I was always dancing

Recently I found a poetry book, The World Split Open -- Theatre and Writings by Women in Prison, written by women in a Massachusetts jail. Below is the beginning of one of the featured poems, I was always dancing by Margaret Robinson:

She gave me a computer printout
of her life, typos
and misspellings marked in ink.
"I'll do anything for a man,"
she wrote. "Dad, Hell's Angels"
tattoos on her arms.
Thirty, looking thirteen in the face,
she tossed her long dark hair
and lit a cigarette.
"I'm always looking for love."

The Movie Night

Choosing a movie is never an easy task. One needs to consider so many factors: mood, weather condition, company preferences, food supplies and, of course, the activities before and after the film watching. It is almost impossible to choose the right movie at the right moment--especially with me.

Me and my friend, Crystal, like to watch movies in her pink, tidy and smelling-of-clean-linen room. We have a movie date at least once a month and we both anticipate the evening when we will sit on the soft round carpet on the floor in front of the TV and relax. The anticipation, however, is often sweeter than the film watching itself.



"Why? What happened now," Crystal would ask ten minutes into the movie.
"Sh-sh. Watch," I would respond with eyes focused on the screen.
Then, I really get into the movie and try to resolve the strange plot. Although not fully convinced, Crystal usually agrees with me in my resolution suggestions.
"Louis will now find the lighter in her handbag and realize what had happened," I exulted last night when we watched the French movie, "Apres Vous."
"Ohhh," responded Crystal in a contemplative manner. She was still having doubts about the plot development and considering other possible options.

But when I really, really get into the movie and become extremely amazed at the unexpected turn in the story line, I spontaneously reach for Crystal. And see that she has already fallen asleep.

More often than not, we will finish watching the movie with the same conclusion:
"This movie was weird."
"Yeah, right."

When Classes End

Last night after work, I went to the Campus Center to have dinner with a friend. The weather was slightly chilly and very refreshing. We grabbed food, sat on a table outside and enjoyed the sight.


It was the last day of classes and students, mostly seniors, were dancing to the upbeat tunes coming out of the stereo system operated by two DJs. Everyone was singing loudly, congratulating one another and filling the night with laughter. You were welcome to approach anyone and hug her as a spontaneous expression of happiness. You could even buy a medium-sized transparent cup of beer, if you had 21.

It felt so much like home—the open-air dancing to "Around the World" by Daft Punk, the beer drinking and the sudden inexplicable excitement that seized us. This was just a quick demo for the endless summer nights ahead of us.