Suite Troileana: Escolaso

by Sergio & Odair Assad

Latin Dancing (a poem)

I used to tango
back when I had two legs,
before the war.
Before the surgery I used to dance.
I held and swayed.
I stepped and breathed, sweating
against someone else who was
stepping and breathing
into me.
I used to salsa slowly.
I felt my hips vibrating to violins
and South American guitars.
I do not tango anymore.
I no longer salsa in dress shoes.
I sit in corners and watch
my shadow dancing joyfully to Latin music
while the candle still burns.