Melanie Browne- Three Poems

Hypnosis Tapes are for Pussies

Stressed out, 9 pm
I am listening to
a Hypnosis app
through my headphones,
the lady is talking in quiet
tones, and mentions a
feather that is apparently
somewhere in the room
taking away all my anxieties
or the desire to eat or the
desire  to smoke or whatever
floats your boat,
through one ear I hear
her sweet and gentle voice,
and through the other ear
I hear a man saying words,
words I can’t quite make out,
I try not to worry but he could
be saying anything,
telling me to sell all
my worldly belongings
and move to Antarctica
or preach to the wolves in Angola,
I try to relax,
but my feather doesn't
glide through the air,
it doesn't flitter,
it starts to stab me
in the eye over and
over again blinding me,
and the blood gets all over
my pillow,I try to throw my
headphones across the room
in a rage, but I shatter into
a million pieces and get
carried away by the wind

Adjust Hue After Pushing Mute

after watching an
episode of Mad Men,
I find I am suddenly
holding an old vintage
remote in my hand,
and am wearing a
fringed leather skirt
with a pair of brown boots,
"Adjust hue after pushing mute"
I read out loud to the ghosts
that lay in sleeping bags
around this suddenly cold room,
I uncork the wine,
and press the big button
and it swirls green, then pink
then blue and the room
starts to change colors also,
as the ghosts start to waken
and join me on the couch,
rubbing sleepy eyes and
saying, "that's pretty groovy."



All Celebrities Went to the Desert to Find Themselves (headline borrowed from the wire)

Many celebrities were in the desert. Many celebrities danced and consumed alcoholic beverages. Many celebrities were wearing fashionable articles of clothing and were photographed laughing. Some celebrities went to the desert to worship pagan deities. There was a giant bubbling cauldron in the desert and the celebrities were putting things in it. Expensive things, like blue cheese and pear tartlettes and fancy drinks made with pineapple, imported caviar,a brand new Mercedes, their personal assistants, several members of the paparazzi, and Gwyneth Paltrow. This bubbling brew was starting to build strength. The celebrities took a giant spoon to taste their concoction, and honestly it wasn't bad. It just needed more salt. They each drank giant bowlfuls and it sustained them and gave them awesome powers, powers to pick really interesting Indie movie roles. It gave their skin an awesome glow and they basked in themselves and each other until the sun shined over their glimmering bodies and they fell fast asleep.