Michael Philips Poems

The time was almost right
for the recitation of a poem
when the judge asked me
if I had anything to say before sentencing.
...

The bike trail is special
because it does not follow the road
It follows the creek
I ride over wooden bridges,
...

An aging warehouse with a cement floor,
broken glass, and swooning walls.
Proud of its code violations.
No ads or radio spots, you just had to
...

You were not fishing for hookers, more like killing
minutes in the time capsule, chatting with the hotel
manager, tilting in towards you as if cargo had shifted,
his European head and fat hands and eyes that drooped
...

The locusts come to buy trinkets
And observe tango demos.
A man in a red sweater motions,
His hand is a flag.
...

This new software is great.
I have the power to remove
homeless people by clicking
on the shopping cart icon.
...

If I lived here
I would not find the cloud constructions
or the flattened topography remarkable.
I would not dwell on the broadband
...

(A narrative)

Met her at the seminar and asked her over for an
early dinner. I assured her my aim was not to get
...

When a player goes down,
Drop to your knees and lower your head.
Place pom poms to one side and raise crossed fingers.
When player stands and is helped off field,
...

He launched his coffee ground
bitter scowl at me as I walked
home from school every day,
careful not to step on his property.
...