Kitchen Dance

Last nite I went up against the foe,
the little king-Tut tyrant of the tenants
at 1050, where I had not been able
to get his attention to discuss household
concerns for some time. Today he came
in after work, and refused to give me
the requested two seconds, and I found
myself following him down the hall whlie
he kept saying repetitively "I'm busy"
(walking down the hall). Finally, he
arrives at the locked door of hus spacious
room and hesitates before stepping up
close to it with key in hand to open it.
I see a space left unoccupied, and I slip
into it. I'm between him and the door,
me facing back toward him, he facing
forward to me and the door to his room
behind me.

Somehow I petitioned over and over for
two seconds to discuss my concern,
over and over he refused, and somehow
I danced after him as he retreated back
down the hallway past the third tenant's
door, past the bathroom door, into the
kitchen, a large kitchen with much
open space, things are getting heated as
I make my case and swears vigourously
repetittively, and stupidly he backs into
a corner between the fridge and the wall
that angles to the right from it. He has
cornered himself and present my whole
body closer and closer till my face is in
his faces and vile curses, and his face
is in my face, and my belly is against his
belly (both of us shirted, of course), and
he calls out for the third tenant who
comes running, but it takes a little time
and then suddenly he has formed a hand
into a jabbing device, thrusting like a
spear into my throat, reflex reaction one
of mine swings up and grabs his throat
between thumb and fingers. Third party
is behind me, I hope he saw the assault
which I transformed into words for the
record, and also announced my self-
defense.

He tells me to let go, but I say how can
I when you've got hold of my defense arm
in your own aggressing hand. He wants
a truce, he lets go, I left go. I retire,
having made sure he understands my
concern.

Later I see him and the third tenant
chattering to the landlady, and I go
directly and join the conversation to
sort things out. But that's another story
for another time.