Hello, friends. Gobblers by Masticadores has published another of my nature photography images titled “Autumn Colors & Cirrus Clouds.” Many thanks to editor Manuela Timofte for sharing this fall foliage image with her readers.
You can view the image and its accompanying commentary here:
Also, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Gobblers by Masticadores, where you’ll find some wonderful writing and plenty of food for thought.
Hey, folks. Something a bit different this time. A petition was brought to my attention tonight by my good buddy Jeff, a retired RN who spent more than twenty-five years in the Public Health Service serving this country. Due to the ongoing reckless and irresponsible republican shutdown of our government here in the US, Jeff and other retired (and current active duty) officers in the PHS and NOAA may be denied their hard-earned pensions and pay. Here’s what the petition has to say:
“Thousands of retired officers from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps may not be paid at the end of October — not because they didn’t earn it, but because they don’t have the same pay protections as retirees from the armed services. These retired officers have served alongside those in the armed services. They’ve flown through hurricanes and fought pandemics. They’ve deployed across the globe for missions vital to our national security, and we’ve rewarded them with uncertainty and unfair treatment. All entities of the federal government – lawmakers in both chambers, as well as stakeholders in the executive branch – must ensure retirees of all eight uniformed services receive their service-earned retirement pay during the shutdown.” – Military Officers Association of America
Recently, the Senate voted on a bill that would have paid some federal workers during the shutdown, but not all, and that bill failed. Why? Here’s an excerpt from a statement by Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware): “Democrats proposed two alternatives that would pay all federal employees, not just those the Trump administration deems worthy. It was no surprise that it was shot down by Republicans.”
Please join me in signing this petition on behalf of my friend Jeff–who dedicated his professional career to helping save lives—and his fellow brothers and sisters in the PHS and NOAA, both active and retired. They deserve honor and respect for their selfless service. Let’s make sure they’re treated fairly.
Here’s the link:
https://moaa.quorum.us/campaign/145079/
(You needn’t be a member of the military to sign; this petition is open to US citizens only.)
Hi, friends. The eleventh installment of my tanka series titled “A Tanka Trio (11)” is now live at Gobblers by Masticadores. Each of these installments contains three tanka (be sure to click this link or the link below to read all of them). Many kind thanks to Editor Manuela Timofte for publishing these tanka. Very much appreciated, Manuela.
“A Tanka Trio (11)”
©2022 by Michael L. Utley
(#31)
my exhausted faith
flows just as the drift ice flows
breaks and melts away
heaven’s reflection blurring
in the sea’s saltwater tears
….
(#32)
I catch the water
dripping from the icicles
in a mason jar
as a gentle reminder
that I do not weep alone
You can read the rest of this tanka installment here:
Also, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Gobblers by Masticadores, where you’ll find some wonderful writing and plenty of food for thought.
Hi, folks. The estimable Manuela Timofte, editor of Gobblers by Masticadores, has shared another of my nature photography images titled “Rocks & Tower at Big Spring Canyon.” Thank you, Manuela, for publishing this photograph of the high desert region of my part of the world. Very much appreciated.
You can view the image and its accompanying commentary here:
Also, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Gobblers by Masticadores, where you’ll find some wonderful writing and plenty of food for thought.
Greetings, friends. My poem “My Life Reads Like a Suicide Note” is now live at Hotel by Masticadores. I’m so thankful to editor Michelle Navajas for publishing this unusually dark and intense poem. Much gratitude to you, Michelle, for being willing to share writing that deals with difficult subjects. We all have voices that need to be heard.
“My Life Reads Like a Suicide Note”
© 2025 by Michael L. Utley
“my old man died alone
on a busted sofa
on a September farm
in the middle
of nowhere
with a gut full of
prescription drugs
and a poorly scrawled note
left on the kitchen table
“something went wrong
in my head”
it said
he checked out
without tipping
the bellboy
the cheap fuck
remorseless
to the end
and in his
final act
on planet earth
he also killed
me…”
You can read the rest of my poem here:
Also, please consider following and subscribing to Hotel by Masticadores, where you’ll discover a world of wonderfully imaginative and profound writing.
Hey, everyone. I’m excited to share some good news with you. My poem “The Daisy Ring” has been nominated for the 2026 Best of the Net Award. It’s an honor for me, and I’m so grateful to editor Michelle Navajas of Hotel by Masticadores for thinking highly enough of my poem to nominate it. What’s more, I count several good friends among Michelle’s other nominees and I’m thrilled for all of them and wish them the very best of luck.
For those unfamiliar with this annual award, here’s what The Best of the Net’s website has to say:
“The Best of the Net is an awards-based anthology designed to grant a platform to a diverse and growing collection of writers and publishers who are building an online literary landscape that seeks to break free of traditional publishing. This space has been created to bring greater respect to the continually expanding world of exceptional digital publishing.”
You can read more about the annual award and its anthology here:
Also, you can view all of Michelle’s nominees here:
And finally, a link to my poem:
Congratulations to all the other nominees, and thanks again, Michelle, for your kindness and for believing in my writing.
Silent Pariah 