Daily Poems

December 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The end begins
Anew
Thanks for reading!

December 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Teasing my wife
Is the biggest joy of my life
She teases back
Expertly as she has a knack
Nothing's as fun
That's how I know I've found the one

December 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

These grains of sand
They fall
And as I watch
I realize I will not miss them
When they are gone

December 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

When you sleep
What happens to your love
Does it stay
Or does it melt away
And come back
When you wake the next day

December 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

She did slumber
For the pain and strain was too much
The awareness
Too acute and overwhelming
So there was rest
Peace and healing which renewed her
Reviving her
Preparing her for what comes next
Actually wait
Nope time to visit urgent care

December 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I find my dreams
Too interesting to be a
Morning person

December 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The seat I sat upon did fall
Into the depths
Where butts should never ever go

December 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Will the worst thing you've ever done
Persevere as
The worst thing you have ever done?

December 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

You let it go
And off it flies into the world
Blinded by hope
Lifted up and up by purpose
And no one knows
How long it will remain aloft

December 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

So here they come
Days off
Full of promise
And yet
I'm quite lazy

December 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Is there enough
Room to take all of the steps back
Is there enough
Distance available to see
Is there enough
To get the perspective I need

December 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Spoilers!
But I must say
I thought this day would never come
Yet here we are
Chewie finally got his medal
It's about time

December 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

In the morning
It will be a long time ago
And it will be
In a galaxy far away
Pew pew pew pew

December 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Build
Something
That's never been
And then
The whole world wins

December 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Blankets cascade like waterfalls
Off the couch back
As I recline and rest my head
Soft and happy
With a cat on top of it all

December 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If you go deep
You'll find
Death
To be
The one true source
Of everyone's motivation
For without it
There would always be time later
And that later
Would not
Come

December 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

We spend so much time competing
Which can be great
As long as our adversaries
Are the unknown
And time
Not each other

December 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A brand new year
So close
I could reach out
And touch what will hopefully be
The best year yet

December 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A winged javelin
Thrown by a powerful giant
Soars through the air
Forged from pure ingenuity
It hits it mark
A tiny speck miles away
And when it lands
You can use your cell phone again

December 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Glowing ears dance in the darkness
There is no sound
Until suddenly there's singing
And joy erupts

December 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Rain falls
Destiny calls
Let's see how the weather turns out

December 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Mirror
Reflect
You
Inspect
See
Defect
Not
Perfect
Then
Elect
Feel
Respect

December 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

We expand wide
And deep
And up and up
Grappling for we know not what
And we find joy
And pain
And often fear
But we go and we do not stop
Far and quickly
Because we are always reaching
Or we're fleeing
Chased screaming into the unknown
By silent dark

December 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Even poets
Can forget to write their poems
On packing days
When travel looms largely ahead

December 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Nothing else
Is quite like the terror
Of finding
A database full of
Passwords stored
In completely plain text

December 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

As moths
Are drawn to flame
All cats
Seek laptop heat

December 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Panic
In the kernel
Is not a fun thing to dance to

December 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

My mind's inside
A small
Dark
Cold box
With shrinking walls
Label reads: "Travel logistics"

December 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If there is time
I will do some amazing things
If there is time
I can make anything happen
If there is time
I have some incredible plans
If there is time
I think I can find some more time
If there is time

December 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If you feel slow
Heavy
Overburdened
And quite overcomplicated
That's all normal
If you're a JavaScript framework

December 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0800

One more month
Of these daily poems
Then I'm free!

November 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If words
Arranged themselves
Into sublime masterpieces
As nature does
With stars
And with sunsets
And the petals of a flower
Would writers yield
Cameras
In lieu of pens
While pursuing the very same
Which is some words
Arranged
So carefully
They evoke a bit of magic

November 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Sweetness
Often sticky
Sometimes comes with a sting or two

November 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A green-eyed void
Shepherds its humans to slumber
Every evening
With demanding mews and meows
For the night came
And it demands the ritual

November 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A universe of warmth and joy
Will fit inside
One small corner of a second
With room to spare
Because love is not bound by time

November 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Marriage
Noun
Drama

November 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If we all exist inside a
Simulation
Then someone needs to comment out
The lines of code
That make paper cuts hurt so much

November 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

As a cat
The concept of a room
Where water
Gushes out of the walls
Offends me

November 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The light tells us many stories
While the darkness
Is trusted to keep our secrets

November 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Doing a lot
Begins
With a little

November 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A big part
Of living your best life
Is knowing
When the time comes for a
New pillow

November 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

"Spared no expense"
But John
That's not correct
You spared an expense in IT
And had you not
I think things would have gone better
With a bit less
Of the people getting eaten
'Cause those fences
Those would have stayed electrified

November 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Even when we get something right
There's still the urge
To continue improving it
Which sometimes works
Sometimes

November 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The body falls apart
As the mind
Builds higher and higher

November 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I can give you a five year plan
Packed with detail
Just give me four and a half years

November 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

You stopped getting taller
Long ago
But are you still growing?

November 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If you believe nothing matters
Why read poems?

November 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Type several sentences
Make a face
Delete most sentences
Make a face
Repeat until deadline
That's writing

November 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Scissors
Inverted T
Escape
Larger spacing
Thus a light pierces the darkness
And hope returns

November 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I gave expensive socks a try
And they were nice
But they didn't knock themselves off

November 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What are these words
Born in my imagination
Stored statically
Waiting
To be reborn
To take on a new unique life
Are words alive
Or freeze dried imagination
Rehydrated
By the next person that reads them

November 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

There's no instruction manual
No time to learn
And yes
Zero prep time
So good luck with this thing called life

November 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Though pizza is best with toppings
There are still times
When cheese
Is all you need

November 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Catra
Dearest Catra
You haven't made the best choices
But it's never
Too late
To look within
For the good I know you suppress
And to know love
That stings

November 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Blue turns to black
Sound fades
The twinkles cease
And the boundless void welcomes you

November 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

This year
Daily poems
Next year
A blank canvas

November 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Nothing happens
Then everything happens at once
What's up with that?

