Long Bewailed Poems

Athenian Epitaphs II

These are ancient Greek epitaphs for lost family and friends, including dogs and other animals ...

Now his voice is prisoned in the silent pathways of the night: 
his owner's faithful Maltese... 
but will...

Read More

The tale below was carved one night
upon the stone, by candlelight
...most won’t believe, but some just might
.........most won’t believe, but some just might



            ...

Read More

Many-colored and candle-lights; high beyond the soft trees a fresh country leans heavily toward the night, far beyond the sea’s shady shore.

Beams, o’er wide fields like a white star, \till from the earth’s crown drops...

Read More

Orion was the son of Neptune (EA). A handsome giant and a mighty hunter. Orion loved Merope, the daughter of Denopion, King of Chios, and sought her in marriage. He cleared the island of wild...

Read More

She'd been raised to despise them, and despise them she did
  The Orthodox, be they modern or old-fashioned, and the Chassidim
She'd grown up loathing their Sabbath and their dietary restrictions
  Their clinging to...

Read More

Callimachus English translations

For Gail White

To the Cup-Bearer
by Callimachus
translation by Michael R. Burch

Decant the wine then toast "To Diokles!" Nor does the beautiful boy Achelous touch his hallowed ladlefuls. So beautiful the boy, Achelous, passing beautiful,...

Read More

These are modern English translations of epigrams and poems by the ancient Greek poet Erinna...

On a Betrothed Girl
by Erinna
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

I sing of Baucis the bride.
Observing her tear-stained crypt
tell Death who dwells...

Read More

Achievement, 2 of 2
                         —Time to share—

I cried and bewailed 
while...

Read More

Sending the tending to an unfriended ending,
 yet somehow suspending from rending a newly offending recommending.
Logotype monotype linotype,
overripe stereotype,
 teletyped an unripe heliotype. 
Guttersnipe snipe,
 stipe snipe ripe,
 a wipe type a tripe, 
unleash a...

Read More

Here in the brook a frightful sight I saw,
A frightful sight for sure!
Lo and behold! What an eerie beast of awe,
And knew I then 'tis most obscure.
 
How this tale would unfold I tell it...

Read More

Africa, can rise.
But that is only if we are ready to fight.
And to end our plight,
Our weakness should come to light. 
But Africans think is normal?
That our children under five should be dying of malaria.
But...

Read More

A Food Label Lament

			  	Every day there's folk who expound
				on what we should eat, and I've found
				they all promote a point of view
				of what they think is good for you.
    ...

Read More

Carried high above the trees the nut slipped from the moral grip of a bird’s beak.

whooish if fell
clunck- pop it hit
and landed between to two ancient bricks

the little nut prayed a little nuts prayer
to the...

Read More

Jesus...He waits patiently, because He Loves us! Amen.


Shall we go on?
...came…His…tender inquiry
She didn’t answer...intent on remaining
in the shadowed dregs of her brokenness
And He allowed her to do so…
because He loved her…
and understood
So, He waited…
while she...

Read More

A feathered clutch once bewailed –
What can a sparrow do
in a sky full of raptors?
The red-necked puckers’ won’t arrive
until blood smells like copper pennies.

She was only one winter old,
cried a fuss-bucket booby.
Begone crone.
 croaked a...

Read More

~A lament~

Most signs and prophesy already fulfilled,
the scarlet of harlot lady has sung,
the veil has fallen away.

Hitler, De Fuehrer the man of sin,
the son predicted, hath prophesied,
many of God’s elect, the Jews have died.

`Tis much...

Read More

I don't have complaints with you,
I've got what was in my fate;
A loving heart you broke in two,
you did what you appreciate.

I poured out my feelings to you,
we’d an exchange of heart;
Despite we’re passionate and...

Read More