Once on a day

Once on a hot July day
in a land far away
a bunch of skinny kids
came ashore
to do battle
with another bunch
of kids

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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A movement

he is not your average politician
I'll grant you that

more a leader of a movement
that offers phantom hope

to a world of concrete reality
death and taxes

eloquent to a fault
some say

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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Chicago in February

Even the skyscrapers
on Lake Shore Drive
somehow look
desolate and desperate
as they peer across
ice floes in the lake
toward April blossoms
somewhere in the neighborhood
of southern Mississippi

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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DARK as NIGHT

My mentor told me one morning
that my immortal soul
was languishing
in blackest night!

He said, 'You're doomed!
my bucko in jeans!
If you think otherwise,
you have only to consult
the guy in the next cell! '

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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Omaha Beach

The ship lay offshore
gently rocking
port to starboard

shards of mica
in the black sand glitter
in the gloom

gnarled and twisted trees
cling to a rockstrewn hillside

sharp odor of cordite
a barking dog
a single raven overhead

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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Just One More Sonnet 138!

Substitute a modern version of Sonnet 138?

We get enough false-speaking tongues posted
where simple truth is suppressed
and vitriolic bile is expressed!

His days may be past the best,
if truth were told,
but the baritone sings on
oblivious and proud!

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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Reams Of Verse

he wrote and rewrote
revised and edited

what he called verse
narratives in meter

stories of lowlifes
and heroes

werewolves
and teachers

gangbangers
and beat cops

all the gritty life
in a big city

heroic too
the epic struggle

[...] Read more

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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A Natural Reaction

A reprobate? Who, me?

What's up with that?

Don't ask me to cozy up
and be your pal, please!
If I wanted, I could wreak
havoc on the whole crew!

By the way, can you define
irony for me?

Yes, I said irony!

I don't think you understand
the uses of irony, do you?

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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Luc-Bat! you say

In Vietnamese Luc-Bat is a sonnet form
consisting of six and eight syllable lines

First line starts with six syllables, next eight

A 14 line rhyme pattern -
a.b.b.c./ c.d.d.e/ e.f.f.g/ g.a.

born/ fall/ all/ lush
bush/ earth/ birth/ man
Pan/ scheme/ dream/ jest
crest/ dawn

Try it in the loo!

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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Act of Contrition

Or hastow som remors of conscience,
And art now falle in som devocioun,
And wailest for thi synne and thin offence,
And hast for ferde caught attricioum?
God save hem that beseged han oure town,
That so kan leye oure jolite on presse,
And bringe oure lusty folk to holynesse!

Thanks but no thanks!

poem by Michael Pruchnicki
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