Long Editions 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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State of the Art (IV)

These are my "ars poetica" poems about the art and craft of writing poetry. 



Hearthside
by Michael R. Burch

“When you are old and grey and full of sleep...”  — W. ...

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Epigrams

Autumn Conundrum
by Michael R. Burch

It’s not that every leaf must finally fall,
it’s just that we can never catch them all.

Piercing the Shell
by Michael R. Burch

If we strip away all the accouterments of war,
perhaps we'll discover...

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Medieval Poems IV



IN LIBRARIOS
by Thomas Campion
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Booksellers laud authors for novel editions
as pimps praise their whores for exotic positions.



Brut (circa 1100 AD, written by Layamon, an excerpt)
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R....

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Look up in the sky ! It’s a bird ! It’s a plane.
It’s Superman !
More powerful than a locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This fearless...

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Translation of Eric Mottram’s A Faithful Private 7 with excerpts from “Notes on Poetics” by T. Wignesan

(Note: With this post, I bring to a close EM’s pamphlet collection: Faithful Private, GENERA editions by Colin Simms,...

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 Translation of Eric Mottram’s A Faithful Private - 1 by T. Wignesan

                      ...

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          Corpus

                     in words 
designs 
...

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Ah, the glorious damned winter
and the inviting  
gray chill in the air.
I meander 
ever 
so
slowly 
past lawns
strewn 
with a cluttered array
of pagan snow zombies -
staring blankly,
as I obliterate pint-sized
snow angels 
failing to don halos
that...

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The Big Bang Theory and others devised.
Professors armed with latest editions.
Soon, teach as facts; oh, faith of youth revised.
Inspired, common suppositions.
Biblical creation too soon capsized.
Unaware, youth accepts false traditions.
Half-truths and questions upon young minds flay....

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NOVELTIES
by Thomas Campion
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Booksellers laud authors for novel editions
as pimps praise their whores for exotic positions.

This is my translation of a Latin epigram by the English poet Thomas Campion. In Campion’s...

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OUR LIBRARIAN

I once remember the
Librarian in my college  
Meticulous ,and savvy
His love for knowledge 
Knows no bound.  

I once remember the 
Librarian in my University
A man with a large heart for others 
His...

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I have this dream where I'm a poet
and my life's an open book.
I write anything and everything 
so that one person can feel everything 
and anything, one thing or 
something-connectedness maybe.
That rich deep running place where energy
springs...

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We came to your home
Jack
Hidden amongst bosom 
hills and armies of trees 
past the State gates 
who finally admitted 
us entry to your tomb
they keep you here 
Jack 
in memory, first editions 
your wife spent...

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A second hand book shop watches the Sunday rain
beat against a resentful pavement. Its second hand
door opens up its second hand world to second
hand people, carrying first class money.

The newly welcomed, carrying in second hand...

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Must be hard out here? 
For you of course 
Pigmentless 
Living the life of a white man.
"Hardest thing to be right now is a  white male"
Excuse me if i offended you.
My mention of slavery...

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BANISH ME TO THE BOOKSHOP

Chain me, so I can roam. Lock me away in this bower.
Banish me to the bookshop - i’ll enjoy this affair for hours!

First editions recline behind smudge-proof glass.
Lock-and-key lick of lips,...

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It was just last night.
I was not sleepy, nor did
I want to watch tv. I had
read the Bible earlier.

I came across 3 old copies of
one of my favorite magazines that
I had not read for some...

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The grass is a pale yellow 
The sky groans above it
The children play on the grass
And their feet crunch on the grass
Like snow in the winter-time
And I envy the Scottish, the Irish.

The plow rusts in...

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Thought I perhaps should let all my friends see,
How touched I was on finding this letter to me,
Found by mistake, after so many years,
I collapsed into buckets of tears,
A treasure bequeathed to me, was meant...

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Acclimatization is a serious matter.
I mean one cannot keep bouncing around
a kaleidoscopic chameleon-like center 
can one?

Therefore I have almost absolved myself from 
causing all that emotional mayhem
that a youthful spirit engages upon
not having yet acclimatized...

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Imagination Owl was tired today.
He had collected first and second editions
And kept the wolves and hounds away.
Everyone had heard about his collection and wanted a peek.

He was not against showing them, but he had a...

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Signatures rendered by the scholars of subliminals in sync

Measures of libations red cursive highlighted

Parchments pages blotted by renaissances regurgitated, host to most....

Mimick made prep school circles, in something going round and round

Unisons bleeding reechoed voices...

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Safe Yank
The American was a typical man of his breed
Loving guns and weapons and ammunitions
He had a huge collection of firearms at home
Well over 300 rifles and hand guns of all kinds
From Red China via...

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Ranks of glossy printed editions
squeezed into a concertina of space.
The acrylic smell of new books
is cordite to my nose.

Then in softer contrast,
the musky ambiance of the old and well-thumbed,
a well used dust on dust-covers.
A tactile...

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