Morgan Michaels Poems

'I didn't think you went in for that celebrity thing, ' I teased.

'I don't. TV, Hollywood, pop culture, celebrities, foolish, expensive, American distractions to save them from thinking- yuck! I just mention it, that's all.'
...

'Strike! ' What began as disbelief morphed to expectation. What morphed to expectation became, well, boring. I hardly even watched, anymore, except to confirm what I already knew- Diotima, as she proved, was quite the bowler. Her strikes became routine.

Bowling is not my favorite sport. Tennis, perhaps, was. It has a certain leggy elegance, and I like the uniforms. What's more, the modern world began on a tennis court, at Paris, in June of 1789, with an eponymous oath, so the political associations were favorable. But tennis is rarely shown on TV and you have to take a hot train to Queens to see any. The 'inconvenience' factor precludes any potential favorite status. I once caught my toe in hurtling the net, and never played again.
...

Poetry, in your scriptorium
On tip-toes come and go
angels and fools:
Finger to lips, the angels promise
...

Is like a star.
A star you're born under-
the star of no money.
the star of always settling in front of the loud mouth on the bus
...

Poetry, in your scriptorium
on tiptoes come and go
angels and fools.
Finger to lips, the angels say
...

I am thinking now
how it's an orchard I'd like-
an acre, plus, of pretty trees
hung with speckled pears
...

Ego-dweeb
Hiding your scaly head
Beneath shifting coils-
To all arraigners
...

A nine foot gross-mutter
Like a spruce, a-tilt
Hung with glitter-schiller
In a match's aftersputter
...

I'm ok, you're ok?
Right?
Maybe.
But maybe not.
...

I am tired of pacing these mean streets-
Dragging me dogs along the hard-packed,
Rope-smacked, chalked up, sun-struck sheets
Of glittering concrete- lots cracked
...