To Love Somebody

John tells me to do it before it’s too late but I already know. I’m such a chicken-shit when it comes to these things; maybe it’s because I’m such a lousy dancer, stepping all over everyone and myself. I can’t fast dance; I hate jiggling around like good dancers do so I try to imagine something fun like being mowed down by a machine gun, riddled full of bullets all jerky like, but the last girl I danced with two-fisted my shoulders and told me to loosen up. When that last song comes on - it’s always To Love Somebody – you see all the losers scrambling around like hyenas looking for some poor girl - any girl - to maul. Somehow I’ll find myself standing next to her… the one I saw from the beginning that stood with her friends and slowly shook her head to every invite. In a quiet voice, I’ll ask if she wants to dance and she’ll look up and surprise me by saying okay and my mind will reel when we touch.