tasted of
Dark bitter chocolate—
The dance, he learned,
Begins at salida:
Exit is entrance,
Departure beginning.
Right foot inside,
Right foot outside.
Golpe, cruzada.
Caricia, entrada.
Slow, slow,
Quick quick, slow.
Molinete, zarandeo.
Intrusione, boleo.
Name these things
Then forget their names:
Passion is movement,
And movement needs no words.
For over time the rhythm changes
Until at last the dance begins.
Tonight, for him,
High-waisted trousers,
Halogen white tuxedo shirt.
For her a wisp, a whirl,
And a skirt slit up to here.
Shoulders so,
Eyes locked,
Faces cocked.
They walk—
A tandem cat—
He, deciding;
She, yielding
To a place
In his arms
That she controls.
They pause,
She smiles,
And caresses him
With her thigh.
They finish with rapid
High-stepping sacadas,
Intertwining feet and legs:
His fearless steps,
Her careless stilettos.
The music stops,
But not the rhythm of her breath,
Or the resonance of her eyes.
He studies her face,
Framed in jagged auburn;
Watches her hand move
To touch his ear,
And he whispers:
I saw you with him.
Wow! What an intense, passionate and sensuous write; and that unexpected line at the end!
Glorious read! I can feel the passion of Piazzolla, see the staccatto of feet and necks jerking, remember the surrender into strong arms and a firm pelvis. 'Hallogen white' works beautifully and your final surprise is perfectly placed to change the gear of the piece and leave the reader wondering... love, Allie ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Wow what a twist for an ending. Very energetic and imagistic. I liked it very much.
Wow, does that ever bring back memories. I love dancing, and the intensity of the passion. I love the twist you put at the end, it ended the poem quite nicely. It might leave one with some questions, and I like that. It made me miss dancing even more. I lost my partner to an accident last year. Anyway, fabulous job. Best Wishes, Corrine Andrews
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Mmmm.....nice! I felt the rythm...in this most sensual poem - with a twist! Yeowza.