2025
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Posted: June 20, 2025
Splake's Takes
in spite of snow flurries on the first day of may in calumet, spring has finally arrived and is settling in the northern keweenaw peninsula. today the sun was shining, sky blue, birds singing their poor hearts dry and much of the winter snow has melted away. now with ice out the upper peninsula rivers and stream water levels are high. this means the complete angler will have to wait for a little while before chasing the elusive and beautiful tiger trout.
on the literary front splake publishing has recently been verysuccessful. i am extremely pleased with the new shoe music press “trash talking with god” full length book collection of splake poetry. this is the fourth book shoe music press editor gordon purkis has produced from his literary operation in lilbeth, georgia.
in addition, the new issue – volume nine – of the UP READER had three splake poems and a color photograph in the annual edition. note: this literary journal produces an excellent reflection of michigan’s upper peninsula history and also a collection of stories, poems and photography of today’s ‘yooper’ artists. also, transcendent-zero press (editor dustin pickering, hoston, texas)
produced “last dance” a new splake poetry chapbook.
the small press literary scene also has been good to splake writings. i have received ink and space in “bear creek haiku” (editor ayaz nielson, longmont, colorado),“big hammer” (editor dave roskos, seaboard heights, new jersey),“glimpse” (editor george j. searles, clinton, new york), “over the transon” (editor jonathon hayes, oakland, california). and “trajectory” (editor chris helvey, frankford, kentucky).
looking to the splake creative future, i am presently wrestling over the writings for two new literary productions. the book’s artwork is finished with the selection of new personal photographs. now all that remains is using precious rat bastard time to choose the splake poems for the publications.
Posted: June 20, 2025
Talking Trash With God
early coffee shop morning
baristas playing “hallelujah” on phone speaker
espresso and leonard cohen perfect day
# # # #
tired wreath hanging from double-wide door
trailer park people celebrating christmas all year
every day waiting for santa
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nursing home community uprising
revolt of angry graying senior citizens
marching with canes and riding scooters
# # # #
black coffee becoming blood
glaze donuts artist’s flesh
spiritual early morning communion
# # # #
poet’s last breath
soft final whisper
let me be done
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Posted: June 20, 2025
UP Reader
yooper haiku
crossing mackinac bridge
grabbing hard left on highway two
heading true north into god’s country
# # # #
after paying mackinac bridge toll
driving deep into god’s country
enjoying peaceful beauty free
# # # #
poet’s upper peninsula ghost
leaving calvary cemetery for chapel beach
floating above lake superior true north
# # # #
upper peninsula wedding
bride wearing copper ring not diamond
agate necklace and wildflowers in hair
# # # #
coming of age
graying senior’s shadow
enjoying early morning silence
warming before fireplace
sweet cedar aromas
life moving beyond
bucket list adventures
quietly remembering childhood
wonderful time of youth
growing up in grand marais
sixteen-year old boy
getting first buck
fall hunting season
.410 dropping deer
early evening dusk
running a trapline
sable river to lake superior
rereading familiar pages
fur fish and game magazine
fishing opening day
wrestling big two-hearted rainbows
hurricane river brook trout
late summer days
picking wild blueberries
ripe kingston plains harvest
selling some to iga grocery
mother preserving rest
making breakfast jams
sledding and cross-country skiing
across snowy sable dunes
afternoon hockey games
played on frozen bay ice
evenings skating with young girls
glowing teenage dreams
of life growing up
# # # #
Posted: June 20, 2025
Last Dance
twelve step salvation
detoxing rehabbing souls learning
jesus easy to love god harder
# # # #
artist moving beyond society’s conventional values
abandoning religion motherhood flag and free enterprise
intoxicating feeling of being free
# # # #
john muir and uncle walt
believing souls finding peace in nature
worshipping butterflies and wildflowers
# # # #
most people lost in dull empty lives
but after tasting creative magic making art
impossible being ordinary again
# # # #
Posted: June 20, 2025
Bear Creek Haiku
poet’s ghost dancing through forest
memories floating on light breeze
pine needles softly humming
# # # #
solitary poet discovering
wisdom in quiet remote places
buddha retreats jesus in desert
# # # #
after weekend workshop
needing some honest creative writing
poems coming directly from soul
# # # #
discovering great expectations
poet learning life’s secret wisdom
love more important than wealth
# # # #
Posted: June 20, 2025
Big Hammer
poet celebrating successful writing day
not sipping expensive wine in tiny glasses
chugging mad dog 20/20 from bottle
# # # #
poet’s writing studio without clock
not wanting brain to imagine constant clicking
with time rapidly vanishing in days shadows
# # # #
Posted: June 20, 2025
Glimpse
father’s day
early morning coffee shop sunrise
“good morning dad” greeting
from daughter of marriage long ago
estranged by separation
bitterness of divorce
parental connections in doubt
instead of rolling eyes
looking sideways in shadows
suggesting immediate dna test
graybeard poet always gentleman
with warm smile
saying hello robin
let’s hear about your life
# # # #
Posted: June 20, 2025
Over the Transom
viagra soft dick
sagging wrinkled scrotum
heart lost years ago
# # # #
poet’s writing morning
can of red bull and one od colt 45
blank page waiting
# # # #
morning delirium terrors
screaming at bugs all over kitchen
basement full of snakes
# # # #
after husband’s drunken angry words
morning promising wife never again
both waiting next time
# # # #
Posted: June 20, 2025
Trajectory
examining colorful autumn leaf
intricate veins designs of life
revealing god everywhere
# # # #
poet’s early morning tryst
engaged in contest with seductive bitch
elusive damn dame lady muse
# # # #
saying goodbye to graybeard poet
scattered ashes disappearing in light breeze
soul living on in his poems
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Posted: February 11, 2025
Splakes Takes
ah and so, the christmas holidays are now over and we are quickly moving into the beginning of a new year. already it is february in the michigan upper peninsula and the sun has returned to welcome many recent days. with this fresh energy of new light it is now possible to seriously dream of smell it – breathe it – coming into spring. regardless if the future march weather reflects the lion or the lamb, the winter season of long white is definitely on the wane.
