Bio: Mike Grilll is a senior at the University of Portland. He has been writing poetry only for short time, but recently was selected to read some of his poetry at the North West Undergraduate Literary conference in the Spring of 2009.

Poetry by Mike Grill

"23 - Middle Aged"

23 - middle aged.
Light brown hair in the summer,
Dark moods in the winter.
Prone to elusiveness,
Led to snap decisions;
Sleeveless in summer,
Jacketed in winter.
And in between confused
About the weather,
About politics,
And about relationships.
Too hot in the summer,
Too cold in winter,
Sleeves and jackets
Do more than insulate

"Don’t Ask the Girl in Class to Coffee"

Don’t ask the girl in class to coffee
Spoons, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg – aphrodisiacs
For the scholarly, apparently – Canadian Hunter
Does not mix as well with coffee as typical eight year Jameson
Which does not mix as well with company: checks and balances.
So ask the girl in class to lunch
Provolone, turkey, pickles, and mayonnaise will keep your head clear,
The bistro is well lit and offers no alcohol,
But that does not mean that vodka is not good in lemonade.