Long Edit Poems

"The Payload" 

The payload 
came crashing down
like rain expelled
from the fat belly 
of a ruinous pregnant cloud 
bilious with buxom promise

it came crashing down 
like school fish released 
from the tight confines
of a course rope...

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State of the Art (IV)

These are my "ars poetica" poems about the art and craft of writing poetry. 



Hearthside
by Michael R. Burch

“When you are old and grey and full of sleep...”  — W. ...

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"Dream 1: 4 Weeks in Positano"



Kisses long linger warm lips tasted intense
so sweet like cured Valencia Oranges
lips liquored triple sec not dry drunk on love
softly grazed, then held long

slow, deep, warm and wet

The story is...

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[This poem 'No God Of  Mine' was seemingly confounding readers as
to its meaning. Ordinarily, if I felt a poem wasn't  cutting it, I'd delete
it, but on this occasion, I've been asked to explain it... so here goes.]


By...

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[ edit ]
pentopaper41
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I am a mom, an artist, and an office monkey.
 

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“Upon Waking”


Slumber has its upsides 
while the outside runs around
like a split fowlyard, 
cacophonous 
pecking at each other 
and at the ground…

Elsewhere, 

like dull background noise
through the fog of dream 
the sound of the gamble...

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K169 and K170 of CANTO XVII of the THIRUK-KURAL with Translations and Commentary

[If one could put together all that has been said, written and published on the Thiruk-Kural and on its progenitor Thiru-Valluvar, it could...

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When I stopped Dancing
(new edit, 2022)


I stopped dancing first 
when the screeching screaming voice, 
cut into my small, happy, care-free body 
like a sharp knife cuts into warm butter, 
the accusing words freezing my bones,...

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"Skinwalker"


That one’s mind 
is like a scene from Chagall
dreams flow like blood bleeds
across the cortex page curtain call
an audience with the silent speakeasy 
cerebellum with its swift
matter-of-factness 
logically guides the fingers 
to dance across keys...

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It’s Friday afternoon. Anna, Lisa, Leong and I are sitting around our common room - sagging actually - after a long day.
“I need a break,” I said, “now’s the time - today, this day -...

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It's weird to subscribe to the following:
Heaven
Past lives
Ghosts
Nothing

It depends what suits in the moment, perhaps due to being taught to 'have faith' and not question I got a little carried away and started collecting a...

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"White the Lowest Sky"



Cries the Lowest Sky 
tear drops fed as manna
o’er the littlest warrior 
face raised to ultra Light

The 3
that sit in Ultra Gamma
there cries the lowest Sky
the voice that ever hears you

Cries the...

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Of Treasures Sought, Diving For Forbidden Dark Pearls

I shall weave you, dear reader, words true and sincere
tho' will not be as great as those woven by poetic peers
It's truth from a life long-lived, too fast...

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Dear promising poet,

for me, modern poetry provides a peek into a poet’s inner world. Through this artistic medium, a poet speaks in expressive language of imagery and metaphor conveying varied textures of emotions and observations...

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Who needs Love?

If we all need love, how do we get it?
My Angel strokes my cheek and says
Your abandoned heart, so hungry, 
Maybe it’s time that you fed it.
My head looks up and says: 
Don’t...

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There once was a nation that was like a beautiful tall sailing ship
It’s mast were like redwood trees lined up in a forest
They bore the stainless white sails of opportunity to catch the winds of...

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The Bloodstone, The Raven And Master Poe,
Part Two of Three

For seven years it had been wickedly clever
Doing just enough to sate its wicked desires
When begged to stop. Alas it cried, never
Not until your soul rests...

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In the Far Off Land of China
(To the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Edit 1
By Franklin Price
03/28/2020

In the Far off land of China many thousand miles away
The Coronavirus came to its first human...

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Good Cop                                 ...

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In Soft Glowing Mistress Flame Of The Beauty's Breath 
- a collaboration with Susan Ashley

In soft glowing mistress flame of thy beauty's breath
your heart swears purest love even unto its death
with future treasures that our...

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Struggle to write

Witnessed courtesy the following poetic sight
especially when dark shadows foretell edge of night
twilight zone expanding
into outer limits of width and height
obscuring webbed wide world
subsequently where black tentacles alight.

This poetic prologue feeble exercise to...

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"As  Above, So Below - The Messengers"



One day 
when this sad story 
has all blown over
of how we came to be
walking the earth 
below the veil
with monsters 
that are men 
with horns and tails
in...

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Achilles, Bloody Battles, Death's Black Hand As Was Fated
Part Three, (the Conclusion)

Dawn, bright rays fell upon Achilles and his band
exiting ship, Greek sandals felt soft Trojan sands
with mighty magnificent Greek pride in courageous hearts
each seeking...

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The Enlightenment Of A Once Lost Soul,
(A sad tale of life lived,  in three sonnets united)....
 
 
I.
Alas! Can man ever conquer such doom and gloom
walk in the light, a true path forswearing to...

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A fierce wind howls, and dark clouds race across the horizon,
   and beneath a hood draped over his face, a man whispers;
of a vast land with wild waters, of streaking sunrises and sunsets,
...

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