Michael "Mike" Beard (born July 22, 1953) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, who retired in 2014. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 55A, which includes portions of Scott County in the southwestern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Communities in the district include Shakopee, Jackson Township, and Louisville Township. He is also a local businessman and newspaper publisher. He is now also co-chair of a coal energy advocacy group, Coalition for a Secure Energy Future and serves as Scott County Commissioner, District 3.
Beard graduated from Bethany College of Missions in Bloomington, earning his B.A. in Bible Missions. He later attended entrepreneurial classes at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul. He was the owner and operator of Macalester Park Public Company from 1987–1995, and has been publisher of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle newspaper since 1994. He was a member of the Shakopee City Council from 1991–1995, and was a member of the Minnesota Regional Transit Board from 1993-1995.
She cried as I lied between the ivory
I screamed
the sand hurts abrasive on my hands
I dared to fall asleep to the waves crashing on impotence
but can you climb to your feet and be proud of what you have
of what you've made
what's on your shelf
what's in your card catalog today
I dreamed that the sod was laid
but I was blind to what the stone said
do you see it in your eyes
could you read it for me
tell me in song and I'll snap my fingers as we stroll
can you feel the heat on your souls
or are the arches of time too painful to walk on
but push on brother
we are not weak