Poems by Michael Lee Johnson

Reincarnation (V4)

 

Next life I will be a little higher up the pecking order.

No longer a dishwasher at the House of Pancakes

or Ricky’s All Day Grill, or Sunday night small dog thief.

I will evolve into the Prince of Bullfrogs.  Crickets don’t bother me.

Swamp flies don’t bother me–I eat them.  Alligators I avoid.

I urinate on lily pads, mate across borders and continents at will.

Someone else from India can wash my dishes for me.

Forward all complaints to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

 

Lorie

 

Lorie, you want to see me clearly

through this joy of my naked body

avoiding the sweat of my emotions,

just breathing on my neck

rubbing this baseline of my groin-

will not find us here again.

Go away, leave me thinking

louder than your breath-

body moves quietly

in a lazy sway of indifference.

 

Michael Lee Johnson lived 10 years in Canada during the Vietnam era and is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.  Today he is a poet, freelance writer, amateur photographer, and small business owner in Itasca, Illinois.  Mr. Johnson published in more than 1042 new publications, his poems have appeared in 38 countries, he edits, publishes 10 poetry sites.  Michael Lee Johnson, has been nominated for 2 Pushcart Prize awards poetry 2015/1 Best of the Net 2016/2 Best of the Net 2017, 1 Best of the Net 2018.  170 poetry videos are now on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNQ4oRHf8Zz0TOc-9zr3Q9w.

Editor-in-chief poetry anthology, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1530456762; editor-in-chief poetry anthology, Dandelion in a Vase of Roses available here   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1545352089.  Editor-in-chief Warriors with Wings:  the Best in Contemporary Poetry, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1722130717.