she comes into his class
and sits near by
it doesn’t matter
how hard he tries
to pretend a cool
nonchalance
what he wants to say
falls away
again into memory
yet even now repeats
as her brown eyes
befuddle his speech
the complexity
of simple words
troubles each step
he takes
not being a dancer
he worries
the least shift
in the rhythm
as if meaning
can be deciphered
from the day
to day inflections
or her intent
without a context
(December 2011)
subtext 