Tag: poem

“Doubt”

On By Mike U.In Poetry21 Comments

(c) 2023 by Michael L. Utley

an abandoned field
an overcast sky
a cedar post
a river stone
a random trajectory
something will shatter
in a moment
when sorrow
and regret
merge
forcefully

so many thrown stones
litter the ground
around the post
missed opportunities
bad timing
a reprieve from
consequences
too brutal
to imagine
should wood
and stone
connect

but this time

is different

my aim is true
and through
tear-blurred eyes
I find clarity at last
as the stone
strikes the post
dead-center
and there is
no longer
any doubt

“The Thing on the Ground”

On By Mike U.In Poetry23 Comments

(c) 2017 by Michael L. Utley

There—the thing on the ground
Some insect or other
A leg detached
Dragged off by ants

It kicks in stupid
Futile spasms
Insectoid mind buzzing in
Some alien tongue
Antennae crippled
Useless

I step closer
Hovering above
As this pedestrian drama plays
Below me

“Jump, damn you!
Save yourself,
Worthless grasshopper!”

I am strangely furious at this
Pathetic thing
This helpless thing
As it dies before my eyes

“Get up! Jump!”

I feel the sting of salt
In my eyes
The tears that have
Abandoned me for eons
Doubling the writhing thing
On the ground
Trebling it in a
Saline blur

It gazes dumbly
At the sky
The clouds
The sun
All too busy in their
Mindless journey above
To notice what’s below

Another spasm
Another kick
A pebble bounces away
Mandibles scream in
Silent rage

I close my eyes
I see her
The one I couldn’t save
The doomed, damned one
Who finally broke me in two
The crippled one too far gone
The one who dragged me to the brink
And jumped

Too late

I open my eyes

The ants have returned
The thing on the ground
Kicks languidly
Dispassionately
A shudder
A twitch

The ants swarm

“Winds of Sorrow” published at MasticadoresIndia

On By Mike U.In Poetry32 Comments

I’m excited to let you know that my poem “Winds of Sorrow” has been published at MasticadoresIndia. Many thanks to Terveen Gill and her team for sharing my poem with their readers. Terveen’s presence on WordPress is a gift for all writers—not only is she a brilliant editor, she’s also an amazing person who is generous with her support and encouragement. I’m deeply grateful to see my work included at MasticadoresIndia. Sincerest thanks, Terveen!

“Winds of Sorrow”

“My beloved kiku lay in withered waste
Yet their ivory tears still fall
Drift against the sides of my heart
Winter’s woeful weeping…”

I’d be delighted if you would read the rest of my poem by clicking this link. Also, be sure to follow and subscribe to MasticadoresIndia—it’s a wonderful place for those who love writing.

“When Field Work is Done” published at MasticadoresIndia

On By Mike U.In Poetry47 Comments

I’m pleased to let you know that my poem “When Field Work is Done” has been published at MasticadoresIndia. Much gratitude goes out to Terveen Gill and her team for their kindness and support in bringing my poem to their readers. Terveen’s ever-present encouragement and love for writing keeps me going and helps me remain connected to the WordPress community even during times of intense writer’s block. It’s both exciting and humbling to see my work included at MasticadoresIndia. Many thanks, Terveen!

“When Field Work is Done”

“When field work is done and soil tells
A tale of fragrant earth in russet tones
When ground-mist hunkers in secluded dells
And eventide descends upon the swells
Of solemn and discordant distant bells…”

I’d be grateful if you would check out the rest of my poem by clicking this link. Also, be sure to follow and subscribe to MasticadoresIndia—it’s a wonderful place for those who love writing.

“Sea of Trees” published at MasticadoresIndia

On By Mike U.In Poetry37 Comments

I’m happy to announce that my poem “Sea of Trees” has been published at MasticadoresIndia. I appreciate Terveen Gill and her team for their support and kindness in publishing my poem. Terveen’s tireless enthusiasm for promoting writers and their work is a hallmark of her dedication to her craft. I’m both grateful and humbled to have my poetry included at MasticadoresIndia. Thank you so much, Terveen!

“Sea of Trees”

“To slake my thirst
With dew from leaves that never see the light
Arboreal the tears that fall and quench
The darkest dreams

To fill my bowels
With loam whose cloying scent bespeaks of death
Arboreal the taste of living earth
My hunger begs…”

I’d be grateful if you would check out the rest of my poem by clicking this link. Also, be sure to follow and subscribe to MasticadoresIndia—it’s a wonderful place for those who love writing.

