Hopeless Cases by Michael Kramer Editors: Ricki Mandeville, Michael Miller ISBN: 978-1-4507-7726-1 $15.00 Michael Kramer is a spelunker into the human spirit, shining his insights like a flashlight against the scenarios of growing up. He engages the reader with empathy, imagery, wit and a touch of wryness, like one corner of a mouth turning up in the hint of a sardonic smile. Equal parts teacher and poet, he ushers us into this world and the personalities that populate it, displaying a poet’s skill and a teacher’s compassion. –Ricki Mandeville

ABOUT THE AUTHOR For thirty-five years, Michael Kramer has day-lighted as a high school English teacher and served as a consultant and presenter on the English curriculum and the teaching of writing and poetry. He has advised the perennial award-winning high school literary magazine King Author and mentored young writers. Kramer’s poetry has appeared in numerous journals from Free Lunch to Limestone Circle to Spillway to The Pacific Review, from The Blue Mouse to The Cresset. His work has seen light in a number of anthologies and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Kramer has been married to the ever-inspirational Rebecca for longer than he’s been teaching; together they have raised four remarkable children. This is his third collection published.

The Decimation of St. Jude’s

   With rushes that shoot green again, I plait
   Green scapulars to wear over your shroud.
             – Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg,” 44 – 45

Joe McKay came in, sat down,
the desk to his left saved for his brother.
Tom Gwynne in the front row sat and frowned,
Kaufmann looked up, awaiting the others.

The desk to his left Joe had saved for his brother.
Joe chatted quietly with Randy Lombardi.
Kaufmann looked up, awaiting the others.
He decided to begin with half the class hardly.

Joe’d chatted quietly with Randy Lombardi,
Tom Gwynne opened with prayer and ended, “St. Jude…”
Kaufmann began with half the class hardly.
“Not even a test day. ‘Course, Grapes of Wrath…

 Tom, you opened the prayer and invoked St. Jude;
just how are these Joads hopeless cases?
No quiz today. Just Grapes of Wrath.
We’ll talk till the others have taken their places.”

“I don’t know about Joads. Are they hopeless cases?
Mac and the others; this morning, they’re gone.
I didn’t read, Kaufmann; who’ll take their places?
They snuck out for beer, got caught, by dawn…”

“Mac and the others; this morning, they’re gone?”
Kaufmann had taught of the Dust Bowl, those hopeless cases,
but a beer run, then caught, then moved out by dawn?
Only Kaufmann had read; there were four empty places.

Kaufmann talked about the Dust Bowl and those hopeless cases.
Tom Gwynne in the front row continued to frown.
Only Kaufmann had read; there were four empty places.
McKay stared out the window, looked down.