Author: mlmichael

Refrigerator Magnets Can Hold A Family Together

The doors on these refrigerators
have become my family’s:
“Doors of Pride”

:::

These refrigerator doors…

They’ve always had pictures of beloved relatives,
(sometimes they are group photos, sometimes they are not.)[…]

Refrigerator Magnets Can Hold A Family Together
(Doors of Pride)


The doors on these refrigerators 
have become my family’s: 
“Doors of Pride”

:::

These refrigerator doors…

They’ve always had pictures of beloved relatives,
(sometimes they are group photos, sometimes they are not.)

They’ve always had a varying amount of notes and comic-strip cut-outs- 
always posted by one of our hands…ranging from the rapid!-reminders!,
the stern-scoldings, and the silly jokes, and the inspirational quotes.

They’ve always had a monthly, printed-out, calendar, 
to mark all of our, impending, important dates…

:::

And when we (my older sister and I) grew up, our parents 
displayed our  ‘Art’ 
[these childhood drawings of dreams, 
which we presented to them like presents]
which they displayed [like trophies]
on those towering, magnetized, walls.

And when I went to school, and I received my report cards,
– with mostly Bees and Ahhs, plus Pluses or Minuses, 
….I had those put up, too…right next to my trophied drawings…

…Then after highschool… there wasn’t much added…
…I began going through a rough time, 
…And I was unable to do anything I felt was worth even a magnet’s damn…

….Eventho, still, I saw pictures of me, put up on the fridge..
…they were older pictures…but I didn’t fret *too hard* over the distinction…
 (because, during that time, I didn’t want my picture taken, either.
…honestly: I wanted no documentation of that self, preserved on film.)

Then, I …tentatively… started my own business, 
and I was proud to see: my business card upon the fridge!

Then I had my first poetry book self-published,
and I was even more proud to see that byline 
was cut out from our newspaper, and stuck to the fridge.
…I am somewhat embarrassed that they still have it up there…
…but not so embarrassed that I’d insist they take it down…

---

My sister has had her own similar, yet unique, – fridge- experience.

Her drawings, changed to report cards, and then to business cards,
that evolved into more sophisticated cards that reflected her expertise…
Her most recent one is the most spectacular, by far, 
for it is entirely magnetized!!!
and we use to help hold up our business cards)

[…And now there is about to be an explosion of pictures,
of my sister’s first – of my beautiful, fresh-faced, niece.
…so many in fact, we might have to make some new magnets.…]

:::

I can look at my family fridge,
and I can give you my best guess 
on how Mom and Dad are doing…
and I can tell you, 
how we, as a knit family, 
are currently woven together…

M. L. Michael
4/28/10

About…

with a nod to walt whitman

I’m here to sing my song –
of Love;
a declaration of admiration,
an acclamation of dedication,
for the intense sense of senses steeped in emotion.

Yes, I’m here to sing my song –
with all my heart […]

With A Nod To Walt Whitman
(my song – of love)

I’m here to sing my song – 
        of Love;
a declaration of admiration,
an acclamation of dedication,
for the intense sense of senses steeped in emotion.

Yes, I’m here to sing my song – 
         with all my heart
hanging comfortably on every word,
- like best friends sharing a bottle of wine;
the object is to make the best of any time.
	
Yes, I’m here to sing my song – 
         with all my being,
through my head-nodding top to my toe-tapping bottom,
I’m positively alive with my song of love
reverberating through these funny bones.

Yes, I’m here to sing my song – 
        this selfish song,
that happens to benefit others,
- in the way planting a lovely apple tree,
gives me nourishment and gives you air.

So as long as I have breath, this song will be sung,
I will keep it simple; I wont add any creed;
nor will I require for others to join in verse.
…But I will maintain: 
that our chorus could resonate throughout the earth.

Yes, I’m here to sing my song, 
you’re welcome to do the same.
Don’t worry, the lyrics aren’t as important,
for what matters is that feeling underneath:
the warm, fuzzy feeling we privileged receive.
 
