THE SHINE JOURNAL
Flash Literature, Poetry, Art and Photography!
Three From Margot Brown
What If
What if
is the feeling a child learns
by herself.
to hide it so,
what if comes
barreling into our lives
when we are too young
to understand why
we are deprived
of touching.
Like a game,
if we are caught
there is no joy
in the discovery.
But before
what if
became
do not
it was the feeling
a child learned
that touching made her happy.
What if,
do not
is a logically learned sequence.
That is why
what if
makes me afraid.
What if
someday
I touch you,
and you tell me
not to?
Undo
Unbuild this nest, these
twigs and string.
Unthatch these patterns that
held this ring.
Unbuild this arbor, take
down this tree.
Put back this jig saw, as
you found me.
Undo my love. Unbreak
my heart. Untake
my trust. Undo
our start.
Unbuild this nest, these
twigs and string. I
take it all back, every
thing.
For Jeffrey
What softness is I thought I knew. I thought
a gentle hand – until one moment you
shone through, then softness felt like man.
What softness is, so many times, I have
presumed, myself; but when entrusted, mine
was no more soft than your own wealth.
Gentility, fragility; we muster what we feel
while softness, like a mistress
leads our flesh to inner yields.
What softness is I thought I knew, but it
is relative. Our only measure is not
to measure what we have to give.
MARGOT BROWN shares...
BIO: MARGOT BROWN was born and raised in
She lives in