Long Axle Poems

Sonnets XXXIII-XLI

The Folly of Wisdom
by Michael R. Burch

She is wise in the way that children are wise,
looking at me with such knowing, grave eyes
I must bend down to her to understand.
But she only smiles, and...

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MODERN SONNETS II

I prefer the original definition of the sonnet as a “little song” of indeterminate form and length. These modern sonnets vary from more-or-less traditional to free verse.



In Praise of Meter
by Michael R. Burch

The...

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Note: This is the 2nd half of one of my MANY long story works, and the 1st half can be accessed, of course, at "poems by Mark Stellinga" on the soup.
My wife and I were...

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Here's the scoop, friends...
   This is, as indicated, the 1st HALF of this fairly lengthy poem. The 2nd half had to be posted separately due to Poetry Soup's file-size limitations. No other way...

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This is the 1st half of a pretty long piece, the 2nd half, as usual, is @ "poems by Mark Stellinga" on the Soup...


OK everybody…could I please have your attention? 
I’ve got some real important...

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           Your past, your romantic past, is a shadow. Like all towns, Port Angeles was a combination of rain and clouds, sun and mist, with a chamber of commerce, barrooms and boards of directors, the known...

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Acute advice for those* who would be King from the THIRUK-KURAL: Valiarithal - K475
[*like presidents, prime and chief ministers, dictators or even modern-day "emperors" under the guise of revolutionary leaders of oppressed peoples]

Note: In this...

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A fanta see overrides reality!

Hello?
I like to get positioned for sixty nine. 

Are you looking for a scheming, 
schlepping, and schvitzing writer? 
natural body and laid-back vibe??
I'm all about therapeutic touch via
bolts, nuts, screws 
and...

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Showering white light illuminates 
  Bright-Moon Bay;
   In the overlooking Moon-Inviting Pavilion,
 Li Bai had raised his twinkling, rich amber
Coloured wineglass
    To invite the same reticent Moon.  ...

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Chapter 11 The Island Kingdom (f, continued...)

Near the north-most cape they passed, there
Lay the kingdom’s foremost city
By the name of Cannabarro
Here was found the royal palace

Of Ptolemy the Second.
In our time this city has the...

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Hello?
I like to get six + 9 ??Are you??????
schlepping writer,?? natural body and laid-back vibe?? 
I'm all about therapeutic touch via nuts and life of bee dogged trees!

teasing with idealism beef hoar 
   illusory vision fades away
whatever ur...

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 Bang! Bang! Who shot and killed
   Jeanette and Harvey Crewe?
 By whose hand was their blood spilled?
   The cops they surely knew.
 Two fatal shots rang out that day
 ...

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With looks of celestial damsel
On mission of mystery unravel
A fairy flies from foreign land
Fabulously to discover dreamland
With colourful feathers silky
Plumage so soft as cream milky
With a huge brain and physique
Seemingly bereft of travel unique
Marches with...

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Soul stripped.

Flesh ripped. 

Hope lost.

Time moves on not heeding the cost.

Hurt buried aside in the ditch.

Anger flares like a flip of the switch.

Fist tenses,
Wrenching blood from within.
Fingers pawing at the line of life,
White with streaks...

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True add verse situation,
     whereat me mission
     trans send dint state didst ache
after yours truly nearly
     did nearly break
chassis 'pon took drastic
 ...

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Many of things I long for, desired nature
Dwells like the thick, I strive
Perfection, excellence, that is not me
Nor do I desire such of me
For those I surround, wishes none but what I will
Shall fall upon...

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Can somebody please give this uber muff fuller a lyft?
alternately titled: jump starter for clunky, junky,
quirky, xyz mechanic wanted in tow tow -
chassis what I mean?)

As the proud graduated
honorably rolled 2009 Hyundai
Sonata vehicular property
belonging to...

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O! Frankenstein you were lost for a century
 Nobody could tell wherever you have been,
 But you are here now, a stranger to paradise,
 Loneliness has become your friend 
 Your other name is Friday,...

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LOOK AT EM CRAWLING...

At the old Darreel pub out near Mungindi....
Trapper Joe he rode up, he come from Boggabri...
The DTs were bad with this poor old bugger Jack...
Look at em crawling he did mutter ...
And...

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The sun sank into rusty chains
Ancient Mesopotamian constellations begin to spin
Shadows in the bushes
Sidewalks walking from the back
Cetoniinae trapped in glass
Your gaze runs through the sky
yes, like Schelling's rose
Tesla cars crossing the border
The dust of...

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A gentle stream flows out of Glenburne pond,
north bound waters feed the Susquehanna.
Meandering highway six eleven,
through Dalton, Factoruville to Tunkhannock.

Timely announcements keep informing us,
"Beware!  Alert!   The dam may break!  Alert!"
From the...

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The new 'Betagrain' produce store,
advertised for a manager.
The directors were more than pleased,
with the regime of Teddy Tiesler.
Ted’s to have two understudies;
Robby James and old Billy Syme.
Also Rex Collie, ‘though a mite slow,
would be his...

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I like to sit and watch them boys
Tinker with their toys
Hood up, hands grimy
Sweat pouring down handsome faces
Oil spots in weird places
I like to sit and watch them work with a master’s poise
Those car loving...

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Rain beat on my window it’s a sound that makes me feel good, it makes me feel safe,
Drops racing down the glass changing direction, getting even bigger as they all clash,
Reminds me of when I...

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broke left front tooth
(true anecdote circa late 1960's early 1970's) prithee
which cold wintry temperatures re:
wheely jogged unpleasant event in axle all let tea

aye rem member inxs of cold playing air
froze natural on gull din pond,
...

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