Dancing in your houses

The kitchen was your space

on Wednesdays, door shut,

dishes took an hour to be washed, dried and put away 

as you added 80s choreography 

to the journey from dirty 

to their cupboard belonging.

Dixon family nights

were meals around a table 

then music videos and ale, 

five or six bodies

doing their own thing

to Springsteen or The Beatles. Never Abba.

As you bustle about your week

grabbing swimming trunks, 

homework books and woggles

you can feel the air 

waiting patiently 

for Friday.

On Friday,

you put on music 

that makes you happy

or music

that lets you be 

sad.

The corners 

of the front room no-one usually goes in

are filled with wind-milling arms, 

looping fingers and

eyes closed pogo-dancing

to Indie, rock and disco.

The night ends and the air

is still again 

as you take the tempo down 

to contemplative gazing at the shade 

of tonight’s night-cap

with Tom Waits or Johnny Cash.

First published on celebratingchange.blog, 2019

Cover photo: Foad Roshan