© 2025 by Michael L. Utley
(#379)
my life
bereft of kin and ken
December trees
…..
(#380)
a whisper of hope
just enough
to tear me to pieces
…..
(#381)
these heavy skies
and the burdens they carry
dove’s cries
…..
(#382)
expectant hush
beginnings and endings
we yearn for both
…..
(#383)
don’t ask of my heart
there are dark places therein
even I fear to tread
…..
(#384)
a journey
of a thousand lies begins with
“I love you”
Hey, friends. If you’re in the mood for some haiku and senryu, Gobblers by Masticadores has published the latest installment of my short haiku/senryu collections titled “A Few Haiku (23).” These small collections consist of six haiku and/or senryu. Many thanks to editor Manuela Timofte for sharing my poetry with all of you.
“A Few Haiku (23)”
© 2021 by Michael L. Utley
(#133)
winter blizzard
mountain’s clouded mind confused
avalanche of thoughts
…..
(#134)
my life stains the page
complicated crimson kanji
too obscure to read
…..
(#135)
arctic kitsune
little blizzard stalks the drifts
crimson raicho plumes
You can read the rest of this mini-collection 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. My poem “I’ve Come at Last to Anhedonia” is now available at LatinosUSA. Much gratitude to editor Michelle Navajas for publishing this piece. Sincerely appreciated, Michelle.
“I’ve Come at Last to Anhedonia”
© 2023 by Michael L. Utley
“I’ve come at last to Anhedonia
that bleak and melancholy land
beyond the god-forsaken desert sand
far ‘cross the sea of memories
where sunlight fades and none has e’er returned…”
You can read the rest of my poem here:
I hope you’ll consider following and subscribing to LatinosUSA–a place of unique visions and creative voices from around the world.
Just a note to let you know Gobblers by Masticadores has published my poem titled “Anchor.” Thanks to editor Manuela Timofte for her kindness in sharing this piece with all of you.
“Anchor”
© 2022 by Michael L. Utley
“she sat there
9,000 miles away
on the edge of her bed
or the ledge of her building
I never knew which
and talked about anchors
and the black depths
of depression
and what it would feel like
to fly…”
You can read the rest of my poem 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. More haiku and senryu for your perusal as Gobblers by Masticadores has published the latest installment of my short haiku/senryu collections titled “A Few Haiku (22).” These small collections consist of six haiku and/or senryu. Sincere thanks to editor Manuela Timofte for this opportunity to share my poetry with all of you.
“A Few Haiku (22)”
© 2021 by Michael L. Utley
(#127)
serrated sea shells
flay unfeeling fleeing feet
my numb soul bleeds out
…..
(#128)
bits of blue shell
and broken soul mark my fall
from heaven’s nest
…..
(#129)
old pond and ocean
renewed with each thunderstorm
my soul begs for rain
You can read the rest of this mini-collection 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.
Hello, everyone. My poem “Idyllic” is now available for your perusal at Hotel by Masticadores. I’m grateful to editor Michelle Navajas for publishing this piece, which is an unapologetic, unvarnished rendition of what rural life is really like in parts of this lost and broken country. Thank you, Michelle, for sharing this dark poem with with your readers.
“Idyllic”
© 2025 by Michael L. Utley
“Leroy blew his
fingers off with
blasting caps he stole
from some old granary
and he’d chew on the
blackened stumps
while waiting
for the school bus
like some kind of
hard dude
like he didn’t feel
a thing
I hated him
but I understood
numbness
and I knew he was
dead inside
knowing his
little sisters
were never
coming back
from that long-ago
pile of twisted metal
on the highway
he was sixteen
and already
an old man…“
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.
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.
Silent Pariah 