Michael Shoemaker and his wonderful poetry

Literary Revelations is pleased to bring you the poetry of Michael Shoemaker.

BIO

Michael Shoemaker is a poet, writer, and photographer. His writing has appeared in Ancient Paths Literary Journal, Last Leaves Literary Magazine, Front Porch Review, Littoral Magazine, Clayjar Review, the Compass Literary Magazine and elsewhere. His poems are in anthologies at Central Texas Writers Society, Poetica, Poetry Pacific, Pure Slush and Poets’ Choice. He lives in Magna, Utah with his wife, and son where he enjoys looking out on the Great Salt Lake every day. His book of poetry and photography “Rocky Mountain Reflections” which will be published by Poets’ Choice in November 2023.

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Clackamas River Tubing

Floating back and forth 
swinging in the swirling stream
sweet sounds in the leaves
like the flight of piccolos 
flickering above the flutes. 

Taking the Long Way Back

I trekked out
in a flurry
beating hot thin dust
on the trail
burdened with
the swiftness
of worry
and pretense.

On the way back
there will be
no such error.

I will take time
to lean on the
old picket fence
and stare at the
far distance of
the mist rising
above the hills
counting my brothers
the quail bolting
the trees
to lie on the
cool damp ground
in the meadow
tasting the tang
of wild raspberries
looking up
saluting the
bottom of daisies
listening to the musical
consonance of bees
that must also breathe
in the sweet smell
of the graciousness of grasses
to sit in playing
light and shadow
almost like a laugh
by the brook
with feet immersed
in cold brisk liquid-
self-transcendence.

You ask me
how to live,
this is how.

Below Michael’s original photograph that accompanies this poem.

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Please note that mid-December Literary Revelations will publish Greenlandos, an excellent book for children written by Virginia Mateias. More about the book here.

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