THE SPEAK EASY

Michael Grosse is a 32-year-old poet who believes in only the following about poetry, always take chances. His performances vary in style and delivery, but he is known for his willingness to attempt the diverse. He is often accompanied by sounds and noises in which he produces from found sounds such as the mixing of John Coltrane with Sonic Youth with Esquievel. Michael Grosse has been the featured reader on three different radio programs the most recent being Frank Andrick's Pomo Literati show on KUSF out of San Francisco. He has been published in several journals or newsletters among them Free Thought, Between the Lines, Poetry Flash and Say Yes. He has a self-published chapbook Banned by Demand as well as inclusion in Night Owls and Welcome to Hell.

Lavender Greyness 10/ 23,29-11/6,18/99
Floating on a stream of
superfluous freedom
let the bells ring,
unheeded, unanswered.
The lamb on Broadway
Turns dime store tricks
as forbidden fruit taints
 the boy scout's trail mix
 & the leader appropriates
the liquor, the spoon & 
        the fix.
Kafka cough & the professor
is a beetle scurrying across
the classroom tile,
meanwhile the pilot
drunk on beefheart broth
crashes the tarotplane 
into a bowl of candy corn
plucked from the 
garden of barbarians
with gestures pierced by flowers
& a double amputee soldier
shooting clouds with a 
blind bishop's gold piece
as violated angels tend to
Anne's punishment while
Olga the She Wolf beats
the night porter with
cruel passion &
paranoiac duplicitous duality
underneath the celestial army
twinkling & spreading old news
as carbon copy cutouts stroll
through the carnival of 
carnal carnage picking at
the cotton candy in hand;
lavender mist moist meticulousness
ocean greyness candy apple grey
does husker soul distemper
tempting talk & a Pollack poised pose
pushed to pry into subconsciousness
& syncronicitious simplicity;
        a smile simply exists.