Long Cohere Poems

[Now ShallowMan is quite content
receiving FactoidMan’s consent
to quibble and express dissent
as long as keeping covenant
with fingers crossed and belfry bent
when viewing Facts in sealed cement:]

SM
“The Facts you give me circumvent
those ‘truths’ your chuckles supplement;
although they...

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Archaic Torso of Apollo
by Rainer Maria Rilke
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

We cannot know the beheaded god
nor his eyes' forfeited visions. But still
the figure's trunk glows with the strange vitality
of a lamp lit from within,...

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The Panther
by Rainer Maria Rilke
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

His weary vision's so overwhelmed by iron bars,
his exhausted eyes see only blank Oblivion.
His world is not our world. It has no stars.
No light. Ten thousand...

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When I was young, and adventure routine,
With excitement and newness still unforeseen
I was eager to spread my wings to the world
And seek more adventures as those wings unfurled

Within my long travels I happened to meet
Two...

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This is my translation of the first of Rilke’s Duino Elegies. Rilke began the first Duino Elegy in 1912, as a guest of Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis, at Duino Castle, near Trieste on...

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The Story of History  

Beyond those beaten days’ depleted daylight
Beyond the bathos of a pandemic bondage
With  the resurrected  sashay’s charmed night
Down in the dumps   at the pretentious  proscenium
A ...

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Ive developed a bit of a fetish, dear,
The smelling of objects of a queer kind.
"Queer", the collective perspective of a selected few
Let me address the subject once more
Select more carefully the words I spew
Breakdown
Analyze 
peripheralize
Re...

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Delusion and Reference 
(Paranoia) 

Once there was only one, not fun, 
So then this became two, did moo,  
But my mum thought there were two, 
There was her, and then guess who, 
God said...

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Earth is the "being" that is evolving, "experiencing life," physically
The only evolution humans can contribute is in their spirit
As I said many poems ago, independence is a myth, but feel free
I write as my record...

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Milton’s Paradise Lost is a book I sometimes dip into. For modern 
readers it does not lend itself to a quick browse. It’s pretty clear from the 
start who dunnit. 
My version in paperback contains...

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Fate Of Mankind...

(this prognosticator ordains,
which if came to pass no brains)
necessary to impress any 
goo goo dolls, nor swains!)

Cited in crosshairs of  thermonuclear warfare
quite an about face from bursts of creativity,
yet omnipresent palpable threat...

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China laws philosophy…
Evil guts explained for evil moods. Much and more are tyrant wills. Easy bounces are Taiwan ways and wills. Taiwan peoples favored are peace. Muster one and gather all would be Taiwan forces.
Mutate...

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The twittering of the birds singsonged by 
As the mum night kissed the new spousal dawn
The daybreak entity by the beadsmen allegiance
Pour forth by the holy water along the river adorn.
Thrown by the kid, the...

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Problems in the mirror may be further than they appear
Don’t fear when they’re near, they’ll soon disappear
help is here, let me give your mind a steer
I’ma just keep writin’ until it all appears clear
coming to...

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Hey there, I am known as fear 
I'm pleased to see ya here
I'ma bout to switch the gear 
It's game on mode from now, I fear 
There's no escape,so stay near
get used to smell of...

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'O' mom, O' mom..
Am sweet baby,
Thou love the most;
Mom a preceptor and
Play partner of mine;
Cohere me in arms,
Never left alone;
Inspired me in each stage,  
Taught me from crawling,
To walk then talk;
Stage by stage I...

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I am here for a purpose, and I need to fulfill it.
I felt the echo of footsteps in my spirit.
Rhythmic rigor with a sense of fairness,
God utters, "I am your force and all awareness."

What makes...

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1957
Oh, midnight's near, my dad made clear- our minutes left- just two!
You know, my dear, we must adhere- though we're engaged- 'tis true. 
Please do not fear- that time is here, just hold me close...

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Mystic 2025
Poem
Lionel Derbyshire.

The day before on the night..
We packed for Mystic July 2025
We told each another on the phone..
Of what we going to do.
We going to brouhaha and hoopla hoo-hah
The trip to camp Mystic we...

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So you want to be a stellar writer,
With excellent lexicon skills to boot,
And Latinate action words in meter,
Or nonsense jargon towardly acute.
 
Well, don't be an unkempt fool shy of zest,
Inspire that beast within you...

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Two minutes left, then midnight's here.
	You know my dad has made it clear,
		tho we're engaged, for sure, my dear,
			to curfew rules, we must adhere.

Just hold me tight, and do not fear-
	your time to leave is...

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Bribery sins…
.Spurns and prides are taking passes.
Passing balances all are cases and tasks.
Some retakes are warrants put.
Pick the tough ropes not only straws to last.
PINKO god-some will need the disciplines.
Doors to Eden just are door...

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For Jeffers: On seeing Tor House and Hawk Tower
                   For the first time

The Tor stones have grown...

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Villanelle: Whose voice does the non-native English poet verily hear

Whose voice does the non-native English poet verily hear
Words which sound to native English speakers as gibberish
Does received pronunciation yoke the borrowed voices’ ear

The poet hears...

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You say no one gets the beauty of fear
It's what reminds us how human we are
The subtle moment when all is so clear
That from birth to death, the journeys not far
The joy comes between the...

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