the music is loud

she backs up a bit when he comes around
like a mail carrier avoiding a bark
he listens hard for the incriminating sounds
like a blind man watching the dark

it's a dance they've done all their lives
it's two-step from beyond the shore
and still  they try to get it just right
before they open another unlocked door

there's something almost comical
about the way they attenuate
things said and thought, things intellectual
instead of looking for a new space

someday soon they're going to learn
and someone will finally get it right
but on the dance floor another turn
because the music is loud tonight
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