michael lee johnson

Indiana Poem

Breaking loose from the state line
of Illinois, bursting down the Indiana
toll road, near Lake Station
heading south,
smelling smoke of old
gray steel mills
seeping out
of Gary,
left behind me,
steel men, strong men,
ribs of fire, courage of
union dreamers,
long gone, most laid off,
pension plans stolen,
now gas station employees,
travelers of the
past, snuff chewers,
and labor wages-
small lakes and fishing ponds
with half-sunken boats
with tips pointed sky high,
and memories dripping
off the lips of clouds.
I'm banging out 75 mph,
in my raspberry Geo Tracker,
but as Jesus said: "I tell you
the truth, nothing ever changes in
Indiana but the seasons
and the size of the corn ears."


Michael Lee Johnson is a freelance writer and poet, who created over 355 poems published in over 135 journals and online 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 been published in the United States, Scotland, Canada, Turkey, New Zealand, Australia, Nigeria, Fiji, India, and the United Kingdom.