Fortis Poem by Louise Deutsch

He asked me what the most obscure
Latin word I knew was
And I said Trabs,
Meaning Length of Wood,
Was pretty obscure
And that my favorite was Versipellis,
Meaning Werewolf.
He mumbled something in French around a smile
And leaned very close.
Unfortunately he did not know that I revere
Latin, with its delightful irregularities and quiet age,
As the language of quick seduction,
Not French – I can’t stand the silent X.
But I still let him tip his ashtray tongue into my mouth,
And I swear I could taste
Too many vowels and strange consonants coating his teeth.