Long Braids Poems

Wounded Sacred Dementia: Part Two

Dementia's derelict WinLose SocialWorker
suboptimizingly hesitates
when I tell her
I have not changed my mind
about not adopting Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
into my vulnerable home
with a seven-year-old AfricanAmerican boy
blind
and unable to defend himself,
or even run...

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A cool February evening Damian was
Asleep. He felt somebody rubbing 
His chest. "Leave me girl." Polly
Rolled out of bed and announced 
"Damian, you should move in with me!
I want you to move in! Wake up...

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Date:  April  2051

The celebration ended. The room
Empty all relatives was preparing 
For their final time in Hawaii. Dolly 
And Damian lay in bed conversing.
Her hand was on his chest, "I love
When the Hakim...

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Reflecting in her garden sits a winsome little maid;
She holds a purple flower like the circlet that she made
And wrapped about her braids to grace her forehead like a crown;
Her thick and shining braids that...

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"Present!"

It's a lackluster answer (1) to simple life question,
"Hi! How is it going Mom? You feel OK?"
She was lonely for sure, saw no chance of a rescue,
She fought for her kids, though art dreams went...

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Ted’s libido has now gone astray
He refused a quick roll in the hay
So what could be the cause -   
It’s the male menopause   
He’s been grumpy and snappy all day!
 
His...

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My hair has always 
had a mind of its own
Stays doing whatever
it wants whenever 
it pleases
Just never bothers to do 
any of it, at my convenience
Will take its sweet time 
to grow 
When I'm most...

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THE NATURE OF THINGS

THE NATURE OF THINGS

Birds ATE Worms,
Worms tilled Soil,
Frogs ATE Flies,
Bees Made Honey,
Fish ATE Worms,
People ATE Fish,
Cats ATE Fish
Butterflies and bees
Pollinated.
Grass Grew, and the
Dandelions flew
al around' all around'
and Were Welcomed,
Life was simple back...

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Hello there !
Black or white 
A mixture of yellow or green 
Blue eyes or thick lips 
May be Short or tall ,fat or slim 
A blend of Asian or Caucasian 
African or wherever you from,
Do...

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CAUGHT IN THE REIGN

“am i a real princess?” she articulates.
the painting, on her canvas nails, pains her.
firm fountain of toenails are just fine.
shrugs, “who knows why!?”
her lashes, feel the flecks, of mascara.
her skin itches at...

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TW: miscarriage

It all began in the cold end of January in the hospital room.
It was night when maa bled for hours and sang lullabies for her lost child.
She felt so close yet so far from...

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Are you seated there
No, I am standing in a space
Layers of avid air
keen to occupy horses 
for a race

Where else is space
Well it is in the milky way too
Joining you and me 
with an invisible...

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(1)
O Thou the beauteous lofty fort! 
O ancient manse O royal court! 
O land of beauteous holy dream! 
Thou art a shield of mortal mort

Thou midst of ancient royal mead
A royal shade A royal hand
From...

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All aboard the Fantasy M/S of Carnival
for half a week’s vacation time of fun and falderal.
Hear greetings from your captain, his director and the crew.
Ready, set, get going.  The Bahamas wait for you.

Bon Voyage!...

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The Joining was one of subdued elegance.  Seileach insisted on the ceremony being held in the Keep. Jessica was beautiful, beyond beautiful, she was exquisite.  Her long red hair infused with sky blue...

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The CoOp featured Women and Families
and their Matriarchal Allies,
often LGB and/or T,
and even some curiously queerer,
but not meaner
in appropriate demeanor
regardless of habitat
and camouflage
and costume,
ready for a folksy ball,
come as you neighborhood are
at Three Sisters CoOp.

The...

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She always wore braids,
With beads on the ends.
She was tall for her age,
And we were best friends.
We walked together to school everyday,
Than after school, we’d go to her house and play.
But we always had to...

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She always wore braids,
With beads on the ends.
She was tall for her age,
And we were best friends.
We walked together to school everyday,
Than after school, we’d go to her house and play.
But we always had to...

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I don't need to remember what it was like  to be  a kid

 I don' t need to memorize where all the fun had been .

It was  in  the unique moment...

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Braids and Ladders

There was once a very selfish wife,
Who allowed her husband to risk his life,
Collecting Rapunzel climbing over
A witch’s wall,
Until one night the witch caught him!
How dare you, how did you have
The gall!
She promised...

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It was time...

Past eventide, he crawls in. 

Playing with my hair, the whistling breeze was, 

Teasing me. 

Like fireflies, the distant city lights grinned, 

Vexing me. 

Sighing in fragrant air, wisped the meek blossoms 

Pestering...

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To a Louse
by Robert Burns
translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Hey! Where're you going, you crawling hair-fly?
Your impudence protects you, barely;
I can only say that you swagger rarely
Over gauze and lace.
Though faith! I fear you dine but...

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Look past
the faded little girl    braids and bows 
in a       polaroid picture
buttery yellow skirt 
curtsying     a smile
frog prince 
imprisoned   ...

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We set sail as Reggae music played out on the Lido.
Our first night was casual; no need for tuxedo.
We could eat a pizza by the Windows On the Sea
or go beneath and dine on shrimp...

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THE MUSHERS RIDE OUT  (part 2)  Arctic Dogsledding 
(continuation)

             But in the race-- the last sleds skid
    ...

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