November 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Simplicity
Just like an AMC Pacer
Is quite hard to
Maintain

November 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 07:00:00 -0800

Say yes
You're on the hook
Now guess
The toll that took

November 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I like to imagine cat purrs
Puppy breath
And those cute curious head tilts
Are all produced
In the same magic factory

November 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Happy birthday
To you
My lovely wife
With whom I love to share my life
You're really great
And I feel meeting you was fate
Not just because
My shoulder was where the cat was
As every day
Still makes my heart jump and go "yay!"
So I look forward
To the future we're moving toward
And many years
Of more laughter and joy and cheers

October 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today's joys
Are all the spooky vibes
Full-size bars
And seeing dogs and cats
In costume

October 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Doth thine beautiful rose
Not wither
Under the ravages
Of not time
But the weight of beauty
And longing
And the immense pressure
That comes with
Being a flawless work
Or rather
A thing perceived as such
Sans effort
With those who look upon
Wanting more
But eventually
Withering
Turns from death to new life
And then soon
A ravishing rose grows
Once again
And we are charmed all over
And doth not
These same forces apply
To Apple
And their buggy software
So wake me
When clicking on upgrade
Withers not
In lieu of blossoming

October 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What if a tree's entire life
Is just one big
Drawn out
Satisfying
Stretch?

October 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What truth
Of a person
And the deepest depths of their soul
Cannot be found
On their spouse's Twitter account?

October 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Use bricks
Light
Some paint
Sugar and spice
Or whatever's laying around
To shape and form
Combine
Blend
Refine
And realign
Push hard until you make something
Create something
Something
You might just hate
Or love
Or not care for
But this thing that wasn't will be
Available
To see
Or to cradle
To feel
And now the world
Will be the place where this thing is
And not a place
Without

October 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A boy from the desert
Likes it cold
While a girl from the north
Likes it warm

October 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Do present-day Reese's Pieces
Look to the past
At those who sacrificed themselves
Making E.T.
And consider them true heroes
For without them
And the impact they had on us
Reese's Pieces
May have been lost to the ages
A small footnote
At best

October 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Lost it
Cannot find it
Bought a new one to replace it
Can't return it
Found it

October 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When a seed peers up at a tree
Does it realize
What potential it has to be?

October 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Why does delight
Tend to encourage our silence
While displeasure
Does not

October 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Hello
Scheduled maintenance
Thank you for keeping us online
And performant
And safe

October 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What force
Has such power
To strand people both young and old
As surge pricing

October 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

All the world's resplendent beauty
Cannot be seen
Through a broken and dirty lens

October 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

People believe there's no magic
Only because
People take magic for granted

October 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A lone speck of light in the dark
Around which spins
A sphere with all our hopes and dreams
Turn after turn
For future eons beyond count
And hopefully
Not cold and empty and silent
Anytime soon

October 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The stream pools
Depth grows beneath the leaves
The rain falls
It's all temporary
And sublime

October 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Amber light falls
Blanketing the room like warm snow
All is cozy
Bedtime

October 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I'm paralyzed
Trying to choose a wallpaper
For my new phone

October 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Tumble dry
And then much time passes
Cycle's done
But my clothes are still damp

October 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Cat's in a cone
Can't lick
Where she wants to
She's sad
And also mad
So her gaze is cold as a stone

October 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Can one basket
Ever
Be good enough
To trust with every single egg?

October 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Long propped open
The door of the chicken restaurant
I now find closed
Thus the cold weather has arrived

October 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

There are more books than you can read
So read the one
Which explains how to live with that

October 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I peer
Into the well
That is my imagination
And find only
These words

October 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Does this
Art
Matter?

October 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Out of all the boxes
In storage
None contained what I sought
But many
Now contain sweat and tears

October 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Wife requested
"Make an Apple Watch face for me"
And thus the sweat
Rains down

October 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Whence came these words
Directly from my mind to yours
Now your thoughts too
In your head I paint the walls blue

October 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Three
Simple
Words

October 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When did you last
Truly give everything you have
And accomplish
Not just something incredible
But provide proof
That you can do more than you thought

September 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Ordered a mouse
Which has been delayed three times now
Each postponement
Makes me want it oh so much more

September 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

My unread feeds
Number
In the thousands
And so
I guess I should
Unsubscribe from a few of them

September 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Automatic dark mode
You've a week
To show me your splendor
Or to fail
And have me banish you

September 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Light streams down and hits the water
And reflected
Are all the possibilities
Of the unknown

September 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Pro tip:
If you decide
To do a thing-a-day project
This coming year
Take time to really think it through
Trust me on this
It's a real slog come September

September 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Ah chicken place
Conveniently across the street
We enjoy you
But you are so inconsistent
It's amazing
One day our order is perfect
And then the next
Three things missing and some are cold
But what are we
Lovers of low-effort chicken
Supposed to do?

September 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Thirteen zero
In the short time you were with us
You showed us all
What it's like to use a beta
So I welcome
Your new successor thirteen one
With fewer bugs
But not so few that we forget
What beta's like

September 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

It rained today
I smiled up at the gray sky
Thankful for it
As my dried-out desert-born bones
Bloomed with delight

September 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 22 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A lot of stuff comes in the house
And too little
Comes out

September 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Logic Pro X
I've tried quite hard to make this work
You try your best
But I'm a podcast editor
And your first love
Was and always shall be music
And to be blunt
I just don't like the sound of that

September 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Imagine a bee's elation
Upon finding
A row of eight soda spigots

September 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

My eyes can see
Skin feels
My ears hear sounds
I can sample many flavors
And all the smells!
Evolution is amazing
And gives such gifts
But wait
As I grow old
Why does hair grow from strange places?!
Curse these strange genes!

September 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I stop myself
From getting too lost in my work
But I struggle
For sometimes I want to be lost

September 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

From the void
Two eyes stare back at me
And they speak
They call me to action
Their request:
You must feed me right now
For you see
I am a pretty cat

September 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A new season
The air showcases a crisp chill
A bit of rain
The sky pleasantly overcast
This is my jam

September 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Countless sunsets
Possessing astounding beauty
And pure brilliance
Permeate this vast universe
And they happen
Every moment of every day
With most unseen
Their grandeur lacking a witness
We are too far
So instead of distant splendor
We see what's close
But what's close can be just as grand
As majestic
For doesn't love burn as brightly
If not more so
Than the biggest of the big stars
And it fills us
In a unique way a vista
Just cannot match
So maybe we have the best view
Oh wait hang on
I forgot planetary rings
So delightful...
Yeah the universe has us beat

September 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What is life?
What are we meant to do?
What matters?
Why is cheese delicious?

September 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I squeeze the stone that is my brain
Hoping words drip
And a poem-shaped blot appears

September 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

USB-C
Lightning
USB-A
And of course Micro-USB
Universal
(Oh yes)
Serial Bus
You are such a wonderful mess

September 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Cat in my lap
And a really good shower head
Are what I miss
When I travel away from home
(Also my bed)

September 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Tired
Very tired
Too tired to know how tired
Falling asleep
So ti–

September 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Wait a second
Didn't I publish a poem
Just yesterday?

