Long Black and blue 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...

Read More

Touching my hand was a wet doggy.
Whatever my fate was going to be,
My dog, my hero would be with me,
If he was in terror it did not show,
I was the weak one that I know.
With...

Read More

(after Edgar Allan Poe's "The Angel of the Odd")

It was a tidy day and I sat, replete, under vellux blankets.
Sadly, my tea was weak, the bottle of cinnamon whiskey
tantalizingly low, and my feet swelling above...

Read More

 I am a Son of an African American
I run
my turmoils taints the history books
yet people give me evil looks
I run
I choose
Yet I am 
Black and blue, this is my physical hurt

Been given a name...

Read More

dawn that went from awry sad to NAUGHT bad — glad I made a stand, So Grand

Dove into the waters that once consumed me
Will I ever be free? Will I ever be happy as can...

Read More

When you told me..,,


When you told me you had cancer,
 i could not believe it.
My little sister is poorly and I wish it was me.

You told me not to worry then you said.
“ I’ve got...

Read More

Welcome back my weary friends
I promise you this story ends
But not before your time flies through
A tale with a horse or two...

On streets of cobblestone and gray
Where beggars sleep and orphans play
The aged, sick and...

Read More

Empathy Ink Not Blood / Trolls on the Run

           An Army of pens descended, the battle lines were Drawn
      ...

Read More

She killed me…she killed me…
I’m drifting into darkness
Melanie…Melanie…Melanie…
Did she ever really know how sorry I am
how I meant every word of my bleeding apology
what I meant when I said things were never to go this...

Read More

Sometimes when I look into your eyes I see a lost soul,
Someone who's broken and needs to be made whole,

I see the lies you've been told,
All of the pain that you hold,

The broken promises and...

Read More

My Worth?

Am I not worth it to you?
The care? The focus? The understanding?
I long to love you, but do you long to love me? 
Do you long to be with me? 
Or maybe I'm just...

Read More

Emmett Till Emmett Till
Why was it you they had to kill
Why did they drag you from your bed
Why did they pistol whip your head

What exactly did you do
To make them do this thing to you
Just...

Read More

A Hallmark card would have sounded sweeter than that 
My shiny badge of defusion and falsely sworn merit 
I’m the worst this town’s ever seen!
But I want justice for this
I keep retriggering your created catastrophes...

Read More

Screwed XI Contest
Sponsor: Rob Carmack


There's seven deadly sins, I am number one.
When the darkness comes, I am very fun.
My wrath of death seems to follow you
turning your brightness into black and blue.
My anger is released...

Read More

You said you liked
my simple poems,
well here’s one,
no flowery thoughts
or images to share,
nor assonance 
or dissonance,
not even a rhyme,
just simple words
and thoughts and

emotions…

(selfish emotions).

I would be surprised
if you read them 
anymore, anyway.

Yes, again, 
it’s that...

Read More

Copyright 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
POETIC LYRICS BY RENATA TLH ANDRESS



