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Midwinter Practica
It's 26 degrees in Buenos Aires,
steamy heat in Tango Town,
stroll to La Boca to tango
as the sun goes down.
While here we shiver below zero
and shuffle along to the tango hall,
but there's a welcome and the music swelling
and lights line the floor.
Aware of our bellies we bring along goodies,
kiss cold cheeks, add bottles to the row,
then we toast our partners and enter the music,
"Que dulce que es bailar con tigo."
Tonight's all for fun to celebrate friendship
and having danced Tango de Salon Ross another year
and forget all about it being winter,
for music, dance and friendship make it warm in here.
Helen Hale © 2010
Magic Milonga
Travelling through January to dance
is so much good will tonight,
down to the swollen river and into the light,
for rocking milonga, swirling waltz
and, truest of all, the stalking tango,
where attitude and passion walk intertwined.
We banish winter blues through music,
forget money cares in a close embrace,
laughing with friends makes all seem better,
we’ve dined together, now we dance together,
saying that for this night
we are exactly where we’re meant to be.
And late, with aching feet,
ringing ears and happy tiredness,
we promise there’ll be other nights like this,
we kiss at midnight and fold our wings
away with our dancing shoes,
take off the glitter and take up our ordinary lives.
Helen Hail © 2009
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Clock Change Milonga
We scatter flowers, chocolate and light,
music flows out of the corner
and we are ready to begin.
Like nervous teenagers holding their first party
we wait, apprehensive lest no guests come.
Then one couple and we dance to calm
and try out the talcumed floor.
Slowly they drift through the door,
sloughing off coats to reveal finery,
“smart with a splash of colour”
red and sparkle threading through the dance.
We turn till our feet burn
and our heads spin,
loving the rhythms, our partners and life,
as the year changes we have our extra hour.
The final waltz spirits them away
and we clear the flowers, put out the light
and drive home through autumn, singing colours.
Helen Hail © 2008
Extracted from "Tangoed" by kind permission of Helen Hail
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