Long Belfry Poems

These are prophetic poems and apocalyptic poems ...






Beast 666
by Michael R. Burch

“... what rough beast ... slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?”?W. B. Yeats

Brutality is a cross
wooden, blood-stained,
gas hissing, sibilant,
lungs gilled, deveined,
red flecks on a...

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[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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Completing the Pattern
by Michael R. Burch

Walk with me now, among the transfixed dead
who kept life’s compact and who thus endure
harsh sentence here?among pink-petaled beds
and manicured green lawns. The sky’s azure,
pale blue once like their eyes,...

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Poems about Poets VII

Gallant Knight
by Michael R. Burch

for Alfred Dorn and Anita Dorn

Till you rest with your beautiful Anita,
rouse yourself, Poet; rouse and write.
The world is not ready for your departure,
Gallant Knight.

Teach us to sing...

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When the cows come home to roost,
	or the crows are grazing grass,
It’s time I wrote a rhyme,
	until yesterday returns to pass!
If bats in the belfry stay sleeping,
	until the clock strikes the noon of day,
Tis then...

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Enough Angelina, drop the bouquet of harebells.  
The flowers wilt as your graying hands stiffen. See, how grave
is our newborn son. We gift him a black crêpe layette.
Say Darling Edward, say, Golubushka, make me...

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Cecelia was a new person in town to see
about the rooms for rent with availability.
This woman came to start a car rental company.
It would serve the people within this community.
Cecelia knew Prester was the name...

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I was giving a lesson on the Liberty Bell, as the daily Church bells went off.
Yes, you guessed it, Dragon wanted to ring them, suddenly he was aloft.
Before we could follow, he was out of...

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When Pigs Fly
by Michael R. Burch

On the Trail of Tears,
my Cherokee brothers,
why hang your heads?
Why shame your mothers?
Laugh wildly instead!
We will soon be dead.

When we lie in our graves,
let the white-eyes take
the woodlands we loved
for...

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(To be read after my 'Fire and Brimstone'.)

Dragon Fly, Dragon  Fly, fly away home. You’ve caused enough trouble here, I am told.
All you wanted was to ring the church bell, but the belfry your...

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Ok so I decided, to try another quiz,
And see if you can guess, what the answer is.
It will be an easy one I promise maybe, 
Just follow the clues and look in the belfry.
Look out...

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My chamber teems with tensions, taut, that logic can’t withstand,
fragmenting mental masonry with memories unplanned,
as bitter tears from hazel eyes reduce the stone to sand.

Dim shadows cast by candles flit across the haunted room,
beleaguer apparitions,...

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would what that be junior? senior? sophomore?

since this brother in law rarely emails, 
     ye may scrunch countenance puzzled, 
     or on verge of emitting flatulence, 
...

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Preacher E. Lye



He wears his white collar backwards
Piggy attenuated pagan wives’ tale
say the trigger Finger Man
has snake eyes in the back of his head

Got a gravelly-low, porcupine voice
that is cobra flatline prairie legendary

Using a lethal...

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I have to ask the question of old, how did the trolls move west?
How did they sneak across the ocean, and to the old Midwest?
How did the Trolls come our way, then into our basement...

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Grandpa Troll is a merry old soul, and a merry old soul is he.
He came from Hubby’s basement, just to be with little old me.
He brought with him a Dragon egg, that was cute as...

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It was on one Tuesday arvo shopping at the hardware store,
When I noticed Vicar Prendegast come walking through the door,
He walked up to the counter with a strained look on his face,
I could see that...

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Snow-capped mountains fell to the floor,
Reflecting blurred images so much more.
The mountain lake absorbed the sight;
Random birds passed by in their flight.
The lake lay there oh so soft and sultry;
Nature’s maidens beckon from a belfry.
A...

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  Where sets the sun again
far from the din of Port of Spain
  shadows fall on the plain.
And on that plain over I strode
when the wind its trees winnowed
  up the old...

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Someone recently said something about,
"the door is ajar"
I scratched my head and challenged him,
" A door is a door, and a jar is a jar...
Where'd you go to school?
How'd you get as dumb as you...

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A DEITY
Sonorous
Rhythms from the belfry waft
A call of our votive worship to give.
In your sacred tent we besiege you.
For, to you our exultation to dole and your
Mercy on us to cascade.
The tune of the harmonica,...

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Continued from Part 1

The City’s blur? A sepulcher for Christians, Muslims, Jews –
Cathedrals, Temples, vacant now, enshrine their residues,
for churches, mosques and synagogues abide without a bruise.

No cantillation, belfry bells, monastic chants inspire
and Minarets, though...

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Down in hell, that stronghold of sin.
strange things stir, but let me begin.
I'll get to the point. Some details I'll skimp.
I tell the tale of a mischievous imp.
Of two imps in fact, to be more...

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Our house is our castle… Of that your can plainly see.
The turrets are there to hide in… The grand hall for festivities…
The dungeon is for the bad boys… that try to invade my day.
It’s where...

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On the streets of Kamora,
	a man sits at the Fountain of Angels,
	eying the days offerings
	which lie at the bottom
	of the tepid water.
The man remembers when he was 
	one of the click clacking masses,
	on their way...

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