Long Burnings Poems

"The Precipice"



In the Autumn 
she wore a wedding veil
A cold winter would lift it
Kiss her lips passionately to 
speak words of 
LOVE
on a 
late roll call

“Well, that’s insanity for you” 
some snakes would hiss
others rapture-faced
on...

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World War II Poems and Holocaust Poems II - Bertolt Brecht



The Burning of the Books
by Bertolt Brecht
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

When the Regime
commanded the unlawful books to be burned, 
teams of dull oxen hauled...

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When I think of India, I think of dark eyed beauties,
their foreheads painted with decorative red dots,
and I see them moving deliciously in beautiful bright costumes
 as bangles dangle from their slender wrists.

When I think...

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(Apropos of Black Poetic Griots)

We may not be deemed apostolic recorders
But we poets, guided with divine wisdom, are
The lay scribes thereof in the chronicling of
Our life’s sojourn in the shadowing times
we spend here on this...

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In the deep mystery of the night, when the nocturnal light becomes a taciturn witness,
I feel that our nature pushes us to swing between extremes,
The stronger the inner fire, the greater the leap.
Perhaps it is...

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Der Abschied (“The Parting”)
by Bertolt Brecht
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

We embrace;
my fingers trace
rich cloth
while yours encounter only moth-
eaten fabric.
A quick hug:
you were invited to the gay soiree
while the minions of the "law" relentlessly pursue...

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"My Stranger" 
Part 2 -

My friend, you think I'm deranged,
And right you just may be.
But, I just found his prison,
And I must set him free.

So, let me be as I search for the key
That releases...

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Die Bücherverbrennung ("The Burning of the Books")
by Bertolt Brecht
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

When the Regime
commanded the unlawful books to be burned,
teams of dull oxen hauled huge cartloads to the bonfires.

Then a banished writer, one...

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I don't know who i am....
and why i dream all night
or how I'm going to get out of this situation
and when will my suffering of crying for the world
or the tears for myself i feel...

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Poet: Ken Jordan
Poem: Goree Island
Edited by: Sparkle Jordan
written: February/2014


 I see the blood
of my ancestors 
that swell
 in the Atlantic ocean 
on 
Goree Island -

The unmerciful ill winds 
that fell 
over my people, 
in Senegal, 
on that 
horrific night, 
brought the European's, 
across the Atlantic, 
to our Village -

Everything...

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Scathing these miscoloured orbs of sight, with incised rocks carved beneath

Concretionaries jagged edges of contagiums....

Painted upon the predominating canvas of perceptions dank, pasteled times!

So what has changed, this mosaic of histories collective collage?

As one way...

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Cousin Donald Comes to Town ...

Elroy was all cock-a-hoop cos
cousin Donald was a-comin'
a visiting & they were so darn
chuffed & tremblin' in anticipation
that friday night the seven of them
in the one bed had a real...

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if the sinking-of-boat …ice-cream by name 
be deducted from the swept-off-in-flood … by name roll no 31 
then would the wings of the comics 
cease to exist 

what says the uninterrupted sound of water-falling 
from...

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Broken by the yearnings
The feelings and the burnings
Through inequity, the imbalance
Two hearts, two souls, two hopes
Never given the impartiality,
The fairness, the equality – balanced
Joys, promises, peace… 

Broken by the partialities
The biases and prejudices, the favoritisms,
The...

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In the realm of night within my mind, where moonlight drips like wax,
I lose myself among old memories, shrouded in mist,
dancing at the edge of an abyss, do not come too close to me,
for my...

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*1) "Tone it down" as much as I possibly can 
- There could be children presently attending my rant
And I want them all to ask their folks 
To buy my Poetry Book later this year;...

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We've been exposed to too much discrimination
Simply because we are Black
Our African heritage appears to be
Like a target on our backs
Some cops believe that over us
They had the power of death and life
But we as...

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Gather ‘round the global table — 
All ye kings of the earth,
and ye queens of the dirt
The self-anointed,
the ballot appointed
So much kilt kill filth is on your skirts!

Fate chosen leaders hellbent
to take their loyal legion...

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I want to say something to the church respectfully If I may? 
If God took a walk around now, what do you think He would say?
You claim you are a follower of  Christ yet...

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Let sail this doom and gloom
Drinking gasoline with a blue lighter
In the morning head up the gangplank
The hours till I lay down is a lifetime
I’ve become a child drunk on hydrocarbons
How will I lay my...

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Hearts Of Rusted Iron And Cold Steel

Riding along paths of illusions, glory bound-
Men with steel and fever in hard beating hearts,
Minds driven by deep desires and aching pains
Emotions deeper than anger's greatest depths-
Souls with sharpened...

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In the long shadows of the evening, when the light withdraws into a silent corner of the world,
I extend my hand toward the unknown, a white, cold, and empty hand,
A hand seeking to grasp the...

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ODE TO THE RAIN


A rare happening here, this dreary drought:
The dry earth chokes and trees are fast fading,
Reservoir water stock is drying out.


The dry weather is truly worrying,
We bear the foul odours of wind-blown haze,
Health...

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I watched Norte Dame cathedral burning
People outside in the streets crying, singing and praying
So sad that this icon was burning
Norte Dame, Norte Dame, Norte Dame
Please do not burn away
Please do not take away our place...

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It took me a while to finally let these words ooze from my soul,
I still could not quite express how truly-deeply esteemed I was
To see him walk across that stage,
Take that oath,
Dance that dance,
And smile...

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