Ponderable polemics, poetic

WordPress site of poet Mark Lucker

Snippets and snapshots

  • Sampling

    Sitting at a brewery rural, northern Minnesota tasting a variety of beers, ales small flights of five A couple – mid-twenties sits across from us they too, are sampling each other – first timers comparing dating app peccadillos head-scratching mismatches awkward exchanges preferences for beer types, each other quickly give way to comfortable laughter Another… Read more

  • Ahhhnointed

    Watching the newsstory of great angst ofNorth American Olive Oil Association never I knew but shouldhave realized there is apowerful group of such oilers curious soul that I amthe urge to know led me toThe Vinegar Institute not content with their acidicacademia haughtiness they reside atversatilevinegar.org while their viscouscounterparts keep it basic, real ataboutoliveoil.org Ahh,… Read more

  • Clearly

    A woman I know dreamer, well grounded, ways of the world, the word loves clouds regularly posts pictures Facebook stratus updates from expansive plains of Texas accompanying commentary concise, imaginative sweetly humorous, poignant shapes, ideas, messages sometimes all the same picture love the images, treasure the friendship I prefer my clouds on their turf twenty-thousand… Read more

  • diurnal

    “…and there’s nothin’ short of dyin’ that’s half as lonesome as the sound of a sleepin’ city sidewalk and Sunday mornin’, comin’ down…” – Kris Kristoffferson There is no respite from the escape the night before, sketchy adrenaline rush of getting there, staying there, leaving behind whatever it was trying to find whatever it is… Read more

  • The maturation

    Braggadocio prior physical prowess spendable currency boyish man posturing, preening standing up, stand out, back it up chest bumps fist pumps in-your-face yeah, baby! machismo odes to, by, about a self- almost-wannabe couldda, shouldda been a pretender, you; Brando’s Malloy sans street cred, intensity reflecting on easy ego-jacks then, now? adrenaline rush requires no cut… Read more

  • Pavement due

    Rusted, mangled hubcaps clutter road shoulder, ditches stray, chrome castoffs wildflowers of reckless neglect breakneck speed cratered highways, pilots disdain for flashing, yellow signs by the spadeful, I scoop well-intentioned, tar-coated fill into random potholes indifferent, life is, to the temporary, heavy nature of mundane cavity patches Hey, not my asphalt the road to hell… Read more

  • Patching things together

    Growing up on a small farm, rural Minnesota space was scarce, times were lean and the land was life ma and pa granted my brother, sister and I a small plot every spring in which to plant and nurture pumpkins; sibling sharecroppers, we repaid mom by growing enough extra pumpkins for her to fulfill familial… Read more

  • Dutiful

    Following my calling and the call dropped I call back nobody picks up nobody calls back I have left the messages trying to reconnect number no longer in service ‘your recipient hasn’t set up voice mail for this account’ Am I being ignored via caller I.D. spurned due to embarrassed discomfort Following my calling and… Read more

  • Bartender genome

    Sitting alone at a bar downing rows of tequila shots earns you your bar cred griping rights: politics, sports, love, loss, life’s inequities pour-out-your-heart privilege, at the very least knowing, indifferent nod, patronizing smile tacit agreement smirk ‘go for it’ shrug Sitting by yourself at Starbucks’ throwing back espresso shots buys you a hipster buzz… Read more

  • Flying east at dusk

    The setting sun chases us eastward orange-scorched ripples of cumulus white race with us neck-and-neck ablaze, dying wisps of cotton embers envelop us while about to be snuffed out by rapidly encroaching nightfall fleeting light from behind speeds toward a head-on collision with onrushing darkness a mesmerizing train wreck at thirty-thousand feet I cannot turn… Read more