September 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I've been wondering who I am
I look within
And I see myself looking back
Just as confused
As if reflecting off water
Rippled and lost
At sea
So now I need
To either locate a good boat
Or learn to swim

September 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Fame comes easy
If you are already famous
So best of luck!

September 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I can do almost anything
Except of course
Choose a specific thing to do

September 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When you travel
The items you forget to bring
Forget themselves

September 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When my wife says
Her podcast will last an hour
She is lying

September 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

On my way down the rabbit hole
I optimized
A few regular expressions
And I'm still far
So far
From the bottom

September 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Thirty-eight times around our star
And here I am
Still learning every single day
Still excited
Still filled with curiosity
Still wondering
Still trying hard to understand
Still venturing
Into the vast unknown future
Exploring time
Along with billions of others
An adventure
Both forced upon me and welcome
It defines me
It is also defined by me
It is a dance
Of cause and effect and chaos
I know some steps
And most days some steps are enough
But even then
Sometimes stumbling is the best move
So here's step one
Of my thirty-ninth rotation
What song is next?

September 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Thank the gods
Monday's a holiday

August 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Bricks upon bricks
Each alone insignificant
But united
Nearly limitless potential
Lego is great

August 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Rose red
And violet blue
These are today's poem colors
I just need two

August 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

As one person
I cannot do all of the things
But if I'm calm
And stop myself from freaking out
Then I can do
Some things

August 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I would prefer some tidy stacks
But currently
My life is in unkempt piles

August 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A boulder chained to an anchor
That's how it feels
When it is time to do laundry
But before that
You have to unpack your suitcase

August 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sometimes when you take the trash out
That's all it is
But sometimes there is a surprise
That takes the form
Of a very friendly pupper
Who is quite glad
To meet
You

August 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Overhead shot
Many ingredients combined
Heat until done
Slow cut with pomp and circumstance
Much shiny goo
Now you know of another dish
You won't have time
To ever
Make

August 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

She's gone
And you miss her
She's back
And you kiss her
She aches
And so you rub
She coos
And so you hug
She's great
And it's delight
She's love
And sparks ignite

August 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sometimes
Grocery shopping
Means buying nothing but ice cream
And it's allowed
Because you are a grown adult
With credit cards

August 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What if I told you
Yes the you reading this poem right now
That you're doing good
That you did a good job just recently
I know this is true
Because everyone everywhere contains
Some amount of good
And it is important to call that out
Every now and then
So thank you for the good that's within you
And yes I mean you

August 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Where do days go
When spent?
Do they hang out
Telling stories about what was
Safe in the past
Enjoying their retirement?
Or are they gone
Countless moments lost forever
Only preserved
In inadequate mediums
Like photographs
And song
And memories

August 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

This life
Is all there is
This life
Is everything
Scarcity bound with multitudes
A duo's dance
Much at once and nothing at all
Equitable
Unfair
Here we all are
Together doing what we can
And what we can't
All in discordant harmony

August 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

How much
Art
Science
Love
Progress
And just plain joy
Have we all collectively lost
Because this world
This society we have built
Makes everyone
Deeply
Incredibly
Tired

August 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Cats look out windows to the world
And feel the same
As I when I gaze at the stars

August 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If you're reading this from the far future
Congratulations
With the surviving as a species thing
Or hello alien!

August 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Leaves
Don't know
What green tastes like

August 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Cute paw
Tiny and soft
With beans
Fur
And ouch
Those claws are sharp

August 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Poem?
Poem poem!
Poem

August 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I read this line of code:
] // end bracket
And died inside a bit

August 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Adorable enamel pin
You looked smaller
Online
And now you're here
And I fear you are just too large
For my backpack

August 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If simplicity came in jars
They'd be labeled
Warning: contains complexity

August 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 10 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Is it magic
If it
Can be measured?

August 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

There is so much potential joy
To discover
When being kind for kindness' sake

August 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A poem walks into a bar
Bartender asks
"Care to imbibe a fine cocktail?"
Poem replies
"Many thanks but no, I'm a verse."

August 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If you're in a relationship
With someone tall
You will save a lot of money
On step ladders

August 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Time is the glaring barista
Staring at you
In the coffee shop of your life
Before closing

August 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Could God
Write JavaScript
So bogged down by hot new frameworks
That even She
Would have no hope of debugging?

August 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I was sure
It was impossible
Very sure
But then I thought maybe
Just perhaps
And that one ray of hope
And hard work
Showed me what was really
Possible

August 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

All the hard work
The pain
The desperate pleas
The uncontrollable yearning
All that and more
Matters
Not
Because
A lone pixel
Will never have a chance to see
The big picture
Until
It becomes more
Than a
Dot

August 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I thought of this project
And I realized
I could
Stop
But then
I would look back
And sincerely regret that choice
So I'm writing
Today and all the days to come
Because later
When I look back at this next year
I want to see
A year of creativity
I want to feel
Pride in a vast accomplishment
I want to be
Who I hoped I was at the start
I want to love
At least some of what I've written
But most of all
I don't want to let myself down

August 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Oh wow
It is August
That's it
That's the poem

July 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

We have a cat
And this cat we have is all black
And yet my wife
Calls this cat we have a snausage
For no reason
Except it's a fun word to say
It's so silly
And I love her so much for it

July 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Wet rich darkness
Go up because it is not down
Surface in light
Blinding rich nourishing brilliance
Reach up and out
Expand to capture every ounce
Of rain and rays
In a sea of utter chaos
You are sublime
Unmoving but always growing
Nowhere to be
Because where you are is perfect
You sway and sigh
Simultaneously content
And wanting more
Hello
Tree

July 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When I was young
I recall adults often said
"World's gonna end"
And now as an adult today
I think the same
And hope I'm as wrong as they were

July 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I feel as if
I'm running out of ideas
I know I'm not
But I cannot help how I feel
And of the two
Being unable to control
Feeling this way
And feeling the feelings themselves
I just don't know
Which is
Worse

July 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Can sand
Near the ocean
Tell the difference between the waves
And a rainstorm?

July 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A Bethesda.net
Account is
Required to read this

July 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

It's new
I was afraid
It's new
I was convinced
It's new
So I tried it
It's new
Not sure of this
It's new
Afraid again
It's old
What about new?

