Long Adjudged Poems

[Now ShallowMan is quite content
receiving FactoidMan’s consent
to quibble and express dissent
as long as keeping covenant
with fingers crossed and belfry bent
when viewing Facts in sealed cement:]

SM
“The Facts you give me circumvent
those ‘truths’ your chuckles supplement;
although they...

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Rosalia - The Evil Black Witch of the Harz, Part Seven

The Final Days:  Rosalia’s Death and Destruction
In the wake of such evil, debauchery and depravity what can be said now in the case of...

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the episode took place near the sewer
the boy lay lifeless on the stiff ground
his white clothes dipping in red
a rowdy mob encircled him
like vultures awaiting the surrender of a fighting  spirit
his horrified eyes gave...

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Part 1

Once upon a time,
And very long ago.
Lived a rabbit and a tortoise,
Or so the story goes.
And if you have the time
Take a seat, pull up a stool,
And I'll tell you of the day
Tortoise took...

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Back when he was seven, our son won a contest
   In his class, his turkey recipe adjudged the best
He was so happy, floating so high on cloud nine
   but first prize...

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Changing the habit hasn't been easy
Jubilant lip curves to free the breezy
Many trials delivering colossal failure
My efforts to quit robbed of allure 
A new courageous attempt is again made
And a new hurting failure of higher...

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After the meeting
She no longer returns my calls
She rather hangs up her telephone anytime I call
save a few mistaken times that fell on deaf ears
causing an irreconcilable hindrance
to the constant flow of our conversation

After the...

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A SEASON OF INDIGENCE

This drought and curse
Of hand to mouth;
An unrepentant encroachment of pauperism
Impregnating our back country
Discern,
Our bigwigs in back country
Stand aloof
While,
Season after season
Millions of Pickneys
Flourish with kwashiokor
I,
A son of the soil,
A citizen of the...

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The Old Man And the Sea
© Ben Burton 12-19-2014

"I'm troubled by the humbling plight of man's mortality"
The old man said aloud while kicking sand
"Why can't we be as timeless as the soulless, salty sea
Or even...

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The mother carries about her jutting womb,
pains, torments, fatigue… her daily companions.
For nine months or thereabout no one relieves her
of the bulk, and the toil attached to it.
At labour she is—oh! It’s unbearable!
If a baby...

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The mother carries about her jutting womb,
pains, torments, fatigue… her daily companions.
For nine months or thereabout no one relieves her
of the bulk, and the toil attached to it.
At labour she is—oh! It’s unbearable!
If a baby...

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Sshh…
I can see it
Creeping behind the wounded paper
Fabricated in the surface of the wall
The wall. Yes the wall.
Countless stains embedded
Thousand images magnified during midnights
Raindrop stains transformed into wars
Inkblots turned into murder scenes
A dot of blood...

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As I stumbled on the pebbled road 
I broke a toenail and it left bloodstains 
On the humble stones.

“Why did you let me get wounded,” I asked.
A voice from behind the obsequious hills answered,
“I did...

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SHOULDA READ THE FINE PRINT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

in bygone days I did the football pools
and always hoped my X had marked the spot?
making sure that I had read all the rules
an agent did the post ere I forgot.

for...

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What worth was my work,
If I intended to cause a hurt,
Adjudged the best still a sad loser,
Model of success is beyond any measure,

Art in blood, zeal and hard work ,
All were certain, I surely will...

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I will be with you tonight,
Fondly sharing the love of your beholding sight,
Embraced meanwhile by the warmth of your absence,
Blazing passion causes me to be happy,
Distance displays disputes readily promoting a fight.
Thus conflict arouses beeping...

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The ever congratulated option
Of willing absorption
Of a blood distant,
Making it yours, the next instant…

In a court surfacing,
All official papers filling,
An affidavit swearing,
One’s honest signature endorsing,
Every bill handling
And a parent’s face wearing…

Wa-o-ow! A final elevation
To parenthood
And...

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Water-borne diseases
Man senselessly increases
With his trembling “No”
To drinks he doesn’t know
Instead of “The firmest”
That portrays “The Dead Earnest”

Water-borne diseases
One hopelessly increases
By not taking The Certified Pure
Or with a bow declining The Impure
Between tap water adjudged...

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A lot of body shifts by an inch,
While vengeful killer teeth they clench:
A prosecutor is addressing The Bench,
Concerning dastardly murder of a wench
By a whisky-soaked German French
Whom he’s sure could also in Vodka drench!

Shovel handy...

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A great wonder Kim’s legs still carried him.
A lot in Sam’s remarks still worried him:
The Sam who’d been watching Dolly and Kim
Right from the day Kim was trapped by The Slim!
Sam’s bold comment on his...

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A sword of ice stabbed my chest
My nails blackened, my nose bled.
They’re chasing me, wanting to devour my wholeness.
Until a gentle arm pulled me up.
Mama!

Then I felt heaven.
Her face, her eyes, her smile, her breath.
Everything...

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Only wheeled things come in traffic
And not the meek earth-tilling brown hands
Coerced to stoop low, dogged to contrabands.
Spirits and bones chastised by stick,
A contract avowed played on a trick.
Now on the edge of cliff justice...

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...And so once more I summon
this courage to write of thy frame...
Though I wonder if this time I would
not be seriously charged for libel.
Albeit the last time I spoke of thee
just like this one the...

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Fill my craving with your zesty rind
In the mist of my longing, come splashing
Ingest my inn with your piquant smiles

Will you rain like dew for my pipe is parched?
Drizzle my windows with decorative light and
Melt...

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