It drags you back
from the place you hid
to escape its torment

Tango doesn’t care
if you’re old, frail, poor
short, fat or thin
it grabs you hard
and pulls you in

Tango doesn’t care
if you’ve made a vow
to another
thus negating its power
defiance doesn’t go unpunished

Tango lives by its own set of rules
Its hold on you is unforgivably cruel

Tango crawls up inside you
a fix looking for a junkie
claws and clings to your back
like a parasitic monkey

It waits for the wrong moment
to take you under its spell
renders you incapable
of anything rational

Dress split high, sexy heels
pin-striped suit with pleated pants
you’ve spent time and money
preparing for the dance

But it leaves you naked
vulnerable on the floor
like so many bodies scattered
all the years before

You glide on the surface
of its melancholic waves
and in an unsuspecting instant
the beat of its undertow
slams you down on the shore

You rise, shake yourself off
temporarily sated
begging for more
sweaty and thirsty
back to the floor

But not before its sordid history
flashes before your eyes
every note, step and beat
making itself part of your story

For a split second
everything
and nothing
makes perfect sense

We’re all the the same
underneath the glitter
naked and yearning
Tango takes control of you
with every step you’re learning

Tango makes its mark on you
a tattoo, a love bite
the kiss you long for
with the whole of your life

Tango stops short of nothing less
than its ultimate goal
It shakes up your life
and possesses your soul.