July 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Once you realize
All words are arbitrary sounds
Made by people
You will have both the liberty
And spenaphere
To make up any words you want

July 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

You
Stranger
Are far away
But through the wizardry of words
You can now see
In your mind's eye a butterfly
If that isn't
Magic
Then nothing is

July 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

From the limitless span of space
And boundless time
This lone speck is your moment
One iota
Gifted by an incredible
Dark universe
What can you do with your tiny dot
Lost in vastness
Vulnerable and powerless
Can an ocean
Even notice a single drop
How can it not
An ocean is nothing but drops
And who's to say
One single little tiny drop
Is not itself
A vast and powerful ocean
With the power
To make some monumental waves

July 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Chaos
Versus order
One of many endless battles
Or are we wrong
Are these two opposing forces
Or partners
Working together forever
To find balance
To bring us all some harmony
To nurture calm
By producing a raging storm
It's hard to say
If neither side ever triumphs
Or if both do

July 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The great stories
The truly moving heartfelt tales
The ones you hear
And tell
So many times
And yet they never lose their shine
They give us form
Guide us
Teach us lessons
Give us a glimpse of what might be
We owe so much
To stories that really matter
We owe them growth
We owe them a better future
We owe a debt
Made of the fabric of our lives
And we pay it
With our deeds and words and triumphs
And we pay them
By creating and by telling
The great stories

July 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What if
The solution
To all these horrible problems
Is as simple
As us
All being kind?
And
What if
The solution
To all these horrible problems
Is as complex
As us
All being kind?

July 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Rain falls
It hits the ground
Joins its friends to form a puddle
The puddle drains
Eventually a river
Sweeps it away
Towards a vast and shifting ocean
To call a home
But the sky always finds the drop
And lifts it up
With wind and the force of nature
A small cloud soars
Building itself ever bigger
Until the sky
Dark and grey and full and bursting
Descends again
And the adventure of the drop
Begins once more
Beautiful and perpetual
Always the same
Always incredibly different
The drop plummets
Rain falls

July 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When it comes to
Making a useful todo list
The hardest part
Is being honest with yourself
About what you
And by you I mean future you
Can really do

July 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Do something nice
For them
Or just for you
Or both
Doesn't matter
Either way things will be nicer

July 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A bird
Stands by a lamp
It waits for the bus in the rain
It plays a game
From underneath its umbrella
And then it yawns
Nefarious thoughts in its head
When it gets home
Its keys will go on the nightstand
It will shower
Cleansing its feathers with shampoo
And in its head
Thoughts collide with reality
Fly away bird
Cause us no trouble on this night

July 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

We have
The resources
The skill
The ambition
The boundless imagination
The pleading cries
The time
And a real need
To make the world a better place
But we do not
For a multitude of reasons
That many think
Are very, very important
But are in fact
Garbage

July 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sometimes
You start writing
A poem about loving cheese
And then realize
That you are simply too tired
To write it well
And you don't want to let cheese down
So you write this
Instead

July 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

My wife
Tweets
My life
But
Omits
NSFW
Which leaves
Cash
On the
Proverbial
Table

July 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If you were a poem
Would you know
What you were all about?

July 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sometimes if you get off the bus
One stop early
You'll get there faster than the bus
And this poem
Is not about public transit

July 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Guy walks in to 2019
Says, "I got it
"I'll write a poem every day"
Bartender asks
"You know what you're getting into?"
Guy says, "Hell no!"

July 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Which way did you decide to go
When you woke up
Are you on a smoothly paved road
A rocky trail
Or bravely forging a new path
Is it easy
Or incredibly difficult
What's your heading
Do you have a map to guide you
Or is the map
One of the products of your quest
On arrival
Who will be there to welcome you
Or will you be
The first

July 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sometimes
There's just nothing
Nothing to write no words about
But then again
Nothing is itself a topic
Voids can have shapes
Edges to observe and describe
An emptiness
Is filled with various stories
What was once there?
What will be there in the future?
So is nothing
Really and truly so empty
If there's so much
To say

July 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 06 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A park
Dark
At night
Ripe for mischief
Have fun
And don't get caught

July 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I wonder
What yesterday's poem
Would have said
If I had remembered
To write it

July 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Colors
Just indicate
The flavor of light an object
Prefers to steal

July 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The old trees in a city park
Those there before
People built with stone and steel
All around them
A forest of angles and glass
Those ancient trees
Must be
Very confused

July 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Make something that really matters
Make yourself proud
Make it
Art

June 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

About seven
Billion billion billion atoms
Born long ago
Ancient and precious particles
Are what you are
Everything that's you was a star
As old as time
Now assembled as something new
An arrangement
Unfathomable multitudes
Brought together
In a way never seen before
You are power
You are a brand new cosmic force
Both young and old
And bold
A unique spark
With the potential to ignite
An unmatched flame
Blazing with superlative light
Piercing the dark
Of all unknown remaining time

June 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Focus
As a pupper
Focuses on a flying ball

June 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The cursor blinks
And thirsts
Each flash screaming
"I demand words now now now now!"
I hear it yell
Feel it
Try to provide
For it wants the same thing I want
So this cursor
Winking
Is it a prompt
Or a mirror simply reflecting

June 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Weakness
Does not detract
From the beauty of a bubble

June 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Which day
Was the last day
I was proud to spend as I did
Proud of my deeds
Proud of difficult decisions
Proud of kindness
Proud of choosing to step aside
Proud to make room
Proud to lend my strength to the weak
Proud to wonder
Proud to find some hidden treasure
When was that day
And when
Will it happen
Again?

June 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Poem
Noun
Some words
Arranged such that
They hopefully do not induce
Nausea or pain

June 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I thought the work
The act
Was the struggle
But no
The real challenge
Is hearing people's opinions

June 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 23 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

There's a moment
When characters are too happy
That you realize
The writers will not let this stand
So you prepare
For the pain you know is coming
Yet when it comes
It stings every bit as keenly
And at that point
The only smiles to be found
Are on faces
Of the villains and the writers

June 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I like it when our faces interact
It makes me smile
Which further heightens the experience

June 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Push
Harder
Keep it going
Strive for more and strive for better
'Cause if you stop
Who will
Push

June 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Do fireflies
Consider themselves noteworthy
Because their glow
Is unique and quite beautiful?
Do you ever
Consider yourself noteworthy
Because your glow
Is unique and quite beautiful?

