Author: mlmichael

(Happy) Mother’s Day

The day you brought that precious little bundle home was your day…
Your first mother’s day.
The first day that you glowed with such renewable warmth and purpose,
The first day that you radiated strength and endurance in superhuman ways.
That day was your first mother’s day – and so then was every day thereafter.
Because every day since there are new reasons to love you, mothers.
Because of your sacrifices.
Your compassion.
Your relentless spirit.
This is your day,
And every day hereafter.

(Happy) Mother’s Day

The day you brought that precious little bundle home was your day… 
Your first mother’s day. 
The first day that you glowed with such renewable warmth and purpose,
The first day that you radiated strength and endurance in superhuman ways.
That day was your first mother’s day – and so then was every day thereafter.
Because every day since there are new reasons to love you, mothers. 
Because of your sacrifices. 
Your compassion.
Your relentless spirit. 
This is your day, 
And every day hereafter.

M. L. Michael
05/09/2021

About…

Hearth Necromancy

The fire went out sometime during the night.
With your back turned and your mind lost in the weeds of slumber,
the fire in your hearth went out,
and its only hours later, when the warmth has slipped out of the room,
that you shiver awake and instinctively reach out for something not there.[…]

Hearth Necromancy 

The fire went out sometime during the night. 
With your back turned and your mind lost in the weeds of slumber, 
the fire in your hearth went out, 
and its only hours later, when the warmth has slipped out of the room,
that you shiver awake and instinctively reach out for something not there.

The darkness feels heavier when you wake,
so heavy you cannot shrug it off like the comforter that now falls to the floor, 
and the floor is not lava when your toes touch down, 
if anything it is now ice, and you feel another shiver consume you,
so you shrug off everything but the darkness, and shuffle your way to the hearth. 

When you kneel, everything hurts; the cold penetrates and aches in your bones.
You sift through the ashes and coals, searching for anything still holding some warmth, 
and eventually you see it, nestled in the center, like a pfenix egg – it is still smoldering. 
There it is, you know what must be done, no matter the hour, no matter the energy, 
You will do your best to revive the fire that went out sometime during the night. 

04/30/2021
M. L. Michael

About…

This Poem Is About A Monkey

What if I told you this poem is about a monkey,
a sweet cherub of a monkey, a monkey with electric blue
lanterns for eyes, a monkey ten million hundred years true,
and yet still a monkey that can continually surprise.

What if I told you this monkey could climb out of the poem?
Full of vim and glee, it would swing right out of this poem, as if it were a tree!
Then, having leapt free of this poem-tree, it would have surely ran to the edge,
…and then it would peer out and it would see…[…]

 		This Poem Is About A Monkey. 

What if I told you this poem is about a monkey, 
a sweet cherub of a monkey, a monkey with electric blue 
lanterns for eyes, a monkey ten million hundred years true, 
and yet still a monkey that can continually surprise. 

What if I told you this monkey could climb out of the poem? 
Full of vim and glee, it would swing right out of this poem, as if it were a tree! 
Then, having leapt free of this poem-tree, it would have surely ran to the edge, 
…and then it would peer out and it would see… 

…What do you think that monkey would see? 
What can you dream up that exists outside the world outside a poem? 
Take that dream and multiply it by a billion, and take that billion and inflate it 
by a trillion! And that’s what this monkey did see! 

And now what if I told you… 
That the monkey that leapt out of this very poem 
and peered outside the world to beyond, 
was in fact, this whole time, 
you! 

04/26/2021 
M. L. Michael

About…

This was the first poem I wrote for my kiddo, and …she was not a fan. She said it was too scary.

Conversations In An Elevator (or: that time cupid pitched a new chain of bars called ‘swipe right’)

Surprise, surprise,
I was taking the elevator to the 9th floor
when I saw a familiar face running for the door.

It was Cupid,
and they were dressed to the nines.

I held the door, and they made it just in time.

“Thanks for holding the – oh shit,
it’s you, buddy! What the fuck is up?
I’ve been killing it lately! Spreading that love like crazy!” […]

Conversations In An Elevator 
(Or: That Time Cupid Pitched A New Chain of Bars Called “Swipe Right”) 


Surprise, surprise, 
I was taking the elevator to the 9th floor 
when I saw a familiar face running for the door. 

It was Cupid , 
and they were dressed to the nines.  
I held the door, and they made it just in time.  

“Thanks for holding the – oh shit, 
it’s you, buddy! What the fuck is up? 
I’ve been killing it lately! Spreading that love like crazy!” 
 
I laugh, ‘Oh, hey Cupid, it’s always great to see you! 
I haven’t seen you since the world turned over, 
…You look amazing! …And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with pants!   

“Ha-ha, you know it, bro!  
Fly threads for fly lives! 
I’ve really blown up this time. Found the right gig! 
 
Before I could respond, they continued: 
“I’ve got this new chain of bars. It’s called Swipe Right. 
“…Because everyone wins when you Swipe Right, right?!” 

I laugh. 
“Yeah, I get that. A chain of bars makes sense. 
A bar is where I found love.’  
 
Cupid grins and slaps me on the back, 
“Exactly what I am talking about! 
…Except …this club is a bit different… 

“For one, when you come in the entrance 
you are divided into two separate categories, 
…which an advanced A.I. algorithm will decide..” 
 
