THE THIRD POETRY PRIZE WINNER –
SUMMER 2022
is Michael David Lanen
of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA
“Walk Through the Forest”
Walk through the forest
You’ll find a surprise,
Listen intently
And look with your eyes,
The forest is kindly
In day if not night,
Linger too long
Joy turns to fright,
Spiders and owls
Cobwebs and howls,
Feel the unease
Turning your bowels,
If the forest was kind
All would live their,
Feel the nape of your neck
The sticking out hairs,
You wanted this journey
You wanted this life,
You never imagined
Your choice would bring strife,
And now you are here
The wild, unowned,
To speak overly frankly
You are now boned,
What did you expect
Of the wild we left,
Now get back inside
Lie down and rest.
~By Michael David Lanen
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About the poet:
My name is Michael David Lanen. I sometimes operate under the pseudonym MiDL (read as: middle). I’m a new and unpublished author, save my portfolio which has maybe five short stories in it so far. I’m a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. I have a bachelors in history with double minors in classics and philosophy. I currently live in MA with family. Writing is a passion of mine, in that it is at least enjoyable if not so far at all profitable. Jokes aside, I hope my piece is fun to read. It was certainly fun to write.