From a journey---soft-'n-smooth---tender/foot-ed/'n-bare/footed
A-Lass---so/true!
A/car/pet---earth/en-BARE---FOOTED-'N/TRUE!
Hands-PINK-'N/TRUE!
Fingers/reach---pointed/stars!
TRACES---THE/NORTHERN---STAR!
A-star/so-true!
DO-WON/DERS---RING-TRUE!
And-if/TRUE------are-glassen/REFLEC-TIONS
WOND-ERS---TOO!
And-if/TRUE---are-glassen/REFLEC-TIONS
WON-DERS---TOO?
YOU'RE/BEAU-TI/FUL!
YOU'RE/BEAU-TI/FUL!
AND-ALL/TOO-TRUE!
'CUZ---YOU'RE/BEAU-TI/FUL!
Soft-'n---ten/der/PINK---SKIN---'N---SMOOTH!
Long---legs/ARCH------TO/THE---STARS!
She------WASHES/AWAY!
The------Earthen/Scars!
She's------SOFT-'N/TENDER!
And----ALL/TOO---TRUE!
And---they---ASK!
ARE------YOU/BEAUTIFUL!
In---reflected---lights------HER/EYES!
SO------BLUE-'N/TRUE!
TO---YOU!
She's---beau-ti/ful!
She's---beau-ti/ful!
She's------a/STAR---SO/TRUE!
A---WON/DER---TOO!
And---her/GLASSEN---RE/FLECTIONS!
RING/TRUE------and
ALL---TOO---TRUE!
And---with---her---hair---of/GOLD/LONG'N---SMOOTH!
She---BEDS------THE/NIGHT!
Pink------'n------SMOOTH!
SHE'S---BEAUTIFUL!
SHE'S---BEAUTIFUL!
SHE'S------BEAUTIFUL/AND-TRUE!
SHE'S------BEAUTIFUL/AND-TRUE!
And---an---ORNAMENT---GLISTENING/TRUE!
In---Pink---'n---Blue-------LIGHTED/CANDLES!
And------SCENTS---SO---TRUE!
SHE'S------BEAUTIFUL!
SHE'S------BEAUTIFUL!
SHE'S------BEAUTIFUL---AND/TRUE!
SHE'S------BEAUTIFUL---AND/TRUE!
And---a---hand/TOO---TRUE---TORN/'N-TESTED!
BURNT---'N/BLACK------AND-A---SOUL---BLACK-'N/BLUE!
HIS------EYES---DROP------IN---PAIN!
AND---Buckets---------held---so/long!
HELD---a/mo-ment!
DON'T------CON/TAIN!
HER------EARTHEN---SMILE!
AND------LIPS---SO---TRUE!
ROSE---'N------PINK!
OR------PINK'N------BLUE!
Their------eyes------squint!
HOME------AT------LAST!
YOU---ARE------BEAU---TIFUL!
AND---SO------ARE------YOU!
IT'S------------EXCALIBER!
IT'S-------------THE------HOLY---------GRAIL!
IT'S------BEAUTIFUL!
BECAUSE------------YOU'RE------BEAUTIFUL!
YOUR---BLOOD------the------stains------cross---your
CRESTED/GOLD/HEART!
BECAUSE------------YOU'RE------BEAUTIFUL---TO/ME!
The------Scabbard---------Shelved!
EXCALIBER---------GLISTENS!
SILVER---------FLASHES!
With------memories------magical!
"A------White------Knight------Remembered------And------A
Lass------So------True!"
BEDDED------------AT/LAST!
The---------Hearth------'n------Pot!
THE---------WARM---------SCENTED------CLOUD!
OF---------LOVE!
SCENTS---------THE/AIR!
BECAUSE---------------SHE-WAS-BEAUTIFUL!
AND-BEAUTIFUL-TO-ME!...

Read More

Copyright 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
POETIC LYRICS BY THOMAS L. H. ANDRESS
Dedicated to 'Toby' Jobs..."A creative genius of his own clothe,
BUT, a Chip-off-the-old-Block!"



ROADS...and Forks...the Journey's Deep and Lonely...the Stains
Are Bloody!
AND SHE CRIES...alone and lonely...my heart cries...the...

Read More

A busted boys heart

Beaten black and blue

His bloody hands pray for help

A cowering child

Shaking by the door

Lowers his head and wonders if anyone can help

A woman in fear

She knows her husband will be home

She speaks...

Read More

Shadiness adores you
Bleakness is exhaustin’

Now, I’m so fatigued and my volume is set way low
Because you tore me down with social media craze…
You were there just for the temporarily show…you know…
Buy me black and blue...

Read More

WHEN TEARS TOUCH II

Sitting lax,
Speakers on ears:

"(You should know better)
Dream of better lives the kind which never hate
(You should see why)
Dropped in the state of imaginary grace
(You should know better)...

...I'll stop the world and melt...

Read More

I was five when I first saw her getting hit 
I did not think of it as something big 
I had known of it before and knew it will stay at home 
The implications not...

Read More

Imagine.

The canvas is enormous, bigger than you or I.
The brushes are many, 
Though the hues are only five: three primaries and two shades.
I am the painter of my canvas.

Older canvases, like the art of painting,...

Read More

"Dissection of the Ass Whooping"
by:  Eric L. Boddie

Congratulations to you for winning the election
But when you campaign for this ass whooping, you hate the win section
My foot strikes cerebrals of people so they turn...

Read More

I could sit here and choose not to feel this sorrow.
I could ignore it forget it and move on tomorrow. 
I could sit and bide my time til time is come and gone.
I could look...

Read More

The echoes of tens of toddlers
Today we are introduced to the magic of colors
White, black, yellow, blue, brown, red 
How many these are; how beautiful they are
A few thousand echoes and I finally have room...

Read More