Ponderable polemics, poetic

WordPress site of poet Mark Lucker

  • Elegy for Them All

    Twenty-two. Thirty-four, twenty-seven thirty-nine Cancer, leukemia, suicide insidious bastards, each ‘gone too soon’ ‘in a better place’ sycophant salutations of condolence We hardly knew ye Sons, daughters of old friends. A cousin. Classmates of our children. All too vivid reminders “There but for the grace of God…” not at all feeling full of grace single:… Read more

  • Call me, Ishmael. Leave a message.

    We all have within us some Captain Ahab obsessively pursuing something, someone unattainable physically or mentally we quest something lost never obtained hadn’t the courage or stomach for a diem you could never carpe uselessly we quest a time we came close nagging should haves gnawing what ifs Crimes of passion not worth prosecuting each… Read more

  • Anurans

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  • Monitored

    Laying in the hospital ER bed vulnerability incognito machismo mano-a-mano upside-down thoughts what the hell is the co-pay on in-network mortality? Say a prayer, ask a nurse “If you keep me here do I get Jell-O tonight?” Task at hand Q & A “Are you having chest pains?” “No, but I do have a chest.”… Read more

  • Soul Luddites

    Born in the gloamingfirst decade of the Cold War I puzzle over peerssame vintage as Ideclaring superiority for erawe know only from historyfamily, books, movies 1950’s forever! Disdaining new insightfor tried and…true? Truth? The manufactured idyllic spinpost-war, tenuous-peace The Bomb and all it’ssocietal accoutrementsrationalizing or not realizing now isn’t then, vice versa I see the… 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

  • Poems my father left me

    There is reason, even some rhyme in the stanza, the beat the reading in time of who, what, why he was what he did and why he didn’t why he maybe should’ve not stressing on could’ve Sometimes His groove was far more scat than stanza he could always carry a jaunty life tune singing it… Read more

  • No French cuffs

    Plaid flannel shirtsof my Northwoods youthsmelled ofbeer and pine conesboat motor gasoline andfresh-caught sunfishwood smokeand filtered Winstons When I was a kid theintertwined, pungentaromas of cervelat salamiplumbers’ grease, house paintmingled freely, lockedin square-patterned fibersalways-rolled-up sleeves no amount ofFels Naptha-soapcould smother thosegodly auras When I was a kidplaid flannel shirts smelledwonderfully worn by heroes –old men… Read more

  • June 5, 2019

    News item: On this day in 1977, the Apple II computer went on sale, and the era of personal computing began. Developed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, it was the first successful mass-produced microcomputer designed for home use. In 1977 on June the fifth I was four days away from graduating high school four days from embarking… Read more

  • Trivium

    I It was here that I found myself – as much as one teenager can It was here that I tallied a notable string of personal firsts, nails hammered logs split fish caught girl loved cars driven stick shift, mastered full beer drunk jukebox played girl kissed Held her hand, first Pristine milieu for my… Read more