Long Bagpipes Poems

Radiance
by Michael R. Burch

for Dylan Thomas

The poet delves earth’s detritus—hard toil—
for raw-edged nouns, barbed verbs, vowels’ lush bouquet;
each syllable his pen excretes—dense soil,
dark images impacted, rooted clay.

The poet sees the sea but feels its meaning—
the...

Read More

These are poems about Dylan Thomas, as well as poems "for" and "after" Dylan Thomas. Dylan Thomas was one of my favorite poets from my early teens and has remained so over the years. I...

Read More

Myth, after Dylan Thomas
by Michael R. Burch

Here the recalcitrant wind
sighs with grievance and remorse
over fields of wayward gorse
and thistle-throttled lanes.

And she is the myth of the scythed wheat
hewn and sighing, complete,
waiting, lain in a low...

Read More

A Bagpipe am I,
My drones point to the sky!
I am magic they say, since the wizard ‘spelled’ on me that day.

He gave me the gift of immortal time,
I could travel through centuries,
T’was a gift.
It was...

Read More

is everyone from Barking  Barking mad?
Does everyone In Lambeth do the Lambeth walk?
Is Leicester Square In Leicester?
Is The Elephant And Castle a place where they hide Elephants?
Is Oxford Street in Oxford?
And Paddington a bear?
Highgate...

Read More

The Avenue of Gastronomic Delight

Down the broad avenue called Gastronomic Delight
City life gathers when twilight awakens;

In eateries, drive-ins, greasy spoons and taverns – jumpin’ joints jumpin’
Like Snoopy with his dish doing the suppertime dance;

Lured by...

Read More

              The Night Soil Man

			I

		Nothing sticks to-get-her like turds
             ...

Read More

dark matter(s)
by Michael R. Burch

the matter is dark, despairful, alarming:
ur Creator is hardly prince charming!

yes, ur “Great I Am”
created blake’s lamb

but He also created the tyger
and what about trump and rod steiger? 


The Echoless Green
by...

Read More

       CLOSING TIME AT THE PUB


The joy, the camaraderie, the smoke.
The great ale, my great friends in Chicago.
Old Town, North Avenue, twas Chicago,1967.
O' Rourke's Pub, where else?
Smoky, filled with...

Read More

Many times when I would here a song, I would get an almost joyful longing, but I could never pinpoint the moment in my past that I wished for so deeply.

I would feel a certain...

Read More

Let’s sail away to Acapella,
A celebrity haunt owned by Penn and Teller.
I shall act as your prince, you’ll be Cinderella
When we’re sat on a beach in Acapella.

It’s not as sexy as Cannes or as dowdy...

Read More

GOING     BACK



It  was not an endearing place, a storybook place
With little cottages and
Loaded fruit trees from which apples could be casually filched, 
Nor were there  sparkling streams for pushing...

Read More

The great kilt.
“Och aye the noo”
TraIs the cat deid? –
 Has the cat died? your trousers are a bit short
 – like a flag flying at half mast
Liken my great grandfather did why don’t you...

Read More

In the shadow of the system, I withdraw in silence,
Watching as the sky effortlessly weaves the white of clouds.
To the vast game of the world, I do not bow but smile faintly,
Let the masks fall...

Read More

 Continued from Part 1 

The Beggars ’neath the balustrades,
and broken Children, Chambermaids,
are running wild from wraiths, afraid
	of dreams where death redoubles.
They fritter time with tattered threads
(from ragged clothes they’ve left in shreds),
crocheting hoods to...

Read More

Remember them who lay in rows and
rows where poppies grow, and
enjoy this life because many died, 
to make it so.  Mother's weep for a
child no more, echoing canons can be
heard in the distance, and...

Read More

Better to be bold in battle
then benign in retreat!
No victory comes from actions prattle;
May honor be found in refusing defeat -

My vaults will not be breeched
by faults,
may we have a merry waltz
devoid of all unsavory...

Read More

SCOTLAND

Very big sign on highway A1   going southways    
Out of Scotland into England,  
Painted with thistles, tartans, bagpipes,  says
“Haste ye back to bonnie Scotland”.
The  other side of...

Read More

A watchful white Dove 
 
patiently hovers high

slowly, high up above
 
as One 
 
of the forgotten few
 
Look down from the Great Golden 
 
Bird's Eye view

 
sigh sigh sigh
 
try not to cry
...

Read More

We are the army of the dead
Rising up, marching towards battle
We fear no man, no foe
We shall rape and pillage

Your village shall be ours
We shall bring fires from hell upon you
The young will die
The old...

Read More

Grampie Zach got bone saw breath,
he cut tight lips no slack
"All dung buggy complaints," his wrinkled hand pointedly sez,
“Take it to the 
sphincter hole out back!”
That’s the true-true

Atillicus Z
blow an elephantine pair of grouse bagpipes
Buckaroos...

Read More

I must say that in my four score years I've done it all and seen it all,
But in the autumn of my life, noxious noises drive me up the wall!
I like the soothing sound of...

Read More

The Scottis Generale, 
Nicholas McJockstrap
Waes undefaited fu a decaid
Due to the nikkirless trap

But on thys partikul day…

Thei stud on the highelands 
Withe thir kyltes flyring highe
Ase thir baggpypis pleyed
“Thes wyll gyve yu a stye in...

Read More

Alan Allston ate an addictive piece of cake.
Bertie bounced his bouncy ball by the bus stop but his brother caught the bouncy ball before the bus came.
Claire, Clara, Chloe and co built a sculpture of...

Read More

NOTE-Right now Scotland is suffering it's worsed winter since 1963.The severe 
weather has put the whole country at a stand-still..... 



Polar bears in kilts, it's now minus fifteen.
Ice cube cars and wellies and our frozen...

Read More