love dances

She steps forward. He steps back. She steps forward. He steps back. She steps forward. He steps back back back back, then slouches, rolling downward, crouching into a ball. She covers his body with hers.

He steps forward. She steps to the side. He steps forward. She steps to the other side. He steps forward. She circles him three times. He gets dizzy, throws his hands up in the air. She stops circling and backs away. He sways softly.

They stand far apart. They stare at each other. She waves to him to come here. He waves back for her to come there. She waves, come here. He waves, come there. This happens over and over again, getting faster and faster until they both stomp their feet and quickly, at the same instant, switch places. Across from each other again, now on opposite sides, she waves him to come here. He waves back for her to come there.

They lie on their sides facing each other. She reaches toward him and lays her hand on his upper arm. He reaches toward her and rests his hand on her outer thigh. She rolls toward him and lets her shoulder sink into his chest. He lets his weight go and leans into her shoulder blade. They fold into each other.

 She flings her leg over his. He lets her.

She flings her leg over his. He doesn’t let her.

He touches her pelvic bone. She lets him.

He touches her pelvic bone. She doesn’t let him.

She kicks. He screams. He kicks. She screams. She runs far away from him and calls out; I’m going to throw myself into you and you’re going to throw me back! She races into him. He picks her up and tosses her. She yells, Again! Throw me back again! She sprints, almost crashing into him before he scoops her up and heaves her back where she came from.

Their heads are locked together, top to top, like two bulls. Their hands are on each other’s shoulders. They pick up their legs and step heavily at the same time. In a slow rhythm, they step in sync, a grind, a grope. They look at the ground, not each other. They move in unison, plodding, going nowhere.

She holds a big round open space with her arms, and he pours himself into it. There’s no end to him pouring himself through her arms. He cycles around, dives in, plunges and circles back up. Her arms widen and she holds a bigger expanse each time he comes around. He continues to fill the expanse as he moves through it. Her arms become as big as the space they live in, and he keeps filling it. She holds the space. She holds him.

She picks. She picks and picks. She snaps. She twitches. She shakes her shoulders, her fingers quiver. He stands still. Her minuscule movements become magnified against his stillness. He never once moves. She is electrified. She vibrates until she is one steady hum of movement. He puts his hands to her cheeks. He begins to hum too.

She puts her mouth on his ear lobe. He holds her back with his hands. She lodges her nose into his eye socket. He holds the side of her head. She runs her cheek along his jaw. He wraps his legs around her legs. She hooks her arms under his chest. He presses her waist into his rib cage. They link together, piece by piece, finger to toe.

They walk side by side. She reaches her hand toward his. He reaches his hand towards hers. They keep reaching. They keep walking.