MICHAEL H. BROWNSTEIN - POEMS

Michael H. Brownstein's latest poetry volume, How Do We Create Love?, was recently released by Cholla Needles Press (2019).

BREATHING IN THE RAINBOW

There's a shotgun in my pocket and a house in my heart,
a somersault in my biceps and a cougar in my calves,
an orgasm in my retinas and sleet in my breath,
a Herculean ego under my shoes and a bright spot in my hair,
and, yes, a click in my jerk and a storm in my twist 

Let the music sound off, the wind curl into storm dust.
Let the furies find voice, the water nymphs clothing 
Let the Samson's among us know the truth about manes,
the lions within us the heartbeat of gazelles,
the speed of the zebra and the length of giraffe,
and, yes, the quiet peace before the moment of conflict.
​

ENDINGS W/ NEW BEGINNINGS

We settle into out of love, 
Sit on the wide veranda at sunset,
Look into our world now out of tune,
 
Touch a finger to a finger to a palm,
Feel a breeze of warmth across our skin,
Rest a head on a shoulder and dream.
 ​

THE HUG ​

You warm her head against your chest,
her hair a comfortable home,
her breath your breath,
her skin your skin,
and your hands slip to the small of her back,
pauses.
Your hug her hug.
Curdle me into your cottage cheese cuddle.
Let the Montserrat trade wind blow across us.
Color me day break and brilliance lit.
Sleep dissipates into the glory of flags
and a great calm of salt water
as if the sea of life harvested this touch,
not dry skin, but moist,
not hard skin, but easy,
not sharp and angular, but strong and curved
as if the cigarette you gave up long ago
remained in your hand all of this time
and you have the ability 
to take one long drag
filling in all of the spaces
within the pages of a coloring book
bright with the colors of oil in mist.