Tango in the air

tango in the air

by Paul Perry

it was in a house
on Colodrero street
I used to sit in the yard and drink bourbon
while sitting under the large ficus tree.
and as the sun went down
the sounds of a Bandolion started echoing through the leaves
and the chirping birds even seemed to stop to listen.

there was a five story building next door
which was once a factory,
that an Italian man by the name of Carmelo
turned into makeshift apartments.
and from within one of those enclosed spaces,
there was a guy who played tango melodies like Libertella.

and during the hot summer months
when the cement sidewalks burned under the southern sun,
and poverty knocked on my door,
as the smell of liver and onions lingered from my walls,
the cubes in the glass seemed to dance
and the bourbon would glow
once the moonlight wrapped the urquiza sky.

my private concert would last about an hour
and during that time
all my thoughts seemed blend in perfect harmony
with the tantalizing sounds of the bandolion.
when it was over
I would walk back into my house
and fill up the ice cube tray once again
to come back and join him tomorrow
for my momentary escape from reality