Manic is the Dark Night

Deep into the forest
the trees have turned
black, and the sun
has disappeared in
the distance beneath
the earth line, leaving
the sky a palette of greys
sheltering the pine trees
with pitch-tar shadows.
It is here in this black
and sky gray the mind
turns psycho
tosses norms and pathos
into a ground cellar of hell,
tosses words out through the teeth.
"Don't smile or act funny,
try to be cute with me;
how can I help you today
out of your depression?"
I feel jubilant, I feel over the moon
with euphoric gaiety.

Michael Lee Johnson is a freelance writer and poet,who has created over 355 poems published in over 135 journals andonline publications to date. He is a member of Poets & Writers,Inc and Directory of American Poets & Fictions Writers:http://www.pw.org/. He is a member of The Illinois Authors Directory.Illinois Center for the Book:http://www.illinoiscenterforthebook.org/directory.html . He has beenpublished in the United States, Scotland, Canada, Turkey, New Zealand,Australia, Nigeria, Fiji, India, and the United Kingdom. Michael LeeJohnson's personal website can be found at:http://poetryman.mysite.com/ Mr. Michael Lee Johnson lives in Chicago,IL after spending 10 years in Edmonton, Alberta Canada during the VietNam era. He is a freelance writer and poet. He is heavy influenced byCarl Sandburg, Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Irving Layton,and Leonard Cohen. Recent publications: The Orange RoomReview, Bolts of Silk, Chantarelle's Notebook, The Foliate Oak OnlineLiterary Magazine, Poetry Cemetery, Official Site of Laura Hird, TheCentrifugal Eye, Adagio Verse Quarterly, Scorched Earth Publishing,Café Del Soul (The Cynic Online Magazine) and manyothers. He is the author of the paperback poetry book: TheLost American: From Exile to Freedom.

Find more by Michael Lee Johnson in the Author Index.

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