Long Clandestine Poems

Villanelles

The villanelle is a poetic form based on repetition, with a double refrain. 



Villanelle: The Divide
by Michael R. Burch

The sea was not salt the first tide...
was man born to sorrow that first day, 
with the...

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“Now behind the eyes and secrets of the dreamers in the streets rocked to sleep by the sea, see the titbits and topsyturvies, bobs and buttontops, bags and bones, ash and rind and dandruff and...

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Film Noir

By the lampost at night
with the pale moon shining bright
but obscured by the fog
I saw her in the harbor
standing where my boat lay moored
but she knew that
her azure eyes beckoned me to come
smoke from...

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A poet of a thousand words
The pen garnished by the flame
Like a sea no desire knows
And love becomes the same
As poet to my love for thee
I confess between the lace
Of time and every sorrow made
I...

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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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Ledger of Love

In the shadows of the Victorian night,
Where candles flicker with amorous light,
A forbidden love fiercely burns,
In a pounding heart, passion yearns.

Amidst the lace and satin array,
Where masks conceal bygone dismay,
A dance of desire,...

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As I pivot to confront my offspring, I anticipate the sight of terror etched in their innocent eyes, a reflected horror that would mirror the abyssal darkness that has long resided within me.

Instead, I am...

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Ma,
Why do I need to apostrophize you? Why did you flew away into the celestial regions so earlier? Is it because you are from a land where ‘twenty is plenty’ for women? And hence, ignoring...

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Approximately three plus days elapsed...
without yours truly experiencing urge to defecate

Neither bloating nor constipation
arose, but one nondescript anguished
logophile anticipated intestinal blockage,
hence prophesying worse case scenario

I (predicated in direction for an adult)
ingested three Dulcolax tablets
and subsequently...

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Arni Kleftiko Stolen Lamb


The Cypriots and Greeks have a few differences,
And can argue a great deal,
But both agree when it comes to ‘Kleftiko”
It has forever been, the most delectable 
Traditional Greek meal,
That ever a bandit...

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I was taught by   my father to be obedient in the dense forest to save the individuals trees, stop destruction to plantation. I cannot be silent under the detriment from lumberjacks to global...

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All things that glow and move,
all things that change and pass,
I gather their delight
as in a burning-glass;
Judith Wright

The Queen's Conjurer
1.
'Given to magic and uncanny arts'
'Art mathematical' to make strange works
 Genius of movement artificial
Mechanical scarab...

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Clandestine meeting between
the Orvatech Corp. and the Celestial Military Command
Date: 04.24.2258


General Avar, the High General: The third trial test run has been successfully
concluded. What are the recommendations, gentlemen.

Dr. Quintas, the lead scientist: The fifth generation...

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"Two Worlds Split"



One world 
fell into unlit hues 
black swallows 
black dogs their consort
murderous their crows
black wings of darkest blue

dark knight,
their oceans
locked in 
another's,
lost eternally,
dark nighted

corralling 
the purple heart bruised,
deadly nightshades pierce
the shadows hiding
under the...

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Canvas is heavy, full of lovely thought
to place a young maiden beneath a willow tree
maybe beside a quaint pool where seasons wrought.
The youthful maiden known to others as Marie,
trapped hearts of many callow gents' curiosity
sending...

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O, September, I feel the subtle scents of dandelion days melting into oblivion,
Like spring waterfalls of delirious diamonds collapsing into the abyss of memory,
While sentimental sapphire memories flow among clouds of color-blind cruelty,
Revealing how the...

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“Dragons don’t live up to the talk. 
I’ll find a way to fix the wagon”,
Opined the jealous Jabberwock,
“Of the scaly, lummox dragon.” 

This foul fiend then, most inhumanely, 
Pausing to munch a trembling snack
As his...

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O August, I feel subtle scents
of dandelion days melting,
like spring falls of delirious diamonds,
while memories of sentimental sapphires
flow amidst clouds of colorblind cruelty,
revealing how butterflies
from the temple of fragmented armors
abandoned my spirit
at the altar of...

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Frost leaves my heart feeling cold and clammy, like a icicle hanging down from a gutter, dripping liquid sparkles as the sunlight softens the edges of my feelings and frees my thoughts to believe in...

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…..BREAKING..... HEADLINE..... NEWS.....
this Xmas eve day 2023

After a top secret clandestine conclave,
one or more sans eight Reindeer forsake
played cow word, and spelt, spilt, spoilt,
et cetera doe fill full heartbreak,
which Santa Claus immediately claimed
to be “FAKE”...

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OOOPS! Contest
Sponsor: John Lawless

Date Written: February 29, 2016
FIRST POEM 

Somewhere between yes and no, where maybe doesn't matter, I slipped beneath the surface carrying your poor intentions. I suffered from those pitiable little private pieces...

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When tangerine tinted tunes 
within 
  sunset serenades~
 unravel saffron symphonies,
  engrossed in 
  hibiscus hymns of hallelujah~
I swirl to radiant rays of 
  sakura stardust,
where mystical monologues 
of silent angels~
caress...

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" Perhaps, life is just a disaster
wrapped in fairy-glow fragments ~
shimmering with stars of death... "

O' beloved moment of time,
take me where I belong,
in the henna haze of scentless leaves
draped in doves of lotus,
I'll whimsically...

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     We are two souls that the crossroads 
rigged to meet.
There is nothing artificial about your intelligence, 
your significance, your female caring brilliance.
:"Smiles*

Like water and earth, "beauty and the beast."
 :"giggles*,...

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Golden Harmonies of Existence

Grace falling in essence of pure gold from the sky
Place the lightning bright vision from the centre of my third eye 
Embrace the old derision as the armies can only try
The lace...

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