The Swanti

-Chris Abani

The swanti

–or swan-tease, as he later found out

 –required the men to shuffle

forward in a two-step hop,

arms spread out to the side,

palms open

like ruffled wings,

while the women, arms

raised up, hands curved to sloping beaks,

breasts pointing forward, moved

back

slowly

by wiggling their backsides

in time

to a subtle two-step. 

 

When the men stopped,

bobbing in place,

the women moved forward,

breasts teasingly

brushing chests. 

 

When the men moved

into them, they danced away,

elongated arms dipping

gracefully. 

 

To Elvis’s left,

a couple argued. 

 

The man, not content

to do the swanti, was trying to

press the woman

against the wall in a grind. 

 

But the woman

was having none of it.