Mike Jackman, Words & Music

Author: Michael Jackman

  • Happy Hanukkah and Our First Egg

    This evening begins Hanukkah, candle 1, and guess what? Our newly raised chickens laid their first egg. How appropriate, a blue Hanukkah egg from the “Easter Egger” chicken breed. A multicultural egg for sure!

    first egg 6 dec 2016-2-web

    It was delicious!  first egg 6 dec 2016-5-Web

    We have 6 chickens – 2 “Easter Eggers”, 2 Speckled Sussex, and 2 Bard Rocks that we raised from tiny chicks in July.

    giantchickens01

    giantchickens03
    It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago these fat, sassy chickens looked like this:

    chicks in coop 2015-08-13--13

    We are also enjoying home-made jelly donuts for Hanukkah, called “Sufganiot,” home-made by Sarah, the Queen of Cupcakes.

    Sufganiot 1sufganiot 6 dec 2016 2

    first egg 6 dec 2016-8-webYUM!!!

    Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season and a great new year! AND…since is the internet – here’s a picture of a cat. haha! Naomi, A.K.A. “kitTEN!” and “Future-cat.”

    Naomi you don't fit in the box - 9 nov 2015- 9

    Best wishes, and here’s a reminder of spring.beanstalk 25 aug 2015

    – Michael

  • when New Sound

    A proud moment for me was when ice-bound sister got picked up by New Sound, as you can tell. 🙂  Poem below. The New Sound publication

    Ice Bound Sister (poem) by Michael Jackman from The New Sound v2.1
    Ice Bound Sister from The New Sound, Michael Jackman, Spring 2013, vol 2.1, p 21.

  • reshaping my manuscript

    At the Spalding Con manuscript workshop, let by Kathleen Driskell, she had us do many exercises to revise our poetry manuscripts. One of them involved cutting a list of our titles into separate strips and arranging them in sections with our strongest poems as bookends. The workshop has been so helpful in making my manuscript stronger. Paper and scissors – still useful tools in this technological age.

    manuscript workshop Spalding 21 Nov 2015-3

    manuscript workshop Spalding 21 Nov 2015-2

  • “An Object Lesson” from Motif #4

    This was published in Motif #4 anthology – enjoy!an-object-lesson-motif-v4-cropped

  • “Mantua, 1606” – 2nd Place, Raynes Poetry Competition

    • “Mantua, 1606” Second Place, Raynes Poetry Competition judged by Joan Larken. Published in Jewish Currents, Spring 2015.

    jewish currents raynes contest copy
    “Mantua, 1606”
    2nd Prize, 2014 Raynes Poetry Competition, Joan Larkin, Judge
    Jewish Currents, April 2014

    His Grace, Duke Gonzaga, exempted

    Salomoni Rossi Hebreo,

    respected court musician and composer,

    from wearing the mandatory Jews’

    Yellow Badge of Shame

    Rossi always kept tucked

    in his sleeve as he walked

    from Mantua’s ghetto to the court

    he fingered it like his viol,

    polyphonic voices winding

    in his head singing

    the badge of shame was pride

    no badge of shame was shame

    no badge of shame was pride

    the badge of shame was shame

    as he walked

    the no-man’s land between

    the ghetto and the court

    © 2013 Michael Jackman

  • “Abandoned Barns”

    Abandoned Barns
    by Michael Jackman

    This barn was newly raised, once. This patch
    of ground was hallowed by its arching ribs,
    aromas of the earth rose through the thatch
    of sweet straw quilted over new-made cribs.
    The hay-loft pulley, swaying in the sun,
    was an eternal lamp, the double-doors,
    an entrance to a tabernacle one
    approached to worship during morning chores.
    And now the roof is broken. Now the rain
    pours through the holes and floods the hallowed ground.
    Wind blows among wood skeletons, the stain
    of rotting hay, its protest made, a sound
    raised up to summon us to patch the roof.
    Far from abandoned barns, we stand aloof.

    Thomas Merton Poetry of the Spiritual Contest (Runner up, 2001)
    Thomas Merton Seasonal (2002)

  • Buck Owens – “Act Naturally” – cover

    Buck Owens – so underrated as a wonderful songwriter, picker, performer. Here’s one of his clever songs – at-home recording. These are bare bones – just enjoy. My music feeds into poetry and vice versa. So I do this. Garage band, home studio, usb mic – and minimal digital editing.

Mike Jackman, Words & Music

Mike Jackman, Singer-Songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist, Writer