As autumns of dear life, I endeavor to face,
Reminiscing in springs, memories I retrace;
Cognizant that splendor of seasons will end,
Seeking amends, life’s goodwill I befriend;
Resolving to shed grimness trapped in yore,
Discarding grievances, hatefulness I abhor,
Filling voids with wisdom of enlightened soul,
Welcoming endearment aging vibes cajole.
Harmony I shall hoist, to apex of its tempo,
Strumming mirthfully rhythms of tomorrow,
Freed from obscurity of yesterday’s shadow
Rejoicing with family on life’s sunlit meadow.
Hosting sentiments that elucidate life anew,
Ethereal I wish to woo~ revered, and true,
Pleading for bliss of heaven, eternal as time,
Living and letting live, in tranquility sublime.
Disavowing shackles of material, mundane,
Compassion I’ll chase of benevolent domain
Redressing incongruence, vying virtues divine,
Steering autumns of my life till values align.
December 22, 2022
Placed 3rd: Resolutions for 2023 Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Anoucheka Gangabissoon
Categories:
incongruence, emotions, life,
Form: Rhyme
Hymn to an Art-o-matic Laundromat
by Michael R. Burch
after Richard Thomas Moore’s “Hymn to an Automatic Washer”
O, terrible-immaculate
ALL-cleansing godly Laundromat,
where cleanliness is next to Art
—a bright Kinkade (bought at K-Mart),
a Persian rug (made in Taiwan),
a Royal Bonn Clock (time zone Guam)—
embrace my ass in cushioned vinyl,
erase all marks: ****, v-g-nal,
penile, inkspot, red wine, dirt.
O, sterilize her skirt, my shirt,
my skidmarked briefs, her padded bra;
suds-away in your white maw
all filth, the day’s accumulation.
Make us pure by INUNDATION.
Published by The Oldie, where it was the winner of a poetry contest. Keywords/Tags: hymn, art, America, laundry, laundromat, washer, dryer, appliances, clean, cleaning, cleanliness, clothes, clothing, underwear, god, godly, godliness, water, baptism, inundation, sonnet, analogy
This poem was inspired by the incongruence of discovering "works of art" while doing laundry at a laundromat with coin-operated washers and dryers. I was reminded of the experience while reading Richard Moore’s “Hymn to an Automatic Washer.”
Categories:
incongruence, america, analogy, art, baptism,
Form: Sonnet
Sometimes is it is the smallest detail
The inconspicuous that gives it away
The wrinkle at the corner of your eye
The slight curl on your lip
The altered tone in your voice
You try to hold it in
Keep the secret safe within
But your body betrays you
Leaking signs
That contradict your conversation
Some may overlook
Others adept at perception
Will notice each incongruence
And turn it into an opportunity
To better match their offering
Consciously or unconsciously
Morphing their responses
To better suit your mood
And receptivity
With consumate ease
The dance of persuasion
A naked truth
Your cues beyond words
Leading your conclusion
Unknowingly
Unwittingly
The silent clues you broadcast
Responsible for your fate
Categories:
incongruence, identity,
Form: Free verse
Loud crass din of ego prejudice
Recognises not innate urge of our innocence
10-October-2020
Categories:
incongruence, innocence, spiritual,
Form: Free verse
the spiritual dots connect, but an atheist would
Commit me for the conclusions I draw...
And why not?!
I'm losing my mind.
All of the incongruence makes sense...
All of the sense makes sense...
All of the coincidences flip my switch up, turning on
A chaos of mental illness and a cooperation
Of spiritual understandings inside the same second...
And counting...
To handle the plug in the socket,
There has to be a control of flow...
But there's an influx of energy out of wack
And it's testing the breaker
And I'm afraid it's gonna break me
All I can do is recommit and beg God for mercy.
...resist the desire to give synchronicity
Too much meaning,
But to ensure that I recognize the truth in spirit,
And place my hope in the honesty and sincerity of love
To redeem me from the train wreck tug of war
I have always had with the straight jacket
And the bottomless pit at my core.
Categories:
incongruence, allegory, , atheist,
Form: Free verse