the new year has been good for me and i have been sending out copies of new books and literary journals with my poems to editors, writing friends and the archives at northern michigan and michigan technological university.
angst press in calumet, michigan has published three new splake books, “yooper haiku,” “soft core dreams,” and “final journey home.” in addition, cyber-wit books in allahabad, india, has produced two titles, “pages whispering dreams,” and “beyond autumn light.” plus, i have had splake poems printed in “trajectory” (editor chris helvey, frankfort, kentucky) and ‘bear creek haiku” (editor daryl ayaz nielsen, longmont, colorado).
looking ahead toward the future, i expect to soon to receive the splake poetry chapbook “final dance” (editor dustin pickering, houston, texas) while wrestling over two untitled manuscripts for shoe music press and angst productions.
Posted: February 11, 2025
Yooper Haiku
alive in wilderness
witnessing nature’s beauty
not on cellphone screen
# # # #
spending time alone in forest
enjoying silent wilderness moments
soul growing closer to earth
# # # #
sweet forest aromas
smell of fresh wilderness
after early morning rain
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Posted: February 11, 2025
Soft Core Dreams
naked face bathroom mirror reflection
wondering if looking at new woman
or one making same life mistakes
# # # #
girl growing up terrified by parents fighting
shouting and screaming about getting divorced
patiently waiting for her husband to abuse
# # # #
fourteen-year old girl’s broken heart
disappearing from her pain in endless sleep
tiny soul rising above yellow police tape
# # # #
Posted: February 11, 2025
Final Journey Home
night moon’s brightness
lighting path’s dark shadows
helping poet find way home
# # # #
full moon forest shadows
dark pine bough needles
whispering in light breeze
# # # #
impossible to find wisdom
sitting under tree like buddha
too busy getting rich
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Posted: February 11, 2025
Pages Whispering Dreams
greatest generation shadow
graybeard poet’s life
now passing through twilight years
recently experiencing scary surprise
walking from post office to truck
falling down in mail street
after picking body off concrete
heart pounding and nervously shaking
feeling extremely embarrassed
hoping no one saw me
slowly limping to pickup
on painful knees
scraped wrist and bleeding arm
hoping not to fall again
arthritis weakening body
slower brain muscle connection
interfering with balance
however not panicked
no visit to hospital
doctor’s appointment
or diagnostic tests
because born and raised
in tom brokaw’s
“the greatest generation”
born into life
during great depression
society and family wrestling
with serious economic problems
also witnessing country
preparing for another war
foreign problems growing
in europe and asia
still seeing me
firing home-made guns
killing germans and japs
much of early life
influenced by self-sufficiency
learning to save or do without
living in three rivers
small midwestern town
watching army trucks
soldiers leaving basic training
fort custer north in kalamazoo
riding to seaports
soon facing enemy in combat
country’s young boys
should be enjoying youth
planning future possibilities
lives interrupted going to war
european fighting
illuminated by spielberg
“saving private ryan:” film
army’s disastrous casualties
dead soldier’s blood
staining atlantic ocean
omaha beach landing
after d-day invasion
“band of brothers” tv series
airborne “screaming eagles”
parachuted into france
night before invasion
to disrupt german military activity
followed 101st army division
through battle across europe
to war’s end in berlin
with germany surrendering
fighting in europe ending
pacific campaign climaxing
after pearl harbor sneak attack
war declared against japan
american military forces
began several island battles
leyte saipan tarawa iwo jima
bloody invasion of okinawa
last major pacific battle
victory insured air base
for flying missions to japan
after dropping atomic bombs
nagasaki and hiroshima
unconditional surrender
ending pacific war
after fighting ended
time to bring boys home
american military veterans
ready to start families
begin job careers
many getting college education
under government gi bil
however many greatest generation
lost in dark shadows
suffering psychological effects of killing
living with closeness of death
lost in veteran hospitals
fighting combat nightmares
always hearing guns
noise of exploding bombs
so now graybeard poet
veteran of personal wars
has definite plans to survive
not living in blind panic
worried over possibility of death
wasting precious time
instead celebrating each morning
enjoying being free
living my poem
# # # #
Posted: February 11, 2025
Beyond Autumn Light
tom wait’s lonesome voice
whispering to dark side of lover’s soul
sadly lost inside broken heart
# # # #
haunting damaged needy woman
spending life making other people unhappy
enjoying having them feel like her
# # # #
dead dad’s son
missing love he never had
from father buying him toys
# # # #
Posted: February 11, 2025
Bear Creek Haiku
wind blowing out
graybeard poet enjoying vintage years
still able to step up to home plate
grab pen and swing toward bleachers
# # # #
going home show
on the road ghost
tranny trippin’ through darkness
turning route sixty-six miles
empty rearview mirror
no turning back
passing through great plains
reaching rocky mountains
late evening shadows
with early morning light
poet hoping to see
sun rising over frisco bay
cold beer breakfast
hanging out with jack
chatting with beat friends
# # ##
Posted: February 11, 2025
Trajectory
antidepressants smothering poet’s demons
also destroying angels and rainbow colors
that often rise in writer’s brain
# # # #
morning hair of the dog
slowly drinking three fingers
old number seven magic
# # # #
poet tranny trippin’ empty roads
headlights pushing back darkness
soft echoes of bob seger’s ‘night moves’
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