M. L. Michael
01/31/10

About…

i didn’t find a watch

As I combed the beach
(as my fingers glided through the air)
I came across a unique sand castle,
one might even call it a sand estate,
with so many different shells and stones,
it was like the construction of some barely remembered culture,
right there, smack dab in the middle of nowhere/or nothing/ else. […]

-- I didn’t find a watch --


As I combed the beach
(as my fingers glided through the air)
I came across a unique sand castle,
one might even call it a sand estate, 
with so many different shells and stones,
it was like the construction of some barely remembered culture,
right there, smack dab in the middle of nowhere/or nothing/ else.

I marveled at the complexity, 
/eyes treasured the design/
and only briefly did I panic
when the ocean rolled on in,
as omnipotent as Poseidon’s
frothy-muddy-fingertips,
that flowed and swirled 
and washed bit by bit away.

I looked around for the sand architect 
to warn them of their castle’s imminent surrender,
but there was no one to be found,
and other than my footprints, there was no sign at all.

The sea waved back in, then out again, 
and claimed bit by bit; grain by grain.

I shouted for the person I felt must be responsible
…but when no one answered I struggled with questions,
    surely someone must have made this,
    surely such a unique and intriguing sand sculpture 
    couldn’t come from any sort of accident…

I watched the ocean as it raced and tumbled through this incredible sand castle,
and I had to ask, who would create something so special,
knowing it would be destroyed, and washed away, forever?

Or am I wrong to assume for the role of the sand castle creator?
/Perhaps, instead,
 it was the waves of the sea acting like the hands of a sculptor?/

…Now, what is more fantastic? (that which is finite?)

Amazing, how conditions had to be just right at this particular patch of beach,
at this particular time…for this intriguing sand castle to be formed.

I became so deeply enamored by this grand mystery…

…until I realized these contemplations were inconsequential. 
And instead I should be focusing and appreciating
this most amazing and most distinct sand castle,
…because it is important to understand that I may not find another.


-01-10-10-
M. L. Michael

About…

she died afraid for my soul

She died afraid for my soul…
She went to her deathbed thinking – I would be lost to her forever,
doomed to writhe for eternity in the fiery agony of sinners and nonbelievers.

She loved me as much as any blood could….yet…but…because I didn’t believe,
she tortured herself with the concept of Damnation and I – […]

She died afraid for my soul…
She went to her deathbed thinking – I would be lost to her forever,
doomed to writhe for eternity in the fiery agony of sinners and nonbelievers.

She loved me as much as any blood could….yet…but…because I didn’t believe,
she tortured herself with the concept of Damnation and I – 
of her beloved’s blood boiling in the rivers of Hades, 
forever separated from her and the love of her savior’s light.

She died with that burning image. 

Leaving me with the tragic guilt  - 
Of being condemned for a crime I couldn’t help but commit… 


M. L. Michael 
01/05/10

About…

The ‘L’ Word

this one girl is a low tempo classical haunt,
a melody so moving it tugs at the heart,
with notes of longing underlining her sensuality,
and an air of allure that dances about with mystery… […]

The ‘L’ Word 



this one girl is a low tempo classical haunt,
a melody so moving it tugs at the heart,
with notes of longing underlining her sensuality,
and an air of allure that dances about with mystery…

plus

this other girl is a jolt of rock’n’roll gyrations
with cherried licks and hipstrong implications.
she’s that song capable of giving the party feet,
the reason to last longer; to maintain the beat.

and together…

what a sonorous, celebrous sound of joining!
(the pleasuresong that is unique to their unifying)

because together…

it’s the music that matters…
(to those with ears unplugged) 

because together…

the ‘l’ word is a spirit stirring song
(for those that can hear what is free to be heard)	



-12-27-09-
M. L. Michael

About…

The best medicine

I’ll be honest,
I’m an addict for a good, hard chuckle,
fiending for a long, strong guffaw,
gluttonous for more of that belly laughter.

