Michigan

loves cars, loves t’tinker –
loves th’t-bird convert’ble, ‘n’ t’cruise
th’mich’gan countryside
(10-16)







ludington downpour –
wonder if th’badger ferry
will lift her spirits
(2-16)






quebec - l.a. run,
stranded in ypsi - huron's
fish seek shaded pools
(10-10)









summer in th’cool pines –
looks across th’lake ‘t chicago,
alas, still seething
(8-16)









corktown remod’ller –
old truck, fresh wood and supplies,
practical vision
(5-15)








the all-star diner
cold sundae on a hot day
instead of dinner
(7-05)









off th’road at jackson,
can’t b’lieve an ice cream sundae
can be th’whole dinner
(6-16)





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blames th’zebra mussels –
fishing near saint jo, ‘n’ haunted
by th’clearness ‘f th’water
(12-17)








kid rock ‘t th’stadium –
brings drums, lights ‘n’ hard politics,
wants t’run for senate
(9-17)







she likes th’jazz fiddle –
‘minds her ‘f summers ‘n black bottom,
th’harlem of detroit
(5-15)






from th’shore ‘f his town ‘n th’thumb,
he’d watch th’ships – but joined th’navy,
‘n’ now he’s coming home
(6-17)






detroit parking lot -
monarch shows weary hiker
dance of the moment
(2-14)




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th’old cadillac’s parked
somewhere outside ann arbor –
vines’ve enveloped th’fins
(9-17)







reb flag ‘t th’tigers game –
surely you don’t mean we should
secede from th’union?
(9-17)



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th’lass sells all kinds ‘f fruit
in th’cool lake michigan breeze –
th’cherries are th’ripest
(1-18)








worked in th’car plants ‘n flint,
just f’r spite, dropped bolts ‘n th’panels ‘f cars –
spits th’rage on th’hot road
(4-17)







monarch’s erratic dance –
his stage, th’detroit parking lot
where th’two guys were killed
(6-16)







traverse city lunch –
peanut butter, fig bars, cheese,
wood basket ‘f cherries
(2-16)






spent th’summer fishing,
found th’laughing whitefish river –
‘bout didn’t come home
(2-16)





lansing tailgater
shows odyssean journey
pointing to his hand
(9-08)








ninety four ‘n ypsi –
not fleeing th’motor city,
going t’ th’buckeye game
(6-17)





down ‘n th’cut river gorge,
th’leaves’ve turned, th’water’s fresh and cold –
from th’bridge, th’whole wide north
(10-16)








says 'tiger stadium'
twice - gives the old man chills, just
t'hear it 'n october
(1-07)








big night for arson -
these days, much less 'f detroit t'care,
much more of it t'burn
(10-14)








lots ‘f empty houses –
what th’angry detroit kids do,
set th’devil’s night fires
(1-17)






takes th’shotgun on th’roof –
still r’members how devil’s night
took much ‘f west detroit
(10=17)






no work in car plants
so slowly leaves turn, fall on
foggy streets of flint
(10-08)









lion cornerback,
another torn ligament -
please pass th'damn gravy
(11-13)






stuffing, gravy, th’bird
done so well – th’dad watches th’lions,
so he’ll be angry
(1-17)






after th’turkey, th’nap –
seems t’be more beer than ever,
after th’lions lose
(10-17)






fried trout, black coffee
cold bath in the mastinique
frost on a tree stump
(1-10)








woodward avenue –
q – line riders argue ‘bout
th’trolley’s heat system
(11-17)







saginaw drifter
came home for th'holidays, but
thinks there's work 'n texas
(11-14)





facebook sock puppets –
lansing barista wonders
why th’hol’day crowds’re mean
(2-18)






go’n t’texas f’r th’winter,
saginaw fellow, down ‘n’ out,
thought he’d take some car
(1-16)







arctic snowy owl
come south t’detroit ‘n january –
less snow, ‘n’ plenty t’eat
(1-18)







