Indiana Poem by Michael Lee Johnson

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 poet, and freelance writer from Itasca, Illinois and author of The Lost American: From Exile to Freedom. He has also published two chapbooks of poetry. He has been published in USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Turkey, Fuji, Nigeria, Algeria, Africa, India, United Kingdom, Republic of Sierra Leone, Nepal, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia.


Photo by Adam Lawrence.


This husband and wife team from Wisconsin recently released their debut self-titled ep on Common Cloud Records. Each ep is handmade and bound in twine. Their songs have a midwest feel with a universal appeal. Venna is a big stage band about to break loose!