Matthew Feinstein

Matthew Feinstein is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach with his BA in English Creative Writing. He is applying for an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Poetry.

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► Matthew's microchap & selected poems are below. Download the single-page PDF by clicking the title.

Origami Microchap

Lemon Law

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Matthew Feinstein CVR Lemon Law DEC19

Cover image by jalt.photography

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Dating with Autism

Confused by indirect
texts & the way you bite
your bottom lip, I disrobe
my intentions, one text
message at a time.
I want your head resting
on my stomach—
voice harmonizing
with consistency
of breath.

If you and I exchanged
how our neurons fire,
you'd understand why
I shake my leg through two-
hour movies. Why girls
puzzle me. Why there's never
been mutual affection in my life.
Why when asking me to look
you in the eyes, I'm compelled
to stare at the rotation
of a ceiling fan.

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Lemon Law

I'm out of breath, bent over,
hands resting on my knees—
I ran to the gas station to pick
up a bag of Cheetos for my friend.

He said he'd pay me ten bucks,
but when I hand him the bag,
he grins—Thanks
for the free snack.

I ask my father why people
don't keep their word. He laughs—
Because they can. It's your job
to sniff out the bullshit.
Use your nose,
God gave you one.

But my nose is a dud
that I can't exchange.

Poets