down from th’north country –
even kalamazoo’s ramp,
th’iced slope t’chicago
(9-17)








muskegon lad’s hand –
cold as it is, good enough
t’show how he got here
(10-16)








mackinac bridge wish -
more coins t'pay th'toll, melt th'ice, fill
these empty pockets
(1-07)









reaches for th’coins t’throw
off th’frozen mackinac bridge –
a tingle ‘n th’fingers
(2-17)





old ‘n’ scratchy radio,
blizzards, ‘n’ th’windsor bridge, ‘n’ dozens
‘f michael jackson songs
(10-16)


 


won’t go back t’yemen –
dearborn, ‘n’ its gray slushy snow
‘s what he’ll learn t’call home
(6-17)





iced freeway, detroit
rush hour – they seem not t’notice
all th’abandoned cars
(6-16)





 

foam cups, icy road –
they all hurry t’get t’detroit,
‘cept th’abandoned cars
(9-16)






used t’kalamazoo
as th’junction – from th’frozen north,
he turns t’chicago
(1-16)








ruins of detroit -
a thin vaneer of ice cracks,
th'man grips th'shopping cart
(10-10)









ypsi musician
thawing out in diner - once
moved to hell and back
(10-10)








small lake huron town -
kid uses cold mangled thumb,
points out where he's from
(1-12)






'nother house burned down,
't's either meth, 'r stealing copper -
winter 'n towns like hell
(1-12)





frozen u.p. roads -
an old car's heating system,
a vast wilderness
(11-09)








up ‘n th’peninsula
t’see th’place, even th’twin cities
kids, impressed by th’snow
(4-18)





wixom kid with skates –
goes straight to th’rink after school,
dreaming of his wings
(5-15)







detroit's abandoned
cars, styrofoam coffee cups -
icy highway wind
(10-05)






benton harbor winds –
th’lake’s gray ‘n’ choppy, ‘n’ he spends march
thinking ‘bout th’city
(3-17)





‘cross th’mackinac bridge,
he throws th’change – a long trip south,
‘n’ th’irish luck’ll melt th’ice
(2-18)






tales ‘f huron’s fury –
in th’grove ‘f blooming cherries,
find ‘em hard t’believe
(9-16)






old mission winery,
lake's lapping waves - haiku for
the cherry blossoms
(12-13)






cherry blossoms ‘n’ th’lake –
he slips into nostalgia
‘t th’old mission win’ry
(10-17)







‘long th’dequindre cut,
th’budding trees – th’bicyclist feels
th’city’s will t’survive
(11-17)





 

snow lets up, he says,
manistique’ll get some tourists –
it’s only april
(2-18)







flint city water –
april and th’snow is melting
‘n’ they’d rather drink that
(4-18)










field ‘f blue-eyed mary –
fort’nately th’russ forest lass,
no problem camping
(10-17)






russ forest sunrise –
they realize they’re sleeping in
th’field ‘f blue-eyed mary
(6-16)








saginaw plumber –
cousins’re like th’rest, into th’drugs,
no cash for th’may rent
(4-18)









three days, mich’gan woods –
now she’s at th’drugstore, ‘cause she
has t’have th’calamine
(6-16)







they call it "a squared" -
chalk dust edges window panes,
willow buds outside
(1-07)








abstract algebra,
hyperbole – a-squared lass
feels th’pull of th’spring breeze
(2-17)





ann arbor t’austin,
temptation ‘f spring, or career
‘n abstract algebra?
(5-15)








beach ‘t benton harbor,
th’gulls, th’late spring, th’anger he’s kept
over th’way th’vote went
(5-18)








t’saint joe then ‘round th’lake,
‘nough supplies for th’trip out west,
bag ‘f fresh-picked cherries
(3-17)





picking petals from
th’gallup daisy, says we can’t
divide by zero
(5-15)



e pluribus haiku