Quelle demoiselle the man next to me says. He
keeps the rhythm with one hand, taps his foot.
Want to dance? he asks me. I quake
with passion unspooling.
No, I say, I don’t dance, don’t
think, don’t blink.
I take a sip of tipple to the music.
Are you here for me?
dapple my hips and smile.
Let’s ride the pony, the Appaloosa, the
stallion I say, let’s play the beast
with two backs. He says, do you want to pavane waltz
rhumba with me, I will
dip you trip you. Kiss you. We Spanish
flu flamingo, Malaysian gavotte tie the knot, Viennese cakewalk.