Best Martial(A) Poems

Awesome is what I heard.
a Kung fu master poet spoken word martial artist nunchuckering his words.
kaRate kicking, chopping, spit splitting nouns, adjectives and verbs.
yo vOice defines its comfort zone, spitting dictionary through the microphone.
a traNsformation of mr dictionary to a vivid pictionary.
a voicEprint crobratically erected...

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Karate is not only about winning, but also mastering your mind.



Date: 09/12/2015...

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Iron warrior
pulled by fear and panic moons
turning blood to rust.

May 11, 2016
Mars Contest...

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We live in strange times, my brother 
men make money 
with war dances 
and occupation... 
Do you not see the bombardments 
and the pillaging? 
Under the boot 
you are worn out, 
these days 
the sweat of your brow 
no longer serves you! 
Tanks come from...

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A tableau of brass sits with serious intent;
A Court it is of the martial bent.
And before it I stand stiff with pride,
I did my duty with nothing to hide.

My men they were , my very kind,
Hardened soldiers, the best you can find,
More than brothers of...

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Martial arts come in many forms
They’d studied the animals until dawn
With style and grace they master their art
From dusk till dawn they train from the heart



Fluid and free they move like water
Practicing moves that could slaughter
A highly skilled philosophy
Moving with elegance, such as tai chi




The...

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Martial arts, the art that
takes on any form depending
on the shape of your heart....

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I hear it friend! Don’t you?
But I’ve heard that sound before
When Legion screamed aloud its voice
And chilled men to the core…

They’ve sat so long in chamber
With nothing there to fear
The serpents head keeps changing
Each fifth or each tenth year

The ‘falling man’ a symbol
Unholiness abounds
A harsh...

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Martial epigram translations

Epitaph for the Child Erotion
by Marcus Valerius Martial
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Lie lightly on her, grass and dew...
So little weight she placed on you.

I created the translation above after the Nashville Covenant school shooting and dedicated the translation to the slain children...

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Martial Translations

Coq au vin (Cook or wine)
by Martial, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

1.
Hosts always invite you to dinner, Phoebe,
but are you merely an éclair to the greedy?

2.
Hosts always invite you to dinner, Phoebe,
but are you tart Amaro to the greedy?

Amaro is an after-dinner liqueur...

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The roughest, toughest to ever enter the Octagon/
Beating the competition to a pulp, is what I be on/
I do not cut slack, my combinations are vicious/
They hit you back to back, the impact is stupendous/
Your blood is delicious, the smell is metallic/
Stepping in the ring...

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"Ki-Ahp!" I draw back my arm like a sword,
stepping back to challenge, before bracing forward.

Like weapons meeting, grunting lips clink,
each movement controlled, bodies never link.

Roundhouse kicks swing, kumgang punches pop.
Whirlwinds can be felt with each rapid chop.

Maneuvers are blocked with reflexes swift.
From side to side,...

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He stands in diametrical opposition,
taking in the measures of his opposite self,
taking on the warriors stance,
that leads into the martial dance.

His pace is measured,
every breath taken at deliberate pace,
as he puts on a mask of passivity,
that is now his warriors face.

The dance begins,
the energy pools...

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My goldfish Finster Darcy
Speaks English but not Farsi
He has an education
And moral reputation
He does kung-fu better than you
He's such an inspiration....

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High atop our chimney breast,
Lives Steve Seagull upon his nest.
He’s a highly trained, bombing master,
Atop my rooftop, his name spells disaster.

If you’re like me, and live down by the sea,
You’d better hide quick, and find the nearest tree.
He thinks the seaside sky’s his domain,
And his...

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