Michael Belongie

CONTACT:
poetpow@gmail.com

BIO:
Michael Belongie recently completed his seventh poetry collection, Embracing the Moment with Silver Creek Press. He dedicated his fifth collection, of 52 poems, Now is All We Have, to the community of the Benedictine Women of Madison. Michael and his wife, Jane, have assigned the sales of this electronic edition’s production to the capital campaign fund for its new monastery building of Holy Wisdom.

Michael remains active in poetry and committed to education in Wisconsin. An educator and poet, he is a past president of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, serving in many capacities holding various offices, and serving as editor, with Josephine Zell, of the 2007 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar.

He has judged statewide poetry contests and has been responsible for planning educators’ conventions, introducing readings by Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Sharon Olds, and Billy Collins to Madison. His poems have been frequently published in both the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences (Wisconsin People and Ideas) poetry selections and the Wisconsin Poets’ Calendars.

As a teacher Michael designed and broadcast an interactive fiber-optic television course, Power Poetry, to participating schools in the southern part of Wisconsin. This endeavor remains the most exhilarating of many efforts to foster poetry awareness with adolescents, inviting significant Wisconsin poets for broadcast readings in that classroom/studio.

Michael has been a consultant for the national board of Scholastic Magazine,Literary Cavalcade. Twice a recipient of a Congressional teaching excellence award, he was recognized also in Who’s Who in the Midwest and Who’s Who in Teaching.

As an long-standing volunteer for the 95 acres of restored prairie land at Holy Wisdom Monastery, Michael appreciates Holy Wisdom as a uncommon place to center attention to community spirituality, respectfulness for diversity and justice, care of the Earth, and hospitality. As you read the titling poem of “Now Is All We Have,” realize a toad may offer quiet wisdom.

PUBLICATIONS:
Wisconsin Academy Review
124th, 125th, 126th, 127th Annual Conference Publications, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar: 1987–2006, 2009–2012
Editor of 2007 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar
The Benedictine Bridge

DIGITIZED POETRY COLLECTIONS:
Embracing the Moment, Silver Creek Press - IngramSparks platform - order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble
Beckoned by the Star Maker
Now Is all We Have
All Things Living, Mighty and Small
As Ancient as Stars
These Kindred Stars
Kinship with the Stars

Poetry 

 

Sophia

The toad uncovered in pruning
spiraea, motionless, transmutes
eons of toad wisdom:
now is all we have.