Long Fizzles Poems

Fahr an' Ice
by Michael R. Burch

From what I know of death, I'll side with those
who'd like to have a say in how it goes:
just make mine cool, cool rocks (twice drowned in likker),
and real fahr...

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Every second, every minute, every single thought about you
Wonders of this still could be too good to be true
Fluttering in my heart, palpitations go amiss
I yearn for the touch of your skin, and I constantly...

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Sweet Centerless Sixteen
by Michael R. Burch

Inconsolable as “love” had left your heart,
you woke this morning eager to pursue
warm lips again, or something “really cool”
on which to press your lips and leave their mark.

As breath upon...

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'The Energizer Battery' keeps going and going.                            ...

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“Bee to the blossom, moth to the flame; each to his passion;                 what’s in a name?” –Helen Hunt Jackson....

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It was under summer's gaze,
The story of undiscovered possibilities ensued. 
Never minding the leap of faith I had taken;
I forcefully tell myself
that it was only yesterday. 
But two years have passed since
It would have been...

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The parking lot full
of all the familiar faces,
   we are early -
all the old people
driving carts,
at the door,
waving us in…
we are them too
the remnant
   of a relative crowd.

My oldest grandson
has experienced
...

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When people say don’t use the F word,  do they have any idea how formidable fellowship, flux, foxy, finite, and figure-head are freely and fervently formed?
The F word?
What F word?
This crazy admonishment has led...

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Sustain your strive; nobody will ignore them entirely.
Your life will have a whole hot tune if you're brave.
When things turn out badly, we might be in a fury.
But, yielding is not for you even in...

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If today were in fact the end of days
We'd face it with no scintilla of anxiety or sadness 
because our fate is in God's hands
I'd leave absolutely nothing unsaid 
between us; no time would be...

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WHAT'S IT GONNA MATTER AFTER?

What's it gonna matter
When…
a child looks to the heavens
and asks
what a star is...

when…
water mammals lie beached…
bodies acid-emblazoned lumps
on bleached sands...

when…
burnt-leaved
fields stare back
at tired farmers who seeded them...

when…
pop-eyed children
plea for the mercy
of...

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“The Dream”

i am young.
the window in my room is open.
the blinds flicker as the summer nights breeze blows in.
i open my eyes awakened by the noise.
as i peer out into the night a street light...

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once …

there - with trunks of monkey’s meth
there grew a breadth of bunky breaths
deplored by dreaded, drunky deaths
to calm their chemic coggers 
the fame of phlegmic foggers

so deep and dark those dribble bibs
didst dig their...

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the mystique held once
in this thing that still is desired,
fades---
be it a career 
wanted, dreamed of, sought after with
such energy & glory
when one was younger,
be it an individual whose
then-shocking beauty,
whose then-chiseled 
handsome hunkness,
whose then-passion seemed...

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There are times when giants kneel
and meditate and pray
for fright or guidance
We are not gods
There is space and the unending universe
Something far greater which supersedes all mankind

It’s time to show our truth
Our feelings hurt
Often unaware...

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Songs unsung will disappear, 

as breathless as a stone, the fear 

of Armageddon fills the air 

and gathers strength against the prayer 

that withers, fizzles into naught, 

despite the lessons we were taught, 

to love...

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...inspired by 'Reveille' by Joseph Brodsky


Songs unsung will disappear,
as breathless as a stone, the fear
of Armageddon fills the air
and gathers strength against the prayer

that withers, fizzles into nought,
despite the lessons we were taught
to love our...

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Songs unsung will disappear, 
as breathless as a stone, the fear 
of Armageddon fills the air 
and gathers strength against the prayer 
that withers, fizzles into naught, 
despite the lessons we were taught, 
to love...

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Songs unsung will disappear, 
as breathless as a stone, the fear 
of Armageddon fills the air 
and gathers strength against the prayer 
that withers, fizzles into naught, 
despite the lessons we were taught, 
to love...

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Songs unsung will disappear, 
as breathless as a stone, the fear 
of Armageddon fills the air 
and gathers strength against the prayer 
that withers, fizzles into naught, 
despite the lessons we were taught, 
to love...

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Songs unsung will disappear, 
as breathless as a stone, the fear 
of Armageddon fills the air 
and gathers strength against the prayer 
that withers, fizzles into naught, 
despite the lessons we were taught, 
to love...

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 BE MERRY

be merry, not blue.
blow your nose, no boo hoos,
dot your eyes.
i’ve provided an embroidered,
lacy handkerchief —
the old-fashioned kind,
that pulls up your bootstraps,
tickles your fancy,
almost too pretty, kind,
leaves no red streaks
creates smiles, not weak
and...

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Songs unsung will disappear,
as breathless as a stone, the fear
of Armageddon fills the air
and gathers strength against the prayer
that withers, fizzles into naught,
despite the lessons we were taught
to love our neighbors as ourselves,
not disrespect our...

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Songs unsung will disappear,
as breathless as a stone, the fear
of Armageddon fills the air
and gathers strength against a prayer
that withers, fizzles into nought,
despite the lessons we were taught,
to love our neighbours as we would
be loved...

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Songs unsung will disappear,
as breathless as a stone, the fear
of Armageddon fills the air
and gathers strength against a prayer
that withers, fizzles into nought,
despite the lessons we were taught,
to love our neighbours as we would
be loved...

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