June 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Do trees consider libraries
To be graveyards
Or vast monuments of knowledge

June 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Right now
And every now
At many spots across the globe
There are sunsets
Of such incredible beauty
Of such splendor
That seeing them would give you pause
But that beauty
As magnificent as it is
Is so often
Ignored
As so many
Don't ponder what they cannot see
But maybe now
When you're feeling sad or alone
You'll consider
These unseen majestic displays
And just knowing
Such grandeur exists in the world
At this moment
And all of the other moments
Will be enough
To shine some light on your darkness
From a whole world
Away

June 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Attempt to take one hundred steps
At the same time
And fall
But
Those steps
One at a time
Will take you a very long way

June 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The rules:
Ambiguous
Timeframe:
A mystery
Peril:
Nearly constant
Your goal:
Often shifting
Choices:
Good luck with those
What's next:
No way to know
And yet
The potential
For joy
Some adventure
Deep love
The brightest lights
Wonder
Sublime music
Kindness
Astonishment
Delight
All that and more
In this
Life

June 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sometimes
All that's needed
Is a single very good day

June 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Maybe this will be the weekend
I accomplish
Something

June 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What should be done
Is not
What must be done
It's vital
To know which one
Is which

June 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Marry someone
With text editor opinions
And life won't bore

June 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Fur and claws surround soft smooth pads
Tempting to touch
Precious
Beans

June 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

One hundred fifty-nine poems
That's how many
Before I forgot to write one
So yesterday
Has a hole I can never fill
And it's easy
Oh so incredibly easy
To focus on
That one
Void
Despite
Overwhelming
Success on every day prior
It's so easy
To focus on where we have failed
It's too easy
To let that shadow block the light
To drown in dark
To halt and frown and just lay down
Just one failure
Can act as such potent poison
But to do so
It needs your help and attention
So I can stare
At the gap that is my mistake
Or I can look
At one hundred fifty-nine wins
And it's my choice
What the me of tomorrow sees
When looking back
So I would like to welcome you
To this poem
Win number one hundred sixty

June 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

She was gone
But now she has returned
Wasn't long
And yet I yearned and yearned

June 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Five days then two
Thus the weekend falls upon you
Forty-eight new
What is less important than who

June 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When did you last
Regret
Going to bed
Early?

June 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sand
Vast sky
A distant hole
One ball
And now and then
A rock
Desert Golfing

June 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I simply can not justify
Seven thousand
Dollars
For a display
But wait...
No
And yet...
Nope
Perhaps?
Certainly not
It's completely unthinkable...
I should at least
Wait for comprehensive reviews
And then not buy
Of course
Because seven
Thousand
Is a whole lot
Like wow
Yeah
No way
Not happening
Nuh uh
(But maybe though)

June 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Yes I could stop and lay down here
I am tired
But then
I'd miss what's next

June 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The cursor blinks
I stare
The hours pass
The words
Are elusive

June 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today
A day wiser
Than the me of just yesterday
And tomorrow
Again

May 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 31 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Goodbye
May of twenty
Nineteen
You had some ups
And downs
And now comes June
Vessel
Of the future
Bringer
Of adventure
Portent
Of untold risk
Keeper
Of so many
Amazing possibilities

May 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 30 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The holodeck
Caused a huge number of problems
And all of them
Could have been fixed quite easily
With an off switch

May 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 29 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Some days I grow weary
Of poems
But every day I write
And sometimes
I get a nice surprise

May 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 28 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I need to make
A huge
List
And then
Avoid being
Crushed under it

May 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 27 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

One thousand things that I could do
Picking which one
Should not
Be what I pick

May 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 26 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Decide to
Run your own mail server
Decide to
Punish your future self

May 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 25 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I almost bought pink shoes today
And I'm not sure
If that was a wise fashion choice
Or cowardice
Or both
Or something else

May 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 24 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

To your left
The things you need to do
To your right
The things you want to do
Straight ahead
Things you'll regret doing
So it goes

May 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 23 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A watched Xcode
Never finishes installing

May 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 22 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What do you assume when you speak?
Are simple words
Concealing complexity?
What did you say?
And whom
Did you expect
Would understand your true meaning?
Say what you mean
But also
Mean what you say
And then
Compare the two

May 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 21 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A butterfly
Flaps its third-generation wings
But are those wings
Old ones
Or updated
To be a bit less horrible?

May 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 20 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

So much to do
So much of which is left undone
So much discarded and abandoned in the dark forgotten past
So much that seemed so important
So much inconsequential stuff that was okay to let go of
So much time and energy lost
Not on doing
But worrying about doing
So let it go

May 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 19 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The intense competitive play
For various
Ceremonial power chairs
Has concluded

May 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 18 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Does mattering
Matter?
If mattering
Matters
To whom does it
Matter?
Why's it matter
If things
Matter to them?
So then
What's the matter?

May 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 17 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

And thus my hands did weep
For the towels
Were all being laundered

May 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 16 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The raindrop falls
The eager ground rushes upward
When the two meet
Tiny
Splash

May 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 15 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

That video
The song you enjoyed this morning
All your photos
And even this very poem
All just numbers
So many things are just numbers
So remember
That the sum is so much greater
Than all the parts
And what really matters the most?
The arrangement

May 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 14 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

That moment
When the air turns to gold
The heavens
Bleeding every color
It's a dance
A waltz of light and sky
A short glimpse
Of actual magic

May 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 13 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sunsets
Back in Phoenix
Were often quite astonishing
But Seattle
Has an important advantage
In the form of
Not trying to murder with heat

May 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 12 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If you become
Emotionally invested
In a program
With only male writers on staff
You will become
Very sad and disappointed

May 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 11 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The clouds of the tempest parted
For an instant
And I glimpsed the bright light beyond
I bathed in it
The rays invigorated me
I was renewed
But then the storm wrenched it away
Plunging me back
Into
Dark
And yet
That brief brilliance...
It was enough for me to know
I'm advancing
I'm pushing back against the storm
The onslaught wanes
I know the storm is eternal
It will always
Be there
My companion
Regardless of what I might wish
But the same truth
Applies
To radiance
Beyond the endless wind and rain
An endless warmth
Waiting for me to beat the storm
To force it back
So light won't be the exception
And until then
I've got this fancy umbrella

May 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 10 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If I could do
A quarter of what I hope to
On the weekend
I would be so rich and famous

May 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 09 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When everything happens so much
It can be hard
Hard to concentrate on one thing
And one who tries
To do multiple things at once
Will make mistakes
And sometimes mistakes are the worst
So everything
Could you chill for a hot second
Thank you so much

May 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 08 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

If
I had
Some extra time
This would be a shorter poem
About the difficulties of proper and good time management
Alas I only had a few minutes before retiring for the evening so I must apologize for the extra length

May 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 07 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Thirty-two bit
You won't work in ten dot fifteen
So now it's time
For some new audio plugins
Wow so costly

May 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 06 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A simple question
Based on the assumption that you'll grow up
Or do just one thing
So it's really a horrible question
Best to ignore it
And release yourself from all that pressure

May 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 05 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Last chance to lock in founder's rates
Which I have done
So if you like what you're reading
You can pay now

May 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 04 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Found a file
Name of JSON.rtf
So that's my day
How's yours?

