Long Completion Poems

??1 Kings 5:3-5 NIV??
[3] “You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the...

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Observance
by Michael R. Burch

Here the hills are old and rolling
carefully in their old age;
on the horizon youthful mountains
bathe themselves in windblown fountains...

By dying leaves and falling raindrops,
I have traced time's starts and stops,
and I have...

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Date December 31. 2040

Damian Stood on the ground floor
Of the new Mansion while 
GrandDad Hakim rested In the
Living room watching TV.  The
First level was half complete. 
Damian thought the pace needed
Quickening. He would have...

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In the ancient Empire of the Chrysanthemum Throne, horsemen riders from the southern regions, their steel swords close to their sides, clang heavily to their waist as they ride hard to the capital. Before their...

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I am an Outlander
Who lives on a high hill
Overlooking a man-made lake
That once was a rapidly rushing river
Along whose banks the Ozarks Bluff Dwellers and the Osage and then Delaware
Hunted, fished, and created shelter
For their...

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Poetic Encryption Like Ancient Egyptian

This terror and threat to poetic clarity,
Becomes a pet rock for some poets.

Words do count for sure, but so does
Clarity unless poets put a mask on.

Encryption can be used to mask...

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Impressive values,
like love,
claim resources that liberally breed
ecological
natural
physically happy health
and conservatively feed
emotional
spiritual
mentally glad wealth.

Oppressive disvalues
like homophobia and racism
and sexism and ageism
and ableism 
and monoculturing disregard
for threats of global anthro-supremacist ecocide,
express what we are against
because these are...

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Birthday of beloved buxom babe I betrothed

Pardon my hyperbole if in fact such embellishment can be sifted out amidst the pretentious poetry and/or prose NOT aired to appear superior, but more so as passion for...

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7 am morning time. Damian was 
Awakened by his father's phone
Call. "Damian get out of bed, on
Your feet man. We have to attend 
A conference at 10 this morning."
Damian responded, "Right" and
Sprang to his feet....

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For the past thirty seven years, living for me was knowing that I do not know
I have been yearning for what I do not have a name for
The knowledge of the presence of this nameless,...

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On a magnificent morning, in the fragrant month of July,
I was heading to a new job, amidst the golden butterflies.

For I had been hired by Nasa's, Langley Research Center,
To work on new projects, and to...

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That which is neutral,
no big deal,
normal,
not noticed,
enjoys an intimate mirror effect,
behaves and misbehaves
with the logic of eternity.

Time steers virtually clockwise,
eastern dawn toward west's setting sun,
birth through death,
with day's completion duskly hoping
for red skies at night.

Time...

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Archaischer Torso Apollos ("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...

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“The Blue Nazarene” 

caeruleum caelum 
in nubibus
caeruleum

caeruleum caelum
in nubibus 
de hyacintho nazarene

testimonium:

white stallions, 

clouds commanding
Christus imperium
above all below 

all below 
now present to worship 
a secular ghost

stopped dead in their tracks
those ridiculous battalions
games of war...

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Dedicated to: Myself and the kindred spirits

Rise up today so gracefully and comely. Let not the present by the past be spoiled. You are entitled to what is best in the new day; do not...

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Oh, find I here as elder in this small place
Some glad respite…

From inside pills 
And journeying on to bitter end

With so many joys of past, left trail-side
To sit only in fading memory then

Great entertainments and...

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“Now, I would like to make you aware of my guests.”
     “Your guests?  Are they here?”  Seileach seemed very curious.
     “I'm sorry, but no. ...

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SOJOURN THROUGH TAROTSPACE

Let me tell you a story,
Of a deck of cards, in all its glory.
Well, some will say, what’s the big deal?
To them my humble reply, come, conquer, and heal.

The story is my take,
On...

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A combination of Prose and Free Verse:

The most thrilling and inspirational piece of music ever to reach my 
ears is, without doubt, Handel's Messiah. I've never known anyone 
who could experience a performance and remain...

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Adolescent infatuations...never consummated

Greetings reader from a cross between an aging seventy inch long (ringing ding dong) haired pencil necked geek and a Norwegian bachelor farmer wannabe; meaning yours truly actually a virtually married Pennsylvania man,...

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When I was a male child
I prayed to an eternally mute dualdark goddess,
Gaia was our name
for each Other's
secular
sane
sacred
sacraments to share passion.

And so I heard bird songs
praising each day's anticipated Gaian glory,
everybody playing cooperatively nice,
or at...

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Goodbye and good riddance 2023

Commencement writing this poem
began December 31st: 2:24 PM
ended December 31st: 03:53 PM.

The best geriatric effort I apply
twittering, ushering, and 
albeit wheezing Auld Lang Syne
crocodile done deed tear 
will yours truly cry
bidding,...

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Date:  May 2050

Damian stood over their large crib
Gazing lovingly at his five infant sons
Thinking of soon to be one girl, Dasheri!"
She was due for July. Full house now.
The addition was now ready for
Habitation. Dolly...

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Her Grace, Soft As The Silence Of Morn's Falling Dew
 
Her romantic letters, birth as heart pure and true 
supported deep vows we both swore to be held to.
Her grace, soft as the silence of...

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What is it in knowing you that makes my awareness
come alive . My thoughts of you are ever present . You
lead me to consider , good and evil , life and death to
see more clearly...

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