-Tango-

-there is a poignancy 
in this 
this dance
a sad and heart stirring  
sound 

invented by boys
-young men- 
far away from home 

with no hope 
-of returning 
and in the days 
when love 
was forbidden

no family 
no hope 
no caresses 

I see it now 
I dance with young 
and old 

how long will I dance 
be able to 
how long will I dance 
with you 

our days are precious 
together 
we both are 
not young 

the dance is like that 
it calls us 
to the moment 
to stand together 
in time 

to hold each other 
against 
the long, dark 
night 

in the beam of the 
lamplight 
life
turns towards itself 
towards each other 
it tenderly embraces 
and moves through 
time 

being still in 
the moment 

how long will we 
last 
how long will we 
dance 

while the complexity 
of the modern world 
whirls 
around us 

those who don't know 
the simplest thing 
need to 
learn it 

for it is in the 
center of that space 

that there is 
a connection to 
grace  

The Embrace...

Now that 
     an illness 
          is passing 
We are weak 
     but we are 
          game 
Almost ready 
     to get back 
     into it-
          again

My Tangueros 
     Maybe they 
          have missed 
          me 
     Maybe they 
          will be 
          eager
To dance with me 
     again 

Ah the Smokey Tavern,
     (ok, without the smoke;
      it's banned)
The music will play 
     again 
And the magic 
     will be made 
The way prepared-
     for walking 
          on clouds 

The Embrace 
     of a lover 
The Embrace 
     of a mother- 
          to a babe 

The fancy footwork 
     is one thing
          -fun
But the Embrace 

Oh, my dears
     Oh my Tangeros 

The Embrace... 
     

damn...!

No,
I'm not 
waiting 

-for you to 
call- 

No I never 
wait 
at all- 

I'm trying to 
remember 
What the "wise people" 
say 
In the books 
about this...
relationships- 

do I call 
do I wait 
do I play 
     some game 
some set up
some clever 
     manipulation 
something "wise People" say 
     should be done 
at such a time 
such a juncture 
such a turning point 
in a relationship 
(starting to be 
taken for granted)
(beginning to be 
expected to be there)

Could it be that 
I've never 
gotten past 
     this point?
in a relationship 
-note to self-
never-
admit that!
  

and what you said 
the other day 
how could that possibly 
have been 
appropriate 
in what world?
on whose planet?
Do we talk about 
     this?
Do I yell and scream?
Do I walk the floor...
(I should be walking it 
with a broom)
Do I write about it?
Which does help,
     but not very much. 
Do I profess
     not to care?
I'm treading air
     here. 

How could all this trouble 
be 
possibly 
worth it?

oh yeah,
I forgot 
the 
blue 
eyes...

     damn...!

dance partner...

Never to dance 
     with you
          again- 

What were you 
     thinking  
          old man? 

One slashed 
     tire 
One smashed 
     window 

And never again 
     may I 
Dance the perfect 
     Dance 
Waltz the perfect
     Waltz 

Float across the 
     floor 

Spin elegantly 
     to perfectly timed 
          music 
Matching movements
     with- 

Flying across 
     the floor 
          on our feet 

What were you 
     thinking 
To throw this 
     all away 

Never again 
     to be transported 
     to that particular 
          heaven 

Long ago 
     I learned 
          to prioritize- 

Heaven versus 
     revenge or jealousy 
          or ego 

Heaven should win 
     every time 

That may be 
     why we're 
          here 

They say- 

To learn 
     that 
Particular 
     Lesson 

The one about 
     Heaven 
and what 
     we really 
          want 

What we long for 
What we need 

Those little bits 
     of Angel Wings 
Which brush 
     up against us 
          so lightly 

If we don't remember 
     to remember- 
If we have ears but 
     don't listen- 

Eyes but don't 
     see- 

Well then, what's left 
     for you- 
          for me? 

Secret pleasure, secret peace

Writing on iPhone 

At Starbucks

With small coffee 

And cookie

Guilty pleasure

Stolen moments 

In my own simple way

Tire slashed

Window broken

Restraining order straining

Straining to contain 

The crazyness of him

What karma have I done

Or left undone

To merit 

Such attention

God grant me peace

I now know 

How precious that is

Not having to wonder

What next, what next,

Behind which bush 

     Will he be 

      Lurking?

And so I sip my latte

Slowly 

Treasuring 

A few moments 

Of peace 

Of secret pleasure

too busy lately for tv

my life 
has been too busy 
lately 
for tv

what does this 
say about 
me 

I still pay 
the big bucks 
for the cable 
snake 
to come into 
my house 
and tell me 
what it's 
all about 

but 
i'm not listening 
so much 
anymore 

different things 
to do
real things 
including you... 

I find that the 
breeze still blows 
without someone 
telling me 
how fast 
and how much- 
the weather now 
is a bit of a surprise
but I do miss the guys 
The local weather guys...

I know- 
find them on the Internet 
I probably can... 
so many things
left undone... 

people tell me 
do 
this 
or 
that 

the ex-boyfriend 
the rat!!
do this 
do that 
serve the papers 
lock the door 

what have we
come here for ?
Life, 
I mean
(of course)
is it to squabble and fight
is it to scare 
     one another 
and threaten 
and pout 

to people "unclear 
on the concept"
we're supposed to be 
seeing 
our connection 
to the whole
to the love within 
to the God above 

not taking out 
restraining orders 
not watching people 
     killing each other 
     endlessly 
          on tv

but I do miss 
     "Castle"
(mystery show on tv) 
I don't care who 
killed anyone 
I just like 
watching 
him 
:-) 
  

Dear Arthur...(as in Arthur Murray)

dancing
the way it 
"should be done"
or the way 
"I want to do it"

How much trouble 
will I get in 
when I 
spin and turn 
"out of bounds"
this is not the way 
this is not for today 
this is not following 
this is leading 
and getting away 

getting away with it 
so far -
music dictates 
I must move 
and not wait 
for 
some step 
some pattern to be 
memorized and remembered 
some correctness 
some trophy 

excuse me 
I am 
"in the moment" 
I must move 
I must spin 
I cannot wait 
for someone 
to tell me how it 
     must be 

oh I am a rebel 
me