Early Poems XXI

These are my early poems, or juvenilia. Stars by Michael R. Burch, age 22 Though night has come, I'm not alone, for stars appear —fierce, faint and far— to dance until they disappear. They reappear as clouds roll by in stormy billows past bent willows; sometimes they almost seem to sigh. And time rolls on, on past the willows, on past the stormclouds as they billow, on to the stars so faint and far, on to the stars so faint and far. All the young sailors by Michael R. Burch, age 20 All the young sailors follow the sea leaving their lovers to live and be free, to brave violent tempests to ride out wild storms to dream of new lovers seductive and warm to drink until sunset then stretch out at dawn in the dew of emotions they don't understand to follow the sunlight to flee from the rain to live out their longings though often in pain to dream of the children they never shall see while bucking the waves of an unending sea till, racked by harsh coughing his lungs almost gone straining to catch one last glimpse of the sun the last of the sailors finally succumbs for all the young sailors die young. Again and Again and Again by Michael R. Burch, age 20 Your voice is bluer than midnight’s bluest, deepest, darkest shade of the sky, so sing me a lullaby as soft as the softest kitten’s sighs. And your lips are warmer than August’s warmest, calmest, clearest, sun-drenched day, so kiss me with kisses that cannot help but take my breath away. Your hair is softer than autumn’s softest, lightest, evenest evening rain, so veil me with tresses, ah!, able to ease my every pain. Your smile is brighter than morning’s brightest, barest carnation, so smile for me; say that you love me again and again and again. Alice, an Excerpt by Michael R. Burch, age 15 There were nights when we would wander together the banks of a lake cast in strange monotones where once I had wandered before, lost and alone. And along the moonlit banks we strolled the silver waterfalls recoiled to, screaming, die upon the folds of tranquil waters far below. For tranquil waters fed below on melting ice and crumbling stone. The nights we spent beside that lake we spent there with the stately drake, the graceful swan, the grotesque eel, close to the sound of a waterfall's peal, close to the sound of a lake's midnight meal. [see the full poem] Early Poems, juvenilia, college, star, stars, night, time, dance, clouds, storm clouds, storms, willows, tree, trees, alone, loneliness