I thought of my cousin
(She’s not my cousin)

The song on the radio, ‘Harvest Moon’
Set my toes to tapping
A slow dance over the brake and the gas
The stop and the go
A step and a glide

I thought of my cousin
(She’s not my cousin)

We danced that night so far away
Under the low, alien moon
A clumsy two-step to a country croon
Heavy boots on cement clomping
All stomping our
Defiantly happy march

I thought of my cousin
(She’s not my cousin)

The dance was short in tentative embrace
A hundred eyes upon the scene unseen
Caution to the dessert wind tossed I danced
Eyes wet with joy, innocent affection
We danced too close
We hugged too long

I miss my cousin
(She’s not my cousin)