May 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 03 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Art's on the wall
I ask
What was your goal?
Was it
Finding the art
Was it
Owning the art
Was it
Framing the art
Was it
Hanging the art
Was it
Something deeper?
Is the point to feel inspired?
Why's that matter?
How will the inspiration help?
What can you do
With that art hanging on your wall
That you could not
Prior?
Have you gone deep
To the core of your intentions
To find the truth
To realize your motivations
May have nothing
To do
With hanging art?

May 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 02 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The weight of my yeses
Is greater
Than the strength of my time

May 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 01 May 2019 08:00:00 -0700

One night
I tried to write
And some poem-like bits came out
But none of them
Were a complete and whole poem
So I wrote this
Instead

April 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Is any price
Too high
For some more time?

April 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

An optimistic decision
Is dangerous
Whereas a prudent decision
Is quite boring

April 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Winter has come
Oh heck

April 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The plant droops under its own weight
So stems are cut
Now with less more is possible

April 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Inbox zero
I know it's been a long while
But I miss you
And I'm trying hard to come back

April 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Consider
All possibilities
To select
That which is most germane
So that means
Determining focus
Requires
Abandoning focus
For a time
But only for a time

April 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

In the forest that is your life
You see the trees
And you know the forest exists
But you're in it
Indeed
You are the woods
How can you fly or float up high
How can you soar
So you're above the canopy
So you can see
More than just the trees of your life

April 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The construction of new routines
A tiring
Exact
Unforgiving
Lengthy
Requirement
Worth the investment in the end

April 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A cat
Gets used to things
And when said things suddenly change
That's when a cat
Fights back

April 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

What deeds
When one looks back
Elicit pride in the doing
And having done
Such that a life has accomplished
And left better
What was
Found

April 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

New surroundings
Everything everywhere is friction
Like sandpaper
Eroding the texture of thought
Then you come home
And everything is soft silk sheets
Perfect normal

April 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
Go(lang)
Is really strange

April 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
Assumptions can cause more problems
Than I figured
And I thought they could cause a lot

April 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
Well actually I remembered
Why I avoid
Using Git on the command line

April 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
Granting the correct permissions
Is hit and miss

April 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
The key to success and delight
Is enough sleep

April 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Just a light snack
For two
Immense dragons

April 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Are most people
Moral
Reputable
Honest
Just
And good?
Or is evil
Winning?
Are the bad ones
Legion
Or simply loud?

April 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
Good occupancy detection
Is difficult

April 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
That there's a lot I need to learn
About Ruby

April 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
That I've been thinking way too small
And bigger thoughts
Excite

April 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
This light in a dark industry
Is much brighter
Than I ever hoped it would be
Please do not dim

April 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Today I learned
A lot
Like, a whole lot
And so
My brain melted

April 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Loud
City
Disconcerting
Whereas
Mute
City
Unsettling

April 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I thought I knew
But then
Out of the blue
Something
New

April 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Life can be quite overwhelming
And yet sometimes
It all seems quite manageable
Those times are lies
Of course

April 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I'm ready now
But it's still days and days away
So I'm waiting
But I'm really ready right now

April 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Snow melts
Everything blooms
Eyes itch
Mucus dribbles
Thus confirming spring's arrival

April 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I'm pretty sure
My chores
Breed

April 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Fool me once
It must be April Fools
Fool me twice
Is it still April Fools?
Fool me thrice
So is it midnight yet?

March 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Taxes
Suck

March 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Poem?
But so sleepy...
Maybe a poem about sleep?
It could have sheep!
One sheep two sheep three sheep four sheep

March 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

A butterfly key flaps its wings
Nothing happens
Or a character appears twice
Or perhaps once
And it's been like that for four years
So I suppose
AirPower must be worse than that
How could that be?
Maybe it set things on fire

March 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Green
Cars go
Gold
Cars slow
Red
Cars woah

March 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The offer has been accepted
And thus begins
An unexpected adventure

March 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Hey Apple Watch
You can't expect me to stand up
When I'm covered
In cats

March 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Sorry
You're incorrect
My cats
Are actually
The cutest to ever exist
Common mistake

March 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Every day takes place on a bridge
Your past behind
Stretching far into the distance
Future in front
Veiled in the fog of mystery
The bridge itself
Sometimes solid and durable
And sometimes not
But it's your bridge no matter what

March 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Apple
I've been patient
Please make a standalone display
With modern stuff
Retina
Thunderbolt 3
And no Dell logo in my face
My credit card
Awaits

March 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Motivation
Where oh where have you gone my friend?
We're a great team
So please
Come back to me
Because the apartment's a mess

March 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Changing something
For the sake of changing something
Is often change
Of the most deplorable kind

March 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

When words come out
And those words are ill considered
And they do harm
You wish
You wish them back
You wish you could do it over
But you cannot
Those words
They were uttered
And the damage they did is done
It's too late now
There are only three things to do:
Apologize
Learn a lesson from the mistake
Write poetry

March 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Taylor Street Coffee Shop
Your breakfasts
Are San Francisco's best
If only
I could be inside you
More often

March 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Want to drain all my energy?
Have me write code
To solve a new-to-me problem
While others watch
With a fairly short time limit

March 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

The day before
A quite important tomorrow
Unusual
And yet
Pretty mundane
But of course it's just the prelude
When I wake up
I will find out which direction
In which my life
Is aimed

March 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Knowing the rules
Is absolutely essential
To break them well

March 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

People watching
Lots of fun on a normal day
At comic con
An order of magnitude more

March 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Mew
Mew mew
Mew mew mew mew
Raven?
Mew mew mew mew
Come here
Mew mew mew mew
Where in the world are you Raven?
Mew mew mew mew
Oh yeah
Mew mew mew mew
You refused to leave the closet
Mew mew mew mew
So you were trapped when I closed it
Mew mew mew mew
And now I need to let you out
Mew mew mew mew
There
Mew
You're free!
Mew mew mew mew...
Hey now
It's your own fault
You need to be responsible
Be less stubborn
And learn lessons when this happens
You understand?
Raven?
Mew!
Language!

