Rising Star In The Illinois World Of Poetry

Rising Star In The Illinois World Of Poetry The Lost American, Author Interview Vietnam War and Iraq, Author Interview Articles, Poems, For Authors and Poets Michael Lee Johnson's Poetry Sites Favorite Links Sample Poetry of Michael Lee Johnson

Official Poetry Site of Michael Lee Johnson, Poet, Itasca, Illinois

About the Poet:  Michael Lee Johnson, Chicago area, is an internationally published poet in 45 countries, several published books, nominated for 7 Pushcart prize awards and 6 Best of the Net nominations in poetry.

MICHAEL LEE JOHNSON lived ten years in Canada during the Vietnam era.  Today he is a poet, freelance writer, a song lyricist, photographer who experiments with poetography (blending poetry with photography), and small business owner in, Illinois, who has been published in more than 1370 small press magazines in 45 countries, he edits 11 poetry sites.   Michael Lee Johnson has been nominated for 7 Pushcart awards  & 6 Best of the Net nominations in poetry.  Michael is the author of The Lost American:  From Exile to Freedom (136 page book), several chapbooks of poetry, including From Which Place the Morning Rises and Challenge of Night and Day, and Chicago PoemsHe also has over 320 poetry videos on YouTube.  Michael Lee Johnson is the Editor and Chief of Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze, a 33 review 5 star poetry anthology:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1530456762.  Now available 98 plus poets, 326 pages plus, Dandelion In A Vase of Roses, Editor Michael Lee Johnson, and Coeditor Ken Allan Dronsfield, another anthology my members of Facebook group Contemporary Poets:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/807679459328998/.  Order your copy now:  https://www.createspace.com/7090612 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1545352089 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1545352089  Editor-in-chief Warriors with Wings:  the Best in Contemporary Poetry, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1722130717
 
Key Websites:

"Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze", is now available on Amazon.com, Amazon Kindle, available in Europe.

Buy now just $13.95/Kindle $2.99. Chief Editor/Publisher/Poet, Michael Lee Johnson, Coeditor Ken Allan Dronsfield.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1530456762 https://www.createspace.com/6126977 *Scroll down see Favorable Customer Reviews

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/promomanusa

https://www.youtube.com/user/poetrymanusa/videos

http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000058168/The-Lost-American.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-American-Exile-Freedom/dp/0595460917

  

Follow Michael Lee Johnson On:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/poetrymanusa

Facebook Poetry Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/807679459328998/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/poetrymanusa

 MySpace.com:  http://www.myspace.com/469391029

 

 

 

 

  

Purchase Poetry Books by Michael Lee Johnson At:

https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B0055HTMBQ?redirectedFromKindleDbs=true

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/promomanusa 

iUniverse-Purchase Book by Michael Lee Johnson Here:

http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000058168/The-Lost-American.aspx 

Purchase Poetry Books Amazon.com by Michael Lee Johnson At:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-American-Exile-Freedom/dp/0595460917

Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Hazehttp://www.amazon.com/dp/1530456762

Dandelion in a Vase of Roses available here   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1545352089

Warriors with Wings:  the Best in Contemporary Poetry, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1722130717

 

Michael Lee Johnson is publisher, editor of 11 poetry, flash fiction sites, all presently open for submission:

http://promomanusa.wix.com/contemporary-poets2

 http://dreamsagoniescontemporarypoets.blogspot.com/

http://promomanusa.wix.com/michael-lee-Johnson

https://www.facebook.com/groups/807679459328998/

http://itascaillinoispoetryman.moonfruit.com/#/home/4547417926

http://electricinthesun.blogspot.com/

http://birdsbywindow.blogspot.com/

www.poetriclegacy.mysite.com/

http://atendertouch.blogspot.com

http://wizardsofthewind.blogspot.com/

http://poetsinterviews.blogspot.com/   

Send Poetry, Flash Fiction Submissions To:  promomanusa@gmail.com or writerillinois@yahoo.com.

  

If You Find No Poem (V3)

By Michael Lee Johnson

 

If you find

no poem on

your doorstep

in the morning,

no paper, no knock on your door,

your life poorly edited

but no broken dashes

or injured meter-

 

if you do not wear white

satin dresses late in life

embroidered with violet

flowers on the collar;

nor do you have

burials daily

across main street-

 

if no one whispers

in your ear, Emily Dickinson-

you feel alone-

but not reclusive-

the sand child

still sleeping in your eyes-

wiping your tears away-

 

if you find

no poem on

your doorstep-

you know

you are not from New England.

 

Harvest Time  (V8)

A Métis lady, drunk
-
hands folded, blanketed as in prayer
over a large brown fruit basket
naked of fruit, no vine, no vineyard
inside
-approaches the Edmonton,
Alberta adoption agency.
There are only spirit gods
inside her empty purse.

Inside the basket, an infant,
restrained from life,
with a fruity winesap apple
wedged like a teaspoon
of autumn sun
inside its mouth.
A shallow pool of tears mount
ing his native baby blue eyes.
Snuffling, the mother offers
a slim smile, turns away.
She slithers voyeuristically
through near slum streets
and alleyways,
looking for drinking buddies
to share a hefty pint
of applejack wine.
 -2007-

(Revised 2012)

 

Charley Plays a Tune (V4)

By Michael Lee Johnson

 

Crippled, in Chicago,

with arthritis

and Alzheimer's,

in a dark rented room,

Charley plays

melancholic melodies

on a dust-filled

harmonica he

found abandoned

on a playground of sand

years ago by a handful of children

playing on monkey bars.

He hears bedlam when he buys fish at the local market

and the skeleton bones of the fish show through.

He lies on his back, riddled with pain,

pine cones fill his pillows and mattress;

praying to Jesus and rubbing his rosary beads

Charley blows tunes out his

celestial instrument

notes float through the open window

touch the nose of summer clouds.

Charley overtakes himself with grief

and is ecstatically alone.

Charley plays a solo tune.

 

Looking For Custom Imprinted Apparel and Tee-shirts, Promotional Products?

 

Attention: Publishers and Editors, and all others. If you need apparel (tee shirts, caps, jackets, uniforms, sweat shirts, etc) custom imprinted with you sites logo or name be sure to visit Michael Lee Johnson business website(s):

http://www.promoman.us/

http://www.promowear.us/

 http://www.catalogsportswear.com/cgi-bin/hw/phwPseudo_Submit.w?hwCN=951626&hwCNCD=fwfbciDiuajlujdi

We also do a full line of advertising specialties i.e. mugs, cups, calendars with your site or company logo on them. Anything that needs to be custom imprinted on an item is what we do. Special rates for publishers and authors.

Advantage Marketing & Promotions: Ph/Fax: 630-467-1330.

 mailto:email@emailaddress.com

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