“The algorithm is designed by top experts in top fields, 
and it will determine which part of the club they have access to,  
platinum or premium.” 
And I’m sure you’re asking yourself, what’s the difference? 
Well, Platinum members get access to our Platinum rooms,  
Where they can observe everyone, and enjoy our complimentary juice bar.” 
And then Premium is a bit different, 
In Premium you get to see everyone like you do in Platinum, 
but you can also talk to whoever you want as well.”  
 
Our complex algorithm also assigns everyone a value, 
which then tries to arrange people in agreeable ways, 
It is absolutely optimizing the way connections happen!  
 
I raise an eyebrow and Cupid erupts with laughter,  
They puts their arm around me and hug me close, 
“Yeah, yeah, believe me, I know how it sounds… 
 
But get this, we are already soft launched in eight major cities,  
and the response has been overwhelming! 
People seem to be responding to this really well.   
 
For real. The clubs are packed, people connect and come back,  
And they just keep coming back, …even if they don’t connect! 
Because everyone wins when you Swipe Right, right?!” 

I feel my stomach lurch and the elevator comes to a halt, 
‘I’m sorry, Cupid, but this is where I have to get off, 
“I wish you the best, but I have to be honest,’ 
 
‘This feels like a distillation of your worst inclinations , 
you’ve reduced the joy of uncovering a new relationship 
to superficial snap judgements and AI influences. 
 
“I hate to say it, because I know this is working out great for you, 
but I don’t feel like this is the right play, 
I think you can manage something better.” 
 
I try to shake Cupid’s hand and they brush It away., 
“‘Manage something better’.  
“Do you even have any idea how much ‘fuck you’ money I have? 

“The amount of revenue I’ve generated off the soft launch *alone*,  
Not to mention all the seed money and sponsorships, 
‘Manage something better’ … fuck you.” 
 
I go to say something and I stop,  
What could I possibly say to Cupid to change their mind?  
It’s clear where they are headed.  
 
I shake my head, “My bad, Cupid, I’m sorry it shook out this way, 
I hope to see you again someday” I say as the elevator doors close, 
And the space between us grows further and further.  

M. L. Michael 

04/20/2021

About…

All Hands On Deck – A “Sea Shanty”

When the shit is flying, and the seas are rising,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!
When the stars are crashing, and the teeth are gnashing,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!

There’s no storm too big, no haul too long,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!
There’s no sea too scary, no wind too strong,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck […]

All Hands On Deck
(a “sea shanty”)

When the shit is flying, and the seas are rising,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!
When the stars are crashing, and the teeth are gnashing, 
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!

There’s no storm too big, no haul too long,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!
There’s no sea too scary, no wind too strong,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck! 

So let’s let the lot know, our lungs are for singing,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!
So let’s let the lot know, our songs give us meaning,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!

And today we sing of greatness, Today we make our own,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!
And today we sing of togetherness, Today we sing as one,
send a shout from the soul, all hands on deck!

M. L. Michael
04/09/2021

About…

Some Moments

Some moments deserve to be frozen in time,
and instead are lost to time, sunken far beneath the waves.

Some moments I want to hold on to forever,
and instead slip away forever, further, and further away.

Some moments I’ll still cherish anyways,
and in their stead, anyways, I’ll honor their ways. […]

Some moments deserve to be frozen in time,
and instead are lost to time, sunken far beneath the waves.

Some moments I want to hold on to forever,
and instead slip away forever, further, and further away.

Some moments I’ll still cherish anyways,
and in their stead, anyways, I’ll honor their ways.

M. L. Michael
04/05/21

About…

Anachronism

…Today I Learned…
As far back as the 8th Century BCE, they used to write on a wax tablet.
…It was about the size of an iPad,
and they would write into the wax with a special tool called a ‘stylus’,

(the end of which could be used as an eraser, to smooth out the wax…)

…Today I Learned…
As far back as the 8th Century BCE, they used to write on a wax tablet, 
…It was about the size of an iPad, 
and they would write into the wax with a special tool called a ‘stylus’, 
(the end of which could be used as an eraser, to smooth out the wax…)

…I feel like my memory is no different at record keeping,
There’s only the wax available: malleable, forgiving, …forgetful. 
Where I make my rudimentary marks before I quickly run out of room.
Then, without hesitation, without preference, I erase down the line. 
...All memories being equally created, and all memories being equally erased...

03/30/2021
M. L. Michael

About…

2020 (an exercise in acceptance)

So you didn’t have forever,
at least it wasn’t never,
at least there was something instead of nothing,
at least there was music instead of silence.

Remember the beginning,
how it began like a bang, […]

2020
(an exercise in acceptance)


So you didn't have forever,
at least it wasn't never,
at least there was something instead of nothing,
at least there was music instead of silence.

Remember the beginning,
how it began like a bang,
suddenly there was something
bursting forth with such ferocity
that you'll forever feel it
aching. 

Remember what was next was music,
filled with breaks
and rests,
peaks and valleys,
all adding all up to a stirring song,
that will forever refill your heart to remember.

So you didn't have your forever,
at least it wasn't never,
at least there was something instead of nothing,
at least there was music instead of silence.


02-18-21
M. L. Michael

About…