March 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

It seems to me
Cats can taste the flavor of warmth
They're discerning
The texture of some heat relished
Some rejected
They seem to prefer people heat
Like heat from laps
But heat from butts is their favorite
For seats and chairs
Very shortly after standing
Are rapidly
Annexed

March 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

I cherish days like this
Things worked out
We learned several new things
Got good news
Made some decent progress
Shared smiles
Laughed and giggled and loved
You might say
Today was a good day
And perhaps
Tomorrow will be too

March 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

Daylight savings
Should be taken out back and shot
And shot again
Just to make absolutely sure

March 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0700

I am not a poet
But I am
Someone who writes poems

March 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Learning how something magic works
Kills the magic
For some
But for others
Such knowledge imparts the power
To cast new spells

March 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

"Hey guys"
A common phrase
Said by everyone everywhere
Who even cares
But what if one person did care
Just one person
If changing one tiny habit
Could spark some joy
Or help someone feel included
Why not do that
There are many alternatives
"Hey everyone"
"Hi folks"
"Sup?"

March 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What is bedtime
What temporal prison have we made
What can we do
What hour is best for our rest
What defines truth
What can we really say of sleep
What is bedtime

March 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Today I learned
How to count things and draw a line
In other words
I know how Machine Learning works

March 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Almost midnight
Would be a shame to break my streak
So this must do

March 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The coffee shop:
I see someone with their laptop
I see their screen
I see all their desktop icons
I see chaos
I see something I could not stand
And I judge them
I judge them knowing I should not
I know I'm wrong
I know those icons are not them
I should not look
And I should not judge when I do
But I do look
And judgement rushes out of me
Like a dam burst

March 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

No one likes to take the trash out
But everyone
Likes the trash to be taken out

March 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If you debate
To figure out who is correct
Then let us talk
But if being victorious
Is your sole aim
Kindly
Shut your pie hole

March 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0800

There is a chance
That the arrangement of debris
After a storm
Appears to be intentional
Or creative
Likewise
There is a chance
A developer may write code
That seems to work
Before they read and understand
What is written
Within the documentation

February 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I saw the code
Code written by somebody else
And what I felt
Was a mix of terror and rage
As if in hell

February 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

It is centered
But it looks like it's off-center
Is it centered?
Math: Yes
People: No way
For safety or performance: Yes
For astehtics
For us
No

February 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Today I saw
Upon my digital display
A simple name
Which described a variable
And in that name
I found enough detail to know
What in the heck
All this code was trying to do
And things were clear
For the name was not too simple
And the author
Did not assume I could read minds
Which filled my heart
And caused me to weep tears of joy

February 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Hey, universe
Did you have a hand in all this?
Or is it chance?
Am I just bouncing randomly?
Who's in charge here?
Is luck a product of effort?
Or is this fate?
I ask knowing there's no answer
But I must ask

February 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If a sheet is too small
Those below
Will know no rest at all

February 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Poison can smell sweet like a rose
So choose with care
For a terrific tomorrow
You need wisdom
Today

February 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Sometimes helping others
Reminds us
That we can help ourselves

February 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

My aptitude for focusing
(on distractions)
Would utterly overwhelm you

February 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

And there it is
Light at the end of the tunnel
It's visible
It's real and tangible and good
Yet at this sight
I find that I am overwhelmed
Seeing the end
Means seeing the span that remains
And that distance
It is too much to contemplate
So I look down
I see my feet in the darkness
I breathe deeply
I focus on taking a step
One simple step
Knowing that each small step adds up
That each propels
That together small steps are huge
More than a match
For any overwhelming span
These little steps
Will get me where I want to go
Out of the dark
To a point where I can look up
And look around
And not drown in the spectacle

February 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

How much further
Would humanity have progressed
If it wasn't
For all these godforsaken chores?
I'd probably
Be swimming in a lake on Mars
Whereas instead
I have to go to the store for
Frozen breakfasts

February 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Why am I always so surprised
By APIs?
Why does the behavior I see
Lack clarity?
Why is it that what's written down
Causes a frown?
It seems that no one tested this
So much amiss...
Create, read, update, and delete
No real great feat
The docs contradict the response
With nonchalance
So what am I supposed to do?
Find something new?
The alternative could be worse!
Another curse!
I'll try to do the best I can...
But a wise man
He would probably go buy a shed
And raise chickens
Instead

February 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Texture and tone
of space
of ignorance
of dearth
of vacancy
of gaps
of deepest sea
of sleep
of coldest cold
of want
of hidden things
of need
of savagery
of lust
of the shadows
of no light or warmth or knowledge
of all the ends
of last
Black

February 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Gorgeous rainbow
When the wide spectrum converges
Something new forms
Much more than the sum of its parts
Brilliant and bright
No longer strictly a color
Dark's enemy
Bright white

February 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

So here we are
At the edge of the visible
There's more beyond
But such colors are not for us
We have limits
But there's a lot inside our lines
Much to play with
So many hues to see and use
Like my favorite
So bold it keeps my smile lit
Vivid violet

February 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Such a vast sky
With clouds and birds soaring so high
And deep ocean
So alive with constant motion
Above, below
Such color wherever we go
Another hue
Won't do
So here's to you
Color
Blue

February 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

One tiny seed
Grows up
Grows left and right
Grows down
Grows all around
Grows tall
Grows far and wide
Grows new seeds for the countryside
Grows a long time
Grows wise
Grows and then dies
Green tree

February 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A central force second to none
Beautiful sun
The brightest of all flying high
Master of sky
A toasty life-giving notion
Long explosion
An energy lending fellow
Glowing yellow

February 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The passionate rage of nature
All consuming
It evolves into heat and light
A burning roar
Harnessed
Captured and bent
A gateway to technology
Tempting danger
Primal
Bright orange fire

February 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A kiss
With tender lips
A sweet exchange where much is said
Those silent words
Hue of
Red

February 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I built something
Now I stand on the precipice
Before release
Such a terrifying prospect
Will it take flight?
Plummet?
Or even worse...
Will those I built it for not care?
What once was mine
I will now share with everyone
Much can go wrong
But hard work and luck may unite
So now it's time
Time for my collection of fears
To be toppled
By hopeful possibility
Time to find out
What provocative thing comes next
Time at long last
To ship

February 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

It's all been said
Except
For what hasn't

February 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

So many splendid ideas
Are held captive
By those who fear to set them free

February 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Self-imposed rules
Promises with so much promise
Yet so fragile
They bend and break effortlessly
But why is that?
Do we simply lack discipline?
Or do these keys
Not fit the locks we think they did?