“This World is Yours”

On By Mike U.In Poetry69 Comments

“This World is Yours”
(c) 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

pry up decrepit floorboards
in the dim derelict
cellar of childhood
see the blind white-bellied
squirming things
trundle dumbly, aimlessly
in sepulchral voids
gelatinous excreta
glistening in darkness
a treasure trove
of memories
a box of hell
a gift that keeps on giving
handle these with care
wee lad
lest they consume your soul

you battled the familiar demon
on twilight moors of yore
he wore your scar for years
you’ll wear his for eternity
wee lad
your popsicle stick sword
your pie tin shield
your best intentions
your noble cause
did you really think
you had a chance in hell
of slaying the beast?
what’s a little blood
between father and son?

the elixir of time is a lie
there is no balm for
a childhood stripped
from its moorings
with such casual cruelty

see the sullen sun
heliograph dully
on the lake of fate
see the dun birds
peregrinate incuriously above
see the reflection on the water
the wee old man
with hollow eyes
and broken soul
see the pulsing stormcloud
brooding, ever-present
on the horizon

the myth of idyllic youth
the hue of quicksilver
and autumn wheat
the clever, cloying scent
of false hope
the raucous, pealing thunder
of sundered souls
the thresher’s flail looms
and you fall before it as chaff
blown from this world
on eldritch zephyrs

within the forest of years
the darkling path
opens before you
and closes behind
in peristaltic spasms
as the trees swallow you
in green silence
this quiet place
devoid of time
a resting place
a tomb of giants
a dying place
for those so inclined
no memories allowed here
nor light nor love nor healing
only darkness
and the furtive murmur
of moon-shadows

you were a boy once
for seven years
now your ethereal form
drifts among
strange nameless constellations
across forgotten eons
you won’t find yourself here
wee lad
that kid is long gone
but you must find something
before all is lost

“Thus the Evening’s Stillness Deepens” published at MasticadoresIndia

On By Mike U.In Poetry48 Comments

I’m pleased to announce that my poem “Thus the Evening’s Stillness Deepens” has been published at MasticadoresIndia. I’m so grateful to Terveen Gill and her team for their support and kindness in publishing my poem. Terveen’s peerless enthusiasm for creative writing is inspirational on so many levels. I’m both delighted and humbled to have my poetry included at MasticadoresIndia. Thanks a bunch, Terveen!

“Thus the Evening’s Stillness Deepens”

“I don’t want to break the peaceful
stillness of this winter evening
as the gloaming deepens and the
shadows freeze upon the hills…”

I’d be grateful if you would check out the rest of my poem by clicking this link. Also, be sure to follow and subscribe to MasticadoresIndia–it’s a wonderful place for those who love writing.

“A Few Haiku & Senryu (57)”

On By Mike U.In Poetry69 Comments

(c) 2023 by Michael L. Utley

(#337)

childhood’s end at seven
I’ve been nothing but a ghost
since then

…..

(#338)

hypervigilance
through dark watches of the night
a young boy’s burden

…..

(#339)

all these long years
the monster dead and gone
yet the fear remains

…..

(#340)

thunder and brimstone
the profane currency
of childhood

…..

(#341)

in the end
he felt no remorse at all
my father’s death

…..

(#342)

how to feel again
when all I’ve ever known is fear
how to live again

“A Few Haiku & Senryu (56)”

On By Mike U.In Poetry62 Comments

(c) 2023 by Michael L. Utley

(#331)

dusty stew pot
her memory lingers by
the cold hearth

…..

(#332)

a tiny sun
in this cold dark hell
golden suisen

…..

(#333)

strings of koto
from beyond the bamboo grove
my heart breaks again

…..

(#334)

don’t look at me, moon
I’m not who you think I am
dark night of the soul

…..

(#335)

from my window
the mountain; from the mountain
eternity

…..

(#336)

green silence
and the end of all things
sea of trees

(Note: A bit of a title change for this series. I’ve been writing senryu almost as long as haiku and I figured it was time to clarify that these little collections contain both. Haiku pertain to nature and seasons, while senryu address the human condition. The formats are virtually identical; the subject matter differs.)

“A Summer’s Field in Winter” published at MasticadoresIndia

On By Mike U.In Poetry47 Comments

I’m happy to announce that my poem “A Summer’s Field in Winter” has been published at MasticadoresIndia. I’m so grateful to Terveen Gill and her team for their support and kindness in publishing my poem. Terveen’s enthusiasm for writing inspires everyone and is such a wonderful catalyst for creativity. I’m both excited and humbled to have my poetry included at MasticadoresIndia. Thanks so much, Terveen!

“A Summer’s Field in Winter”

“let us sift through summer’s solemn ashes
let us scavenge rusted hopes from twisted
hulks of yesterdays amid the swelter
and the din of frigid silence
as crows circle…”

I’d be grateful if you would check out the rest of my poem by clicking this link. Also, be sure to follow and subscribe to MasticadoresIndia—it’s a wonderful place for those who love writing.