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

# # # #

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

# # # #

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 101^st 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’

# # # #