Because it’s the cherry-on-top beauty,
[some may even call it a delicacy][…]

The Best Medicine
(from a practitioner’s point of view)


I’ll be honest,
 I’m an addict for a good, hard chuckle,
 fiending for a long, strong guffaw, 
 gluttonous for more of that belly laughter.

Because it’s the cherry-on-top beauty,
 [some may even call it a delicacy]
 that comes from my love for sweet comedy,
It’s the wild-eyed lover’s look,
 [some may even call it lunacy] 
 that gives my cupid-scheming no boundary.

I’ll do all I can to over-exaggerate my trip into a joke,
I’ll prowl patiently around a punch-line,
  [or stumble my way in, slap-sticking it, face-first] 

I’ll turn self-deprecation into an art of self-celebration,
I’ll carefully calculate reasons for cackles and chortles,
  [or spontaneously stir up reasons to snicker and squeal]

All in the hopes I can lather up some laughter. 
 […because there are few sounds quite so harmonious 
 as the humming coming from funny-bones vibrating –
 it’s our humanity revealed in the reverb of what’s humorous…]




When you-and-I, and us-and-them can laugh together 
we create melodies that echo what’s great about reality.

Laughter: this partaking of the purest stuff; 
               joyous to be joyful - 
         - and full of laughter.



M. L. Michael 
11/29/09

About…

we’re all

Think of the seed,
unable to be grounded by roots;
relying on the whims of father fate –
and the hands of mother earth […].

We’re All
Grounded By Roots

I (have it small, and have a magnifying glass on it – showing a bigger version) 


Think of the seed,
unable to be grounded by roots;
relying on the whims of father fate -
and the hands of mother earth.
********************
as a seed without roots,
there exists possibility.
***********
****

II (skinny like a small tree)

\for a sapling the roots are the weakest,/
\they tentatively take hold in reality,/
\where their form is yet perceived./
\& where they choose to take root/
\ shapes the tree it’ll someday be./

III (big and broad)

<to support all those bloominous brilliant branches,>
<a great tree must have roots strong and many,>
<for all the shade and oxygen they provide,>
<their very life becomes rewarding…>
<the life of being grounded by roots.>

-M. L. Michael-
11/07/09

About…

This was originally written to either be for a book of poetry or something else. I cant remember. But I left the notes in because I still like what I was trying to do here.

aromatherapy

Unable to sleep.

When my spine is screaming,
When my heart is harping,
When the moon is mocking,
I spritz my pillow with her old perfume
I kept in the back of my dresser drawer.[…]

Aromatherapy

Unable to sleep.

When my spine is screaming,
When my heart is harping,
When the moon is mocking,
I spritz my pillow with her old perfume
I kept in the back of my dresser drawer.
I go back to bed with my pillow
Tucked under my chin, pressed against my lips,
With each breath drawing her back in,
Summoning her blooming face,
Replanting the lilac memories,
Rose encounters, and 
Lavender dreams.

Sleep captures me content.

09/24/09
M. L. Michael

About…

an amusing theory regarding man’s desire (NSFW)

Ladies – you will have to forgive us Men…
Nature has played a joke regarding our structure,
by giving us enough blood to operate all our parts,
yet only enough to think with one Head at a time.

So, whatever Head we put behind the wheel,
the other will tend to wither…[…]

An Amusing Theory Regarding Man’s Desire


Ladies – you will have to forgive us Men…
Nature has played a joke regarding our structure,
by giving us enough blood to operate all our parts,
yet only enough to think with one Head at a time.
 
So, whatever Head we put behind the wheel,
	the other will tend to wither…

Man is either too hot with their hard-on,
	and thusly soft with their noggin,

or:

Man is too reflective with their reason,
	and thusly limp with their dolphin.

…and Somewhere 
Nature can be heard Snickering…
	
08/09/09
M. L. Michael

About…