All Over the Place: My Valentine

By Michael H. Brownstein

She crossed the concrete fields of the city,

shadows of darkness thickening,

every light dimming in brightness,

and entered the great room of celebration

unsure of what to expect—expecting nothing—

as was I, standing near her on the perimeter,

the dance floor full, and then for no reason
we glanced at one another, she took my hand—
what a fantastic surprise!—and we danced
and we danced and we danced
until night filled itself with sunlight,
day blossomed into evergreen and gold.
A year later when she said I do,
that was the day I received my best gift ever
and I'm still the luckiest man alive.

Copyright © 2023 by Michael H. Brownstein Michael H. Brownstein’s volumes of poetry, A Slipknot Into Somewhere Else and How Do We Create Love?, were published by Cholla Needles Press in 2018 & 2019, respectively.