Long Bequeathing Poems

With my Uyghur poetry translations I am trying to build awareness of the plight of Uyghur poets who are being sent to Chinese "reeducation" concentration camps.

Elegy
by Perhat Tursun
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Asylum seekers, will...

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Please help yarn hexed door neighbor...

Yours truly pinned down by invisible 
vestiges of coronavirus and
getting attacked from angry plague 
of buttons, plus huge spools of yarn
grossly mistook me for human sock 
to seal and line...

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(or swing sets and monkey bars)

A pitch perfect spring day
such as today April 8th, 2022
within quaint hamlet 
of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
in close proximity within mind's eye
to Lake Wobegon, Minnesota
finds me reminiscing...

When, scads of light years ago
(half...

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Rampant and endemic police brutality... 
flourishes against United States citizens of color 
going on three years 
post George Floyd 
short lived heightened awareness
when #blacklivesmatter 
in conjunction with 1619 project
wrought upwelling of progressive surge
hinting at positive...

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When vitamin and medication bottles became plaything of the missus

Mental health of yours truly
heavily reliant upon one selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor named fluoxetine (Prozac)
aside from countless
(approximately seven) other
prescription medications kept
stashed in a plastic tray
until one or...

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April 5, 2023 – refracted reflections:

The following lines
haphazardly linkedin 
slap dash fashion
over the course 
of dazed and confused days,
therefore desist reading 
any profound meaning
if you dear reader dare expend 
energy and time perusing 
meandering gibberish....

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Be not complacent 'bout dire global warming...

Thus spake Zarathustra 
necessitating donning layered clothing
in tandem, especially trumpeting   
being with wise mind and economical
exercising usage of fossil fuel 
completing most tasks 
involving driving automobile
courtesy designing...

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April fools' occurs first day of fourth month

Ordinarily all manner 
of tomfoolery doth abound,
celebrated for countless centuries 
by different cultures, 
though exact origins remain 
shrouded in mystery,
nevertheless quasi holiday of sorts 
begat courtesy primitive precursor...

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Worry knot chokes out the living daylights

I know from personal experience
the foolhardiness of
courting, flirting, honeymooning...
worse case scenario,
particularly when just a wee lad,
yours truly internalized
unfamiliar bodily aches and pains
as a death sentence,
slept with one eye opened
against...

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CORINNA

I come to sing of heroes' and heroines' courageous deeds.—Corinna translation by Michael R. Burch

Mount Helicon, father of fair offspring, friend of the wayfarer, beloved of the Muses!—Corinna translation by Michael R. Burch

Terpsichora calls me...

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The spider Queen, aloofly vain!
She rules a silent ruthless reign,
with black-bead eyes like pearls of rain
that damp the depths of her demesne. 
          .
  ...

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Symphonic Quiescent Overture – Maestro Kant Imitate

(alternately titled: a retrospective review 
randomly selecting an outdated poem 
stored within Apple icloud queue
methinks ye might might savor preview

regarding general overview
how yours truly dabbled 
with words where new
sense...

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I was born unto a woman and a man, and a government,
this was the Trinity, these were my employers,
entrance into this magical melee was acknowledged with a certificate of birth,
and with nefarious numbers, debt digits,

from...

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notification of fire evacuation 
     slated to occur 
April 12th, 2018 (between the hours 
     of 9:00 am and 12 pm) did spur
me to validate Google asper,
 
that direct object heave ving, 
     pro noun sub bull,...

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« She must suffer to her last breath. (…) They’ll all soon be as Dead as 0-Ren Ishii. »
« That woman deserves her Revenge. And we deserve to die. »
From « Kill Bill Vol. 1...

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I seem to of late to live between an inner life of double doubt and life aberrant that relates to a coincintude that female hate is alive and well, as it subjigates its tentacles around...

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April fools' day - ordinarily all manner of tomfoolery abounds

Written/updated since last year
unlike any other 
when out of this world
outlandish accouterments
people did wear
hermetically sealed
of even faintest tear
to avoid contamination
against coronavirus pandemic 
air supply difficult to...

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Ode To Goddess Of Purest Romance And Sweetest Dreams

O'  shimmering light, thy gleam so adores
     stamped and born of hot heavenly fires,
     as tidal waves splashing...

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April fools' day - (ordinarily) all manner of tomfoolery abounds

(written last year
unlike any other 
when out of this world
outlandish accouterments
people did wear
hermetically sealed
of even faintest tear
to avoid contamination
against coronavirus
when wing and prayer
soul saving amazing grace).

Pandemic...

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Despite cosmetic surgery to stave
inevitable demise cheating grim reaper
indefatigable measures undertaken
buzzfeeding mortal legacy bajillion
dollar industry remaining eternally

youthful cold comfort knowing eventual
degradation conquers biological aging,
yet open casket bestows approving
nods upon aesthetic corpse denouncing
any telltale evidence rigor...

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Tryouts starring musical prodigies 
and/or an attendant conductor
attempt to approach ambient chorus 
divinely exhibited from Gaia's handiwork
heavenly invoking kapellmeister's magnificent nonchalant outlook 
piquantly, quintessentially, repertoire sensately striking 
unmatched vast wisdom yielding, zephyr air albeit creativity 
engineered...

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October

Late morning light that casts a slanted path from Eastern sky
Upon a decaying terrain of diminished day
To torch the tumble of crisp and fragile foliage
Where a multitude of basking golden shapes rest serene
Waiting for some...

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April fools' day - (ordinarily) all manner of tomfoolery abounds

Pandemic straps tightly plied girded beltway
unlike any other All fools day
in annals of recorded ("fake") history
western civilization tapestry doth fray
April first two thousand and twenty
neigh, no...

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Agony, grief and particularly anger
roil these lovely bones
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness
exempts those graced with darker skin tones.

Rather than raucously riot,
I craft emotions courtesy poetry
mine feeble attempt to agitate and protest
sublimated thru scathing poetic...

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Of seven things you said while on the cross
Dear Lord, the one that pierces so my heart
Is what you said to Mary, suffering loss
Your agony was tearing her apart

You looked at her in tears there...

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