epic thursday

moving two tons of shaw wine before 6 am
seeing a friend at the baking company on break
blowing through the rest of the workday strong
lunch and a beer with coworkers at second street

wondering if i should stay in santa fe a few hours
for a goofed up date idea that did not get finalized
with no phone number to check on

moseying down to madrid to consider
nothing going on and not in the mood for another beer
i head further down the turquoise trail

__________________________

a sign in cedar crest says banjo bob's
after driving another half mile
i am intrigued enough to turn around and check it

pleasant older man in a shack of banjos
playing on an old gibson
invites me to fiddle a couple tunes before his lesson
and sit in with the band at an upcoming gig

still wondering about the non-date
i turn slightly northward into the next parking lot
to find a dive bar just weird enough to sit at

enjoy my second margarita this month
made by a young blond female in shorts
overtipping obligatory

_______________

after some further pondering
head back toward santa fe
with dreams of blue eyed attention
and other mutually shared needs

why not try to connect i think

after all she sounded committed to going to the plaza
to hear willie nelson's daughter play
even if we didn't completely sign on

i can go and see if she is with anyone
feels like hanging out for the drink we talked about
or whatever

besides if all goes arigh there's a dance class i can go to
at the railyards

___________

so back up to santa fe a good hour from cedar crest
feeling good about finally making a decision

and i realize every encounter i've had with her
i've both enjoyed and felt welcomed

i already get that she has a strong connection to life
an open heart and grounded too
enough suffering to figure some things out

and hey it's nice to be attracted to someone my age...

so goes the pleasant train of thinking
back through the hills and plains
finally arriving at the plaza

and getting out of the car
what's the first thing i hear

opera

____

while i'm not sure of the genre
willie's daughter plays
i'm inclined to think its not opera

no it turns out its opera night on the plaza
blue eyes nowhere to be seen

amused i book over to a coworkers house
to scoop him up and into the dance class he knows nothing about
he's working and i am on my own

it's the warmup mini-wave when i arrive
looks like alec at the controls
bonus

turns into a long overdue evening of great dancing
to the grooviest world vibes
someone calls it global fusion

i'm bouncing and grooving
doing yoga on slower tracks
stretching out my driver-crunched back
and my wine box-lifting arms
and everything else

______________

i notice one woman i like dancing with sometimes
is sitting apart and crying
which there is plenty of space for

i lightly brush the tops of her feet as i go by
offering reassurance

and she looks so sad
i go and stand next to her to receive her leaning head
and she just cries a while

and i just hold her and breathe along with her
offer an occasional silent prayer
all very natural

a mutual friend comes over
a former lover briefly
and joins the meditation

as the song ends
like a healthy child the woman who was sad
pops up gives a hug and runs off to dance again

and former lovers
often a bit awkard in greeting
acknowledge an unexpected deeply enjoyable

reconnection

_________

i ask alec if i can get a copy of the evening's music
for my poly-party-music study

double bonus
he gives me copies he already has made!

this will inspire me to get the speakers hooked up
back in abq where i learn i do not need to move

after all