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Best Poems Written by Michael J Lewis

Below are the all-time best Michael J Lewis poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Details | Michael J Lewis Poem

Old Big Ead

So you old bugger 
you’ve gone

and how many more will there be of

you

in the top 

one

watching from Holgate you’d just come back
you'd scored for England B 
against Scotland 
plaster on your brow

Ayresome 
autograph book in hand
boys lined up
worshipping

“One signing only
Charles Buchan Football Monthly haven’t I signed once 
for you i’m not here for the good of me health”

did you say“young man” back then?

August 1958 
won first match of the season 
9-0 Brighton
You got 
FIVE

Sign this Brian? 
“Do I know you? One signing only
Charles Buchan Football Monthly 
haven’t I signed once for you i’m not here for the good of me health” 
in the heat of the morning 
training

“they call me Mr Clough I call me old Big ‘Ead”

did I ever really walk on water

I do now

Copyright © Michael J Lewis | Year Posted 2014



Details | Michael J Lewis Poem

Silhouettes of Trees

Pink sky dark
trees rising three silhouetting against sky  pink 
sky
overhead

three trees rising
leaning 
paper cut-outs 
leaning 
black paper cut-outs on
pink pages

above 
wood fence running 
away
darker down to 
shed

breathing all in breathing 
self
in smoky 
air breathing self 
out 
into air

tree silhouettes breathing 
calmly 
silently

quiet

cat gliding 
noiselessly 

me-and-
ering 
cor-
ner darker 
disappearing
darker 
like breath along 
air

Copyright © Michael J Lewis | Year Posted 2014

Details | Michael J Lewis Poem

From Dark To Midnight - On Listening To the Noel Dennis Band In Middlesbrough

Horn
         blows 
velvet
         mellow

Glistening dew 
                       litmus 
blue

Dark to midnight 
                              testing

Sighing in the dark
Lying in the dark
Lying at midnight
Wandering	

Lying with you
Lying without you
Lying about you
Wondering

Where can it lead to
Feed to
Or even recede to

Your guess is as good as mine

Sighing in the dark
Lying in the dark
Lying at midnight
Wandering

Lying with you
Lying without you
Lying about you
Wondering

Mystical face 
Singular smile 
                       speaking
Urgently 
                       seeking
       
Eyes burning
Laser eyes burning
Image burning my soul



Sighing in the dark

Lying in the dark
Lying at midnight
Wandering

Lying with you
Lying without you
Lying about you


Wondering

Appearing in so many guises
So many surprises
See her behind every door

Appealing in so many guises
So many surprises
Sense her on every floor

Warmth of face
Hint of embrace
Her growing
Her knowing
Her so-easy going

Sighing in the dark
Lying in the dark
Lying at midnight
Wandering

Lying with you
Lying without you
Lying about you
Wondering

Horn
           blows  

Sighing in the dark

velvet
           mellow

Lying in the dark

Glistening dew 
                      litmus 
blue 

Lying at midnight 

Dark to midnight 
                              Wandering
Lying with you
                              without you
about you
                              Wondering

Dark to midnight
                              Wandering
Dark to midnight

Dark to midnight 

Dark to midnight

Copyright © Michael J Lewis | Year Posted 2014

Details | Michael J Lewis Poem

To Allen Ginsberg

ON THE DEATH OF GINSBERG

Rain-damp street outside my window voices 
punctuate early morning street dogs 
bark car engines cough start 
someone’s day  
lie in half-light thinking of you Allen Ginsberg 

what demons drove you Naomi there driving you to work in her madness 
your madness walking Manhattan climbing San Franciscan hills bearded prophet with your schoolgirl crushes on skinny genius song-poet
boy disciples hear your teaching head in the vale of your breast
sing to guru heart beats
fearless harmonium playing 
your song-chant hurting without tears over 
boy love-spurning 
walking death in your ears 
holding hands with Mr Death always 
speaking words in your ear 
Mr Death your final lover faithful polygamous lover 
Forever everyone’s lover

And this morning I see you in Linthorpe 
damp street prelude of daily madness not your crazy wisdom
the madness of not seeing your crazy rant 
my ramblings these ramblings my heart madness approaching 
break break break break break into 
a million pieces  
prophet man bearded raging at people deaf in Linthorpe 
blind in Linthorpe not hearing you
not ever seeing you there in their midst

Its grey its damp outside my window
smell of last night’s loving lingers she
my crazy lover you’d love her crazy wisdom
even if your queer head makes think you don’t think 
she’s there

Read again your poems 
again hear your disembodied 
voice give hope in life in dying
teaching always
speaking in death life raging
forever

Copyright © Michael J Lewis | Year Posted 2014

Details | Michael J Lewis Poem

Leazes Park Road

Walking streets in wrap-around emotional high 
concrete and glass soaring above 
shout at the city entire people 
blasting in Friday oblivion face-set purpose 

it threatens if you let it so 
shout out 
right 
down its face 
then 

it looks after you storming 
car-streaming roads 
park between 
talking about ducks

we’ll come again with bread
throwing bread to ducks 
couple of white swans to ride 
feed bread thick-layered butter emmenthal maybe 
ham 
smoke 
line drifting 
us you drifting with me 
skins touching clinging in 
perspiration 
moment sticking sweat so 
beautifully 
minging

Copyright © Michael J Lewis | Year Posted 2014



Details | Michael J Lewis Poem

This Is Where I Am

You met 
me lost up the road
crossed 
car park shadowed
vague memories of last 
time before park 
dark 
fear of threats

deserted wet gloomy courts

phone rings

you
where are you?

I tell you I passed the stadium shadow twice roundabout round 
and round I go
down and down nightmare
trapped

you’d be there in 2 minutes
waiting
barker stone voices through dark people going to their night time

fine 

me 

waiting

you’ll be there
you won’t be ages 
emerging
from shadow 

shoulder shining
kiss with tongues hold 
you 
where I fit you 

take me home

Copyright © Michael J Lewis | Year Posted 2014


Book: Reflection on the Important Things