Posted: April 27, 2023

Splake's Takes

the recent upper peninsula winter is really hanging on this year.  with the april calendar days rapidly disappearing the weather report for this coming weekend is for serious storm warnings.  the slow arrival of ice out and coming into spring reminds me of the old familiar yooper humor.  the upper peninsula joke of having two seasons, eleven months of winter and one month of hard sledding.  however, after last week’s alberta clipper blizzard roaring down out of canada, i wrote a brief yooper winter poem.

early upper peninsula autumn
april blizzard turning
god’s country all over white

since the last “splake’s takes” computer entry i have enjoyed several poems published in different literary journals.  i am very extremely pleased to have poems and a photograph produced in the seventh edition of the UP READER, the upper peninsula literary magazine.  in addition, there was a splake poems printed in “glimpse,” clinton, new york (editor george searles) and eight short writings in “bear creek haiku,” longmont, colorado (editor daryl ayaz nieslsen).

plus, two new splake poetry chapbooks recently rolled off the presses.  “tranny trippin’ was produced by transcendent-zero press, houston, texas (editor dustin pickering).   cyberwit press in allahabad, india published the new splake collection of poems “mad dog fevers” (editor doctor agarwal).

a final footnote for this new “splake’s takes” entry.  recently i watched and enjoyed the jeff daniel’s film “escanaba in da moonlight.” the movie described  an upper peninsula deer camp at the opening of hunting season.  the film revealed the special poetic realities that exist with yooper people and places.  this is with the exception of the ‘phony  yoopers’ who live near the academic communities of houghton, marquette and sault ste. marie michigan.  after watching daniel’s  “escanaba in da moonlight” i wrote my own deer season poem

deer season opening day

pasties euchre leinenkugel farts
“hustler” magazine in two holer
dreams of sixteen point buck

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Posted: April 27, 2023

U.P. Reader

soft forest symphony

everything makes noise
only poet hears
autumn leaves turning color
fresh snow falling
spring buds growing
small birds in flight
standing in their shadows
becoming part of nature
enjoying wilderness music

# # # # 

we love it

storm blowing out of canada
fierce alberta clippers
below zero saskatchewan screamers
snow knee high and rising
foot or more accumulation
many losing tempers
making unkind remarks
graybeard poet declaring
“we love it”
making storm less severe
enjoying blizzard beauty
life feeling better

# # # # 

Posted: April 27, 2023

Glimpse

rest in peace

organist playing soft music
minister reading short prayer
coffin taken to cemetery
cars quiet funeral procession
reception back home
cakes and pies
future casserole dinners
waiting in refrigerator
peoples warm condolences
quietly anxious to leave
while graybeard poet
spirit on light breeze
wind soft wilderness hymn
ashes floating in brautigan creek
bardic soul vanishing
beyond dark tree shadows
sudden moment of silence

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Posted: April 27, 2023

Bear Creek Haiku

essential hemingway in rucksack
hiking boots moving down trail
chasing big two-hearted dreams

# # # #

ice out keweenaw bay
dark blue black purple colors
soon melting pollock canvas

# # # #

beside brautigan creek
poet lost in steady currents
flowing through his bones

# # # #

nervous old spice sweat
waiting slow dances
lost in ‘stardust’ dreams

# # # #

Posted: April 27, 2023

Tranny Trippin'

poetry is life

with creative freedom
no borders or limits
touching tasting reality
seeing and feeling
working outside of time
something many writers
don’t understand

# # # #

rebirth

young woman’s body
rising from brautigan creek
wet naked flesh
fresh from first sex
confidently walking
through wilderness shadows
moving to new life

# # # #

last chapter

artist’s sudden death
prevented writing final poem
describing failing body
sadness of losing creative life
dying with personal dignity
like many people
mistakenly believing
life last forever
until shit happens

# # # #

Posted: April 27, 2023

Mad Dog Fevers

kerouac beat wisdom
dexter gordon trane miles davis
cool jazz sweetens the soul

# # # #

angler casting trout stream fly
photographer viewing reality through lens
quiet out of body experiences

# # # #

grave shadow’s whisper
are there any rainbow trout
wherever you are

# # # #

trout fishing in america
no fish in richard’s creel
empty dickel bottle floating

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