Long Credentials Poems

Epigrams by Michael R. Burch

If brevity is the soul of wit
then brevity and levity 
are the whole of it.
—Michael R. Burch

To write an epigram, cram.
If you lack wit, scram!
—Michael R. Burch

Conformists of a feather
flock together.
—Michael...

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Epigrams by Michael R. Burch



Negligibles
by Michael R. Burch
 
Show me your most intimate items of apparel:
begin with the hem of your quicksilver slip ...



Negotiables
by Michael R. Burch

Love should be more than the sum of its...

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My protagonist today,
a Gay Black Religious Mature Male,
not quite ready for silver-grey Obama temples

Is off this morning
to a new full-time job,
8 to 5,
Monday through Friday.

He has been out of his calming,
regular custodial collared routine,
for over...

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The Story
by Kamal Nasser
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

I will tell you a story ...
a story that lived in the dreams of my people,
a story that comes from the world of tents.
It is a story...

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"And when he came to himself"
Luke 15:17

In another millennial time and Chinese/Russian place,
Taoism began as aphorisms and poetry
about political philosophy,
articulating a bicameral tension
between Conservative Yangers,
patriarchal universalist ego empire builders,
and Unitarian Progressive Yinners, WinWinners,
a matriarchal cooperative...

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Senate legal and constitutinal affairs reference committie convened
March 2022 one Senator presiding and two witnessing'
The room echoes as the warriors enter.! Almost equivelent to
The booming endorsements of the preceeding years yet ghostly 
Sounding echies now.....

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Since my early teens until I reached about 45,
I had pursued my life's dream of working fulltime
in the Gospel Ministry.  There were many aspects
whereby such a dream could express itself and be
fulfilled.  For...

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How much simpler
and yet vastly more complex,
diversely resonant,
past decisions to hire the credentialed professional elite
also choices not to hire a charismatic
brown-skinned
ecofeminist,

And how much more resilient
urgently cooperative
corporate win/win covenant repercussions might have been
if we stopped compartmentalizing,
and...

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"Perspective of an Invisible People"

Struggling for over four hundred years
Drowning in rivers of tears
Throughout the country's history
Accepting black people, still a mystery
Since the country's discovery, we've been abused 
Standing with strength, will prevent us from...

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During the second century, there were many Christians who were tortured and put to death for being Christian. There was one named Sanctus* who, when tortured, simply answered, "I am a Christian."  By my...

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Jessica Casey the punters dream- Sequel to Shy Julie 

They came from near - they came from far
Bus ferry and train and some by car
THE GOLDEN EGG GRAND FINAL
One greyhound in mind
Jessica Casey -The Select...

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THE CHAMELEONS
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS


Give credit to the chameleons, they blend right in 
A simple maneuver, changes the color of their skin
No matter the surroundings, one thing is clear
You may not see him, despite him being...

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I'm scheduled to interview a few applicants for the job of master carpenter, and among them is the name of my ex. hmmm... I can't wait to see the look on his face when he...

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This self-explanatory English poem of mine was originally drafted Monday (evening) August 5, 2013, while I was still in Independence, Missouri. I revised it a bit in November and December of 2014, while “traveling” in...

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I had a long argument today...
Whilst sitting by the 
surcharging charging airport port,
shouldertoshoulder with this pastor.

Delayed flight and low juice
kept us there, squared off;
shoulder to shoulder.

He with his Righteousness,
me with my Right View.
He with all...

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David Jones, the best rat catcher Shropshire has ever had
must take some criticism for young Molly turning bad.
Even though his daughter found rich co-incidentals,
no credit could be taken by rat catching Dad's credentials.

At nineteen she's...

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There is this hypothesis
I unjustly
and perhaps traumatically
just made hard and patriarchally up
is not down 
and retentatively not out
soon enough for healthy comings 
and goings

A ridiculous theory
that straight homophobic preachers
and teachers,
prophets
and kings,
pharaohs
and rabbis,
old crows
and magpies

Throughout too...

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Would the real “Matthew Scott Harris” please stand up!

Yo...over here in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
all the other ones (that follow below)...
them guys imposters I write – every ƒµ©**** one.

Curiosity and discretion 
got the better part of me...

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[A few years ago, I wrote this poem “On Writing Poetry” for creative writing students. I hesitated to put it on Poetry Soup, but I did some revisions and decided to share it with you....

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You can't make someone love you all you can do 
is be someone who can be loved.The rest is up to them.

No matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

It takes years...

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The house was full
Of Gods and deities
The curtain call was soon
The water vasos were poured
And became the finest of wines
The bread multiplied
The baker you see
Was a part time magician
The fishermen all relaxed
As I saw fish...

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Nine nine  

A story I needed to find  

My credentials were declined  

But it was Sunday, I did not mind  

Honestly, I tried  

Decided, ‘take a ride’  

Into the...

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THREE year olds know about circles. They play
ring around the rosy and here we go round
the mulberry bush. And if one should say 
that in reality nowhere is found
a perfect circle, they either don’t hear
or...

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Witchcraft
                                  ...

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Last night I arrived very late
for a GRACE planning team meeting.
GRACE's mission advocates against
all things racist,
whether systemic
or the normal chaos of antipathy
and sin 
against everyday non-violent win-win
choices
policies
procedures
positions
platforms political and economic
sacred and secular
sociological and neurological.

I stepped...

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