When You Said You Weren’t Looking For Anything
We tangoed through the years. A step forward, a couple to the side, a few backwards but always hands intertwined.
By Riyan Afnan
We tangoed through the years.
A step forward,
a couple to the side,
a few backwards but always
hands intertwined.
Your sweaty palms and sunshine smile,
I craved like hunger pangs each time we parted with not goodbye but
see you soon baby.
I never could wait, you know.
We waltzed through life,
okay no,
but what we did was enough.
Contented and a little happiness, no?
You always said I was naive to think love could work itself out – I didn’t.
I told you that if two people could love hard, it would be sort of like a dance.
Through the lilac fields
And tidal monsoons.
From the four by four beat
‘til see you soon.
It takes two, love.
But it is as my friends say –
I did not see.
Or perhaps you were right to think how this tale would fare
The pale yellow-gold hues of wine,
we took it in.
Many nights,
I waited for your morning.
That night,
You pulled the needle from the phonograph.
“I’m not looking for anything.”
– Oh, string along another lover, please.
I found it hard to believe
That this is how the tango ends.
Because this time all we parted with was –
Goodbye.