Background: Michael F. Ring is a professional counselor who has worked with abused and neglected children and their families for the past thirty years.  He is a middle-aged human being, an evolving and maturing spirit whose writings are in their infancy.  He lives in central Ohio and started his poetical journey later in life.  After a lifetime of athletics including college football, ten years of Rugby, and much “Jock-istic” thinking, he found through his writings that real men do in fact eat quiche and occasionally write very introspective and sensitive poetry.  With two kids finishing up college this coming year, he is ready to fly again with wife Connie and travel and write more as an empty nester.  For him the journey has really just begun . . . You may contact Mike at mring@treca.org.

Survivor

National Phenomenon
or an Outback Obsession.
We watch religiously
without hesitation.

Who do we relate to most?
Who will make
the inevitable Sacred Cut.
The Tribal Council
becomes our social circle
of weekly friends
that decides
quite decisively

Who will stay,
and Who will go!

A  reflection of our own lives
with complicated alliances
and personal juries
that we interact with everyday.

As we are challenged
and struggle,
we relate to their quests
as if they were our own.

Will it be the handsome mechanic?
The bitchy broad who drives a Boston bus?
An odd and quirky sales rep.,
or us?

 We will stay glued to the tube
to see our Champion
our Survivor of the fittest –
the one we see most clearly in ourselves.

Do they belong?
If so, do we?
Will we win,
lose,
be banished,
or find ourselves
with immunity,

A tribal council
of one,
as this life’s lone,                                         

.....Survivor!   

This new updated poem added 1/18/07
index guest page home top
Click on the icon if you entered this site from another and wish to go to my homepage.