Long Ewes Poems

The flames of the furnace (well-travelled by wind
slowly glazing the rags of gray women chagrined
at the sight of a hair fleeing tresses now thinned) 
sometimes billow like waves flooding naves through the night,
when the lightning...

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Me real name it is Bill Vonbertouche,	
but for short most folk just call me Bill.
Me Mum and Dad say I’m real smart,	
but the girls reckon I’m just a dill.	

But let’s just get this one thing...

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Darius was the Medo-Persian king,
Which means he was in charge of everything.
One hundred twenty satraps gave account,
So he would have an up-to-date amount;
All this so that he might not suffer loss.

‘Since that’s a lot of...

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Ho Xuan Huong (1772-1882) was a risqué Vietnamese poetess. She has been called "the candid voice of a liberal female in a male-dominated society." 

The Unfortunate Plight of Women
by Ho Xuan Huong
translation by Michael R....

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My Beloved is lofty 
              and exalted
his throne sets in the crag
          ...

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These are my English translations of poems and epigrams by the ancient Greek poet Callimachus aka Kallimachos. His surviving poems come from various sources including the Greek Anthology and the Garland of Meleager. The epigrams...

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BOTTLE DANCE

Across my land, abysses gnaw at automobiles,
From the foot of the mountain, 
To the shores of the oil fountain.
Certificated youths drinking piss to mellow their brains,
Clutching at wheels, dodging bumps into fog lights.
“Stupid, ing...

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While Shepherds watched their flocks by night all seated on the ground
The ewes collected up their lambs and gathered them around
"Listen now," the old Ewe said, "you young lambs listen well,
If you all want to...

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There was a land, and on this land lived sheep.
Like all good sheep, they had their rules to keep.
They lived on farms in their own different flocks,
sleeping, socializing, and taking walks
to find green grass on...

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Country Road

Rolled carpets of lawn lie, on a shaven bed
A bed that only a month ago, looked barren and dead
While in another paddock, one of pure contentment
Sit dozens of wooly ewes all with their minds...

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It was not a dark and stormy night
The night was not sultry nor moist
The sky's color didn't please the knight.

The Knight was a gentleman since his youth.
That that Knight had had a thing for mares
of...

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America Watts
1851-1934

Mister White buried me here beside Greek George,
Back here, with the wind-tossed weeds and the walnuts.
“Hey George, you old camel driver, you.
Can you hear me over there?
I can relate to your dogged controlling ways.”
With...

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My Regular Day
                                ...

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The Promise

A promise wakes your mornings
 Following you in whispers,
Walking in your footsteps,
Murmuring in the soft bleating
 Of birthing ewes
As close to you as the breath
 You take in and out
Sustaining life –
 A life...

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The morning has started with a trace of a dew
An ascent through the tussock ignites the new day
Trailing huntaways eager to work on the ewes
Awaited shrill whistles loose the dogs on their prey.

A new shepherd...

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Is it truth, is it fruit, unspoiled?
           Filtered news under play kitchen hard boil?

           Unproofed,...

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The black
crow sat on the
stump out front,
The old man heartily
swore,
He said you aint a
cunny funt,
Followed  by the 12
guage roar,

Feathers flew and a
cold wind it blew,
And the cancer bit
some more,
Just a spit of
blood, not ...

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Rama-Lamba-Ding-Dong

Its official, officials in Sudan are peeved
The audacity smugglers have got up their sleeve
It’s even been said that they’re losing sleep
Even as they spend their time counting sheep
Sheep are a valued commodity there
Ewes even more,...

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It's  one in the morning
And I can't get to sleep
So I've tried various things
Like counting some sheep,
But they just won't stay still 
They keep 'milling around
Backwards and forwards
All over the ground.
To make matters worse
What...

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It’s half pasta ate won chilli winter’s knight sew we staid in cider
Eye maid sum doe four my bred
Aye got in a pickle with sum flower, but I donut carrot all 
Eye'd ewes plane knot...

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Mary had a flock of sheep but just one was a ram
She also had a giving nature… and a brand new pram

Mary tries so earnestly to tend her grazing flock
Not so easy since the day...

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Thunderous silence in fresh mountain air
Dragonflies land on a mirrored flat lake. 
A trout breaks the surface with but a swirl
Hushed morning stopping to rolling vast cheer.
Eight boats of rowers united in curl
Sixty-four faces combined...

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Asset rich and cash poor
Farming’s now a constant war
Stupid rules; I’ve had enough
It’s getting hard and bloody rough.
More rules and forms come everyday
A thousand bastards want their say!

Some greenie wants to save my trees
Another thinks...

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This is our black shrine,
Where my father lit the lamp.
With dried dung in the cauldron,
My mother stoked the fire.
In the village, the sheepfold remains,
Where the ewes gave birth to lambs,
Their tails covered in dust,
The camels...

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haiku – senryu
JUST THINKING
********************
life... rife...
some strife...
it's reality

not all life is fun
get with reality
heed natures warnings

love thy neighbor
turn the other cheek
let peace prevail

no news today
for my peace of mind
how do others cope

rhetoric... why...
when quietness would suffice
have...

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