Howard F. Stein’s most recent poem to appear here was “Slash and Burn” (April 2017)
Palpable
For Dolores Brandon
By Howard F. Stein
a new book of mine soon to be published
I can hardly wait to hold it in my hands
for a moment forget the words it contains
most important its touch to hungry fingers
materialize into something palpable
no longer just in the mind just in hope
a book is not skin
not body not touch in return
who can hug a book
and be hugged back
or make love with pages
of hard-bound paper
consolation then
at least my longing fingers
can run over the surface
of a book my book
touch and its absence
mostly absence
even when the book
finally arrives