Tango
On this August night, sun
shines bright at ten PM,
shades drawn,
Arctic wind asleep, fir trees
nestle by the Kemijoki river—
Rovaniemi settled in.
We walk the footpath
to the Jätkänkynttilä bridge,
shimmering in evening light.
From a hillside, a spirited
milonga draws us
to narrow windows
of a white-walled tavern
looking in on couples
swooping and twirling—
eyes downcast, men
in fedoras, dark suits,
women in wide skirts
flow in a breeze of motion.
When we enter
no one looks our way.
