A Poem by Mike Cluff

Border Crossings

Cakewalking across the Ohio
dividing safe from death
every winter storm gets worse
fragments of nature's anger
grinding and pushing down the
hope that bubbles up
in any immigrant's soul
justice for none of color
kelp would never survive this far north
lynchings do
many, too many times over.

Nips, neverstopping, of arctic cold
overwhelm those who are weak
putting them under bloody ice floes
quickly, without qualms
remorse is a quality some people
seldom display to those who are not
their own
unless utility is rationalized via
viscious impluses burbling up
without compassion with
xylophones producing cacaphonies
yammering  "repression, drawing and quartering, tar and feathering" upward to the
zenith of haughty, horrible hate
always growing, mutating
beatitudes of the master's, master race's religions.

Mike Cluff is a writer living in the inland section of Southern California. He is now finishing two books of poetry: "The Initial Napoleon" and "Bulleted Meat"-- both of which are scheduled for publication in late 2013/early 2014. He believes that individuality is the touchstone of his life and pursues that ideal with passion and dedication to help the world improve with each passing instance .He also hopes to take up abstract painting in the next several months.