Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver

Thank you Michelle Ayon Navajas for nominating my mythic poem “The Battle of Lake Michigan” for Best of the Net 2025! I’m truly honored and humbled to be included among these amazing nominees.

Read on for the reblog of the nominations made by Michelle Ayon Navajas (Editor of Hotel Masticadores House), my poem and how it developed, and some memories with photos.

Hotel Masticadores’ Nominees for the Best of the Net 2025

The Battle of Lake Michigan

This poem is about my father, who grew up in Escanaba, Michigan, in a house on Lake Michigan. An only child, he played alone on the beach just a few feet from his family’s garage. I imagined the games he played and his treasures piled in the beach grass. He was a good swimmer, so he spent a great deal of time in the water.

I have vivid memories of that beach too because we visited our grandparents. I recall the hot sand and prickly grass beneath my feet; the searing sun blistered my skin. The huge lake always intimidated me, so I only waded in the waves lapping the shore. If I ventured out too far from shore, the lake grass in the water would tickle my legs, scaring me. It’s no surprise that I never advanced beyond “Beginner” in the summer swimming classes.

In the early 60s, we lived in the lake house for a year. My grandparents had passed away. At that time, the lake had retreated from the area due to “Chicago’s water use”, Dad said. Now the lake is back. At that time, I missed wading in the lake like I had done when younger.

All said, the poem, “The Battle of Lake Michigan”, developed out of Dad’s boyhood passion for the lake and my fears of the water. Native lore teaches that The Great Lakes hold powerful spirits. I chose the mythic Greek sea goddess Ceto to play the antagonist in this poem. I invite you to read the poem by clicking on the link provided above.