Tag: despair

“The Daisy Ring” published at LatinosUSA

On By Mike U.In Poetry6 Comments

Greetings, friends. Just a note to let you know my poem “The Daisy Ring” has been published at LatinosUSA. Editor Michelle Navajas does such a wonderful job of sharing various writers’ offerings with her readers and it’s always an honor to be published by her. I’m sincerely grateful, Michelle.

“The Daisy Ring”
© 2021 by Michael L. Utley

“I found thee in a faerie copse…”

“Hmm?” she murmured
Her gaze caught somewhere
In the rainy neon night-world
Beyond the coffee shop window
Her fingers weightless
Feather-like
In my hand
Ethereal
Furnace-hot

“I found thee in a faerie copse
Alighting on each flower fair
And as I ‘proached thee in the hopes
Of snaring thee in lovers’ ropes
Thou disappeared into thin air…”

She looked at me then
A faint smile teasing
Her lips
“Your poetry is terrible,” she said…

You can read the rest of my poem here:

“The Daisy Ring”by Michael L. Utley

I hope you’ll consider following and subscribing to LatinosUSA–a place of unique visions and creative voices from around the world.

“Heroic” published at Manuela Timofte’s blog In a Love World

On By Mike U.In Poetry22 Comments

Hi, folks. My poem “Heroic” has been published at Manuela Timofte’s blog In A Love World. Many thanks to Manuela for sharing this poem. Truly grateful for your kind gesture, Manuela.

“Heroic”
© 2013 by Michael L. Utley

The kid was too young
This distant uncanny boy
Face absconded
Into the murky depths of his
Drenched and threadbare
Crimson hoodie
Eyes mere pinpricks
Of sentience in the shadows
Where his face should be
On this pouring midnight
Sidewalk where even the rain seemed
Exhausted in the scornful cones
Of streetlamp illumination
And unseen clouds sighed above
Too tired for the bluster and pretense
Of thunder
And he sat there in this mess of a night
On a bench where no bus would ever stop
For anyone at anytime for any reason
Staring into the distance at both
Something and nothing at once
Moveless save for an occasional shiver
Waiting for someone or something
Or perhaps nothing at all…

You can read the rest of my poem here:

Heroic

Also, please consider following and subscribing to In A Love World, a place where wonderful poetry abounds.

“This World is Yours” published at LatinosUSA

On By Mike U.In Poetry27 Comments

Hello, everyone. My poem “This World is Yours” has been published at LatinosUSA. Sincere thanks to editor Michelle Navajas for sharing this piece with her readers. I’m truly grateful, Michelle.

“This World is Yours”
© 2023 by Michael L. Utley

you thought you could
save the world
wee lad
you couldn’t even
save yourself

those bleak nighthawk skies
where dead stars fall
like blood-bloated flies
and fey winds howl
in deafened ears
a behemoth’s fetid exhalation
violent and ignorant
and inexorable

breathe
breathe it all in
the sweat-soaked fear
the bitter tang of futility
fill your lungs
wee lad
this world is yours
as far as tear-blurred
eyes can see…

You can read the rest of my poem here:

“This World is Yours” by Michael L. Utley

I hope you’ll consider following and subscribing to LatinosUSA–a place of unique visions and creative voices from around the world.

“January’s Scion” Published at Manuela Timofte’s In A Love World Blog

On By Mike U.In Poetry16 Comments

Hey, friends. Just want to let you know my poem “January’s Scion” has been published at Manuela Timofte’s blog In A Love World. I’m grateful to Manuela for her kindness in sharing this piece with all of you.

“January’s Scion”
© 2022 by Michael L. Utley

January’s scion, born of winter
messenger of midnight’s dark domain
harbinger of fearful futures
herald of the past’s persistence
bearer of remembrances of
what shall surely be

I’ve succumbed to January’s Janus
peering ever forward and behind
frozen firmly on the threshold
of what was and what may soon be
doomed to bear the weight of all things
for eternity…

You can read the rest of my poem here:

January’s Scion

Also, please consider following and subscribing to In A Love World, a place where wonderful poetry abounds.

“The Cairn” published at LatinosUSA

On By Mike U.In Poetry36 Comments

Hello, friends. Just a quick note to let you know my poem “The Cairn” is now available at LatinosUSA. Many thanks to editor Michelle Navajas for being so kind as to publish this piece. Truly appreciated, Michelle.

“The Cairn”
© 2023 by Michael L. Utley

a handful of stones
the currency of a hardened heart
cannot purchase a reprieve
from the weight of mountains
upon my soul

scree of memories
who can navigate the slope
of ankle-breaking regrets
the sharpened shale
of the empty slate
where hope
was once etched
and now only
dust remains…

You can read the rest of my poem here:

“The Cairn”by Michael L. Utley

I hope you’ll consider following and subscribing to LatinosUSA–a place of unique visions and creative voices from around the world.

“A Few Haiku & Senryu (64)”

On By Mike U.In Poetry43 Comments

© 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”

“I’ve Come at Last to Anhedonia” published at LatinosUSA

On By Mike U.In Poetry19 Comments

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’ve Come at Last to Anhedonia” by Michael L. Utley

I hope you’ll consider following and subscribing to LatinosUSA–a place of unique visions and creative voices from around the world.

“Anchor” published at Gobblers by Masticadores

On By Mike U.In Poetry27 Comments

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:

Anchor

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.

“A Tanka Trio (11)” published at Gobblers by Masticadores

On By Mike U.In Poetry31 Comments

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:

A Tanka Trio (11)

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.

“My Life Reads Like a Suicide Note” published at Hotel by Masticadores

On By Mike U.In Poetry37 Comments

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:

“My Life Reads Like a Suicide Note” by Michael L. Utley

Also, please consider following and subscribing to Hotel by Masticadores, where you’ll discover a world of wonderfully imaginative and profound writing.