Long Arrayed Poems

Lady’s Favor
by Michael R. Burch

May
spring
fling
her riotous petals
devil-
may-care
into the air,
ignoring the lethal
nettles
and may
May
cry gleeful-
ly Hooray!
as the abundance
settles,
till a sudden June
swoon
leave us out of tune,
torn,
when the last rose is left
inconsolably bereft,
rudely shorn
of every device but her thorn.


The...

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Winter
by Michael R. Burch

The rose of love's bright promise
lies torn by her own thorn;
her scent was sweet
but at her feet
the pallid aphids mourn.

The lilac of devotion
has felt the winter hoar
and shed her dress;
companionless,
she shivers—nude, forlorn.

Published...

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Let's start with a fundamental flaw of fundamentalist Christianity,
a literary flaw within literal non-interpretation of historical creation
and sacred development.

This is true of radical jihadist Muslims as well,
although we both know you think you're more special...

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.                          NOW

Well, GI Jack is welcome back, he left his...

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Patience
by Rabindranath Tagore
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

If you refuse to speak, I will fill my heart with your silence and endure it.
I will remain still and wait like the night through its starry vigil
with...

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Once wars were fought with sticks and stones
to flog the flesh and batter bones
and conquer lands, defending thrones -
though gods provoke, not one atones. 

The multitude (by hordes beset
with battle-ax or bayonet)
braved blades, dyed red...

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Niithaar Perumai, the Fundamental Role of Ascetics, Canto 26 of the Thirukkural, the Tamil Classical Treatise on Ethics, Translation and Commentary by T. Wignesan 


[Given the scarcity of information (mostly conflicting even then) on the...

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The knight of knights, Sir Lancelot,
From far away in Camelot,
Went by a way that he knew not
And thus, by chance, spied Astolat
With sunset's gleam upon her tow'rs:
T'was there he met the maid Elaine,
With hair as...

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So it was that the night transcended peacefully over my head
Taking me through thick clouds,landing me upon parched land
Spilling  tranquil moments into daylight complexity.
So it was that I found myself among a crowd of...

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For several years I'd worked as a life coach, assisting clients day by day,
Like blazing colors in the shank of the evening, chases deep blues away.

It was an occupation that I enjoyed, as helping others...

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Now in my decline from a time back then
  I remember the days in a life when I was ten,
when we lived in a shadow much greater
  at the foot of the mount...

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Chapter 1: Deneen's Failed Liberalism (Revised Version)

Developing progressivism
within liberalism
further iterates pervasive presentism
of win/win
past through future multiculturalism,

A healing timelessness,
progressivism grounds deep attachment
toward our most sensory-nutritional past,

Particularly radical cooperative customs
and multiculturally bilateral geocentric traditions.

While widely understood to...

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It must have been the darkest, deepest fate time create,
People saw and forgot the impact when history intervened. 
We forgive and endure, but our minds will not forget
The Bizarre world trying to suppress our African...

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I.

Espy, distinguish divinely made lively, lovely Trees
He or she, inhales carbon dioxide, then breathes
out for us humans, life given clean oxygen
Stout roots run deep, holding God's earth
Also, with you we were taught our first lesson

II.

Animals...

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Death Comes

All arguments and denials were fruitless;
The deceased fell prey to the Master Thief.

The “One” whose icy-cold touch is . . .
Just Too Cold to Resist! . . . They Say!

No worries though . ....

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Goodness filling up souls, and pouring back out
            Love, filling cups that quench thirsts of all doubt
       ...

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I had always adored purple lilacs, and never could get enough,
As wildflowers bloom abundantly, although times may get rough.

They had graced a backyard garden, that I'd known in childhood,
On a tree lined street of birdsong,...

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Requisite inspection June 29th, 2022 at Apartment B44

Aforementioned title and following
little known verses of Matthew
finds me feeling squeamish, 
peevish, anguish, et cetera
at our (the missus and mine) digs,
cuz low income rental housing regulations
require safe and...

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Thanks so much for forwarding
these John Paul Lederach stories
of un-learning academic approaches
to peace mediation.

I wonder if you remembered
my ongoing certification process
for justice-restoring mediation
in complex multicultural conflicting histories;
which are typically antithetical to resilient peace
through ongoing safe...

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ABIGAIL BAFFOUR KUSI,my love...
It seems to be like living without sorrow after experiencing hurricane-Florence,
Pain many thought you could not stand within a deadly province,
Today proves that your existence originates from core relevance.
The utmost concept that...

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The stage is set
The audience fixed their eyes
fitted to the scene, to feed

Sun lit the early morning clouds
And It disappeared, gold appears
Spraying warmth fragrance
On dews of still sleeping leaves
To paint them dry awakening the greens
Yet...

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W. S. Rendra translations

Willibrordus Surendra Broto Rendra (1935-2009), better known as W. S. Rendra or simply Rendra, was an Indonesian dramatist and poet. He said, “I learned meditation and the disciplines of the traditional Javanese...

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Will you make the cut?
Or settle for a shortcut?
Coaches' scuttlebutt

Execute the steal 
Professing rather than real
The truth to conceal

Blessing progeny
Highlights God's sovereignty
Not autonomy

Man's wisdom swaggers
'Til adversity staggers
Making Sandbaggers

Men try to judge Him
When self-righteousness rules them
Worthless...

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The dark wood is breathing blue,

   and sense do I the sweet sound

   of larks and their legendary love,

   and sweeter scents still do I

   drink of...

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A lad is stopped by roving cops, who shoot in disregard.

His face is black, he’s on his back, a breeze is breathing hard,

he bleeds and dies, his mama cries, the screaming sky is scarred,

the sheriff...

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