Moment Poem by Morgan Michaels

Like one kid, happy with cherry
in the melt-down heat of June
leans to another, happy with boysenberry
and 'trade me a lick of mine',
says, 'for one of yours',
agreeably, these flowers
haul together- combine their hues
into one color, never-seen and new:
disparate but separate,
baffling, momentarily, the color-frenzied bees;

Or like two, smiling faces
different but the same
competing amiably for primacy
in the space of one frame
careless of the shutterbug's well-calculated aim
naturally, these flowers
disclaim or jealously, claim
each other's places
bidding each other in, then
cutting each other out;

Or like pals sitting side by side
high a-swing, on a busted carnival ride
stopped beyond control
clutching each other or falling apart
to stare down, down to the endless abyss
doubting help will ever arrive,
the creaking wind parts the flowers or stops
lets them drop as pals,
then, as an afterthought
parts them, again;

I watch a moment
through the slats of the blind
knitting my tie in a valedictory knot,
noting their overlapping blues
their territorial designs-
how the wind lifts them, shifts them
only to let them down in time
wishing I had more, to watch their news-
but leave to the color-frenzied bees
their zig-zag mysteries.