Poems that startle, amuse, provoke and confuse, Notes from a Commode - Volume I is a thought-provoking collection of poetry that will make you laugh and cry and is guaranteed not to put you to sleep. Don''t let the title fool you, Notes from a Commode - Volume I contains poems for all ages and all sensibilities.

Half Moon

This evening, I saw a pale gibbous moon
With just the faintest hint of something more
It was much like the way you''ve been lately
Except, eventually, the moon became full


Monday Morning

Flagging spirits unfurled by drafts of stout and ale
as weary days fold into wearier nights of stale breath and
failed dreams, dashed and scattered . . .


The Son of a Bitch

. . .
There goes the opening bell
The horses run like hell
The jockey spits
He''s a son of a bitch
But the horse is under his spell
. . .


A Damned Fool

My wife called me
A damned fool
I asked her the difference
Between a fool and
A damned fool
She said she was damned
If she knew


Dismantling the Wagers of War

. . .
Except for my disgusting shell and desiccated brain
The house was completely empty
I removed each one of my toes
Lined them up carefully in the silverware drawer
. . .

Reviews

"Funny, unsurprisingly earthly, unexpectedly elegant, Mr. Lester teases the sensualist, mocks the classicist and plays atheist to the spiritualist. Notes from a Commode - Volume I is a dreamy and in turn dog eat dog universe, no rose garden for sissies, but an excellent salt water tonic (think Coleridge) for intrepid rhymesters. I laughed out loud."

Michael Bruce KozollScreenwriter, numerous film and TV credits
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"Those who consider themselves aficionados of poetry often have intellects that savor words and personalities that seek clever verbal invention within a colorful cloak of artistic discipline. For us, it is not sufficient for a poet to write a simple rhyme. It is essential that a good poet express a concept using only the most perfect words. And, if the verse is arranged cogently with meaning, meter and rhyme; well, a joyful symphony of sound and expression can be created.

"The brilliant verse created by Michael Lester represents the aforementioned characteristics. This man Lester is a genius with words and imbued with a talent to create verse that, in my view, puts him in the company of the great romantic poets like Shelley, Keats, Byron, Dickinson and a plethora of their brilliant poet friends that lived and wrote prolifically in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries."

John Louis CimasiAuthor, poet, playwright
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"Michael has mastered the poetic bait-and-switch. Reserve your knowing winks -- each page holds much more than you think!

"I think that surprise must be the theme of your work: it did indeed startle and amuse! Well done across the board! It was such an enjoyable read for someone like me who does not regularly read poetry anthologies. I especially enjoyed The Canary, The Blink of an Eye, Dismantling the Wagers of War (wow!), and The Last Samurai. The Blink of an Eye causes my mind to wander through the mysteries of the Fermi Paradox, which has been a fascination of mine.

"The haiku, tanka and ha''sonnet explorations are fantastic."

Megan PadaleckiChildren''s book author & illustrator
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"Bawdy, brutal, baffling and beautiful, Michael Lester takes you on a badass trip into random rants, bemusing, beguiling places and head spaces. Buckle up and begin. You will enjoy this ride!"

Cheryl LaddActress, singer, author