hot moment

i was getting a ride home

she had looked at me and said vámonos with that tiny jerk of the head that said let’s go/no argument

we went/she was telling me her favorite kinds of latin music/and she told her screen/and it would play

and she would move with the music/with shoulder shimmies and head tossbacks

and old as I am and young as she was i was stirred

she deliberately drove past my street and we drove on

I said to the screen FREDDY FENDER BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS

and freddy’s sweet lamenting voice filled the car/first in english then in spanish

and she was stirred/hearing that old-school song

and we came to my apartment/i patted her shoulder with my hand/but our heads seemed magnetically attracted/and they slightly clunked/with our heads both facing forward

and the truth is, i wanted to embrace her

and the real truth is, i wanted to grab her

and the stone ground truth is, it would have been wrong wrong wrong to grab her

so i didn’t/i got out and let her know without words/looking at her as i got out/that I sincerely enjoyed the ride/the moment

and she dawdled a little/lowering her driver’s side window/and saying inconsequentials/but finally “bye”

and i shook my head walking to my unit/muttering stuff like “jesus!” and “hot stuff”

like the foolish old man that i am