TANGO, TANGERE, TETIGI, TACTUM*

Warm, warm, coolcool warm.
Step and pause and step. Step.
Shadow
      light
              and turn, foot flick and click, let go, now clasp. Unclasp.
Shimmer, shimmer, shimmer: sheen
of satin stripe that slithers down
the black pole of your leg, and left foot
closes right, curve, a counter-
clockwise line of dance, staccato
step, hooked arm, light angled hand
on pole of spine, on shoulder, touch
--a stealthy rasp of midnight beard--
I hear you through your skin thinking
thum, thum, thumba, thum.
Quickening stalking feet; the music
flowing down my muscles tense
relax, this one now that, and on
it goes (like life, like breath)
and on. As the bandoneon,
the heart beat of all the living,
throbs and wheezes, need and anger
slide, slide sideways, gyrate, chasse!
Backwards toe first, pick up. Place.
I feel you through the floor controlling
breath, motion, feeling, lust.
Curve. Promenade. Sneak into a
head snap. Bend. Look. Long.

I loop, a vine around the pillar
of your leg. Sticking.

Hold.

Unsticking.

*The four words are the principal parts of the verb "touch" in Latin.