Bolero

Published in “Author’s Voice” magazine and included in Express Yourself, Vol. 2, an anthology of poetry due to be published November 2007.

A languid rhythm itching at our feet,
The smell of salt, the whisper of the sea,
The long boneless fingers of the breeze
Caressing coolly our heated, panting bodies,
Held tightly against each other as we dance
Slowly, breaking hip and swaying to the beat:
Bolero!

The fragrance of French perfume blending
Sweet jasmine, tangy mango and earth —
With the visceral eternity of the wind;
Sand crunching under our feet like a candy bar
Filled with nuts, as we step ageless in the surreal night
Under the majestic fronds of the royal palm tree:
Bolero!

The nostalgia of a bygone era: flirting and parties,
Pubescent dreams, imagined sex — romance and freedom!
The silver scimitar of the moon chasing a trembling cloud
In reflective empathy of our own growing desire,
Raging now, as we glide oblivious of the faceless crowd
Until the music stops — and again we become real:
Bolero!