February 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What is the world
If not a huge ball of chaos
With a veneer
Of order and calm and peace and
Where is our strength
In the facade or the maelstrom?

February 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Can a sunset contain such powerful beauty
That all would weep at such?
Or is there someone who would never shed a tear
No matter how sublime?

February 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Snow
Is rain
That said "no rush"

February 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 02 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The relentless march of time is
Not a surprise
The knowledge that we will die is
Not a surprise
The intersection of these is

February 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:00:00 -0800

When a thousand things must be done
Why does my brain
Urge me to do nothing at all?
Maybe it fears
The colossal weight of so much
Will crush me flat
Perhaps if I remind it that
Each task alone
Is of a manageable weight
I'd be able
To lift
One

January 31st, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

One who disdains
The pains and perils of progress
Is left behind

January 30th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

If the error message is not
Clear and helpful
Where then
Is the true fault?

January 29th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Sometimes when you create something
Like a poem
You think, "Nope, not publishing that!"
And then you frown
For you have to publish something
Perhaps this one?

January 28th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A gracious host
Sets their Bluetooth speaker to pair
With anyone
But if they fail to turn it off
Sudden music
Is a surprising wake up call

January 27th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Sunlight
Brilliant and bright
Born in the dense core of our star
It took tens of thousands of years of random bouncing to escape
Then eight minutes of cold freedom
Until landing
To show us what there is to see

January 26th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Knowledge of possibility
Means just as much
As the laws that govern nature

January 25th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The best thing about being sick
Is a parent
Or friend
Or your partner
Making sure you're taken care of
That's my focus
Not debilitation and pain
But love and care
(That and lots of television)

January 24th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

"Yes"
A word
With such power
One yes equals a thousand noes
Because each yes demands payment in renouncement and sacrifice
Each yes needs time we can't replace
So be careful
Saying
"Yes"

January 23rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Roll a large boulder up a hill
Once at the top
Pushing is no longer needed
Instead you run
Giving chase with wind rushing by
And soon the hill
Once large and intimidating
Is behind you
So like gravity not helping
Until you crest
Motivation will not appear
Until you work

January 22nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What if
I hurled my tasks
Off a cliff into the ocean
And instead of all this complicated tech stuff I just made art
Oh that's right I need to pay bills
Sorry ocean
No tasks coming your way today
Let's get back to
Functions
Variables
Objects
And APIs

January 21st, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Change
"No thanks"
Change is a must
"I hate doing things differently"
Change is inevitable and required for you to flourish
"But I'm so comfortable right now"
Change doesn't care
"What about–"
Change

January 20th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Every day some time is wasted
Perhaps a lot
Sometimes there's nothing you can do
But typically
How much is really up to you

January 19th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

How can it work
How can I discover success
Where can I go
Where is triumph hiding from me
Will I find it
Will I have the strength to go on
What if I fail
What if the work is for nothing
Why can't I win
Why can't I have all these answers
I crave answers
I would be free with these answers
I could relax
No more questions means no more toil
No more struggle
No more pressure to move forward
No more effort
No more
Oh

January 18th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I went in the bedroom to wake her
But she was dreaming
Her hand twitched a little and then a lot
A few more minutes

January 17th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

That fragile thing
Up high
The cat sees it
And knows exactly what to do
A gentle nudge
One paw
Crash

January 16th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

“The soup is hot”
Some will abide those words and wait
Others will not
For them the burn is the teacher

January 15th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Fifteen days into these poems
Writers block strikes
This was quite inevitable
But luckily
Reflection reveals a way out

January 14th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Every day we stand on the shoulders of giants
But are they giants now?
They were as flawed and frightened as we are today
They failed and succeeded
They built upon what their predecessors gave them
We build on their genius
They provided what we need to take the next step
And they provided more
Their faults provide us with incredible wisdom
We can take better steps
Our foundation can be their triumphs or mistakes
We can choose the best path
With what they gave us we can do better than them
We are the giants now

January 13th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

One
Penny
Doubled daily
Is a very quick path to wealth

January 12th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

With each step forward
It seems like I take two steps back
But I'm moving
And I have a great dance partner

January 11th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What should it cost?
How much value does it provide?
What is joy worth?
How can you measure happiness?

January 10th, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

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    display: grid;
    grid-template-areas:
        'css . .'
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January 9th, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Markup
Markup

is Poetry

January 8th, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A shower knob turned one degree
Office chair height
Color
How a shirt feels
An extra tug on shoelaces
Display brightness
Kerning
Music volume
Details!
Some relevant
Some not
But it depends
On who is reading the poem

January 7th, 2019

Justin Michael — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

I've stared at it
I've given it a lot of thought
I've asked for help
I've watched the YouTube videos
This fitted sheet
Will not
Fold

January 6th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

The big white tent
Judges
A quirky pair
One dozen nervous and happy
The signature
Uncertain technical challenge
A showstopper
Mixing
Don't overwork
Proving
Patience is key
Kneading
Bye frustrations
Folding
Get those layers
Chilling
It has to set
Adorn
Steady your hands
Oven
Sit on the floor
Triumphs
Catastrophes
A pause to reflect on the rise
Style and substance
A nice irregular structure
Look at that shine
Oh no
Soggy bottom
Raw dough
Flavor comes through
It works
You pulled it off
Relief
Scrummy handshakes
Pure bliss
Considered deliberation
One is crowned star
But wait
One says goodbye
Tears of sadness and tears of joy
Weekend complete
But soon those remaining compete
So on your marks
Get set
Bake

January 5th, 2019

Justin Michael — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

Which of many steps is most important?
The first is the plunge
Nothing exists without a beginning
The last wraps things up
A journey in progress is not complete
And the steps between...
Some small, some large, some quite remarkable
Which step weighs the most?
Or is there a better question to ask?

January 4th, 2019

Justin Michael — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

A cat on the end of the bed
Aloof beauty
She knows nothing of rent and bills

January 3rd, 2019

Justin Michael — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What did you do today?
Who smiled?
Why?

January 2nd, 2019

Justin Michael — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

What errand would stimulate creativity and foster joy...
Perhaps writing poems daily?
Hark, a website!

January 1st, 2019

Justin Michael — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0800

New year
So much to do
Yet I'm up late, writing poems