When he came in and I leapt out from
behind the door, my joyous Boo!
tumbling around the room,
he spun so quickly, crouched
so smoothly, and punched the air so
powerfully Boo never had a chance,
its double O stopped so suddenly two
became one. Spin, crouch, punch—
for five seconds, six, muscle flowing
into muscle. Spin, crouch, punch—
like water around and under rocks.
Then muscles easing, body flexing
back to normal. Goddamn it, boy!
It wasn’t a waltz and it wasn’t a tango,
but oh my god, how my father danced.