Long Fondest Poems

*** Notice to the residents of Milton Creek ***

Tom serves as mayor. never complaining, so he gets what he requests 
No blood in his steak, apple pie with sweet cream. Aces cooks that meal
to perfection...

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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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A lot of acquaintances deemed me lucky, and I knew I was,
For I had a successful life, when all could have been chaos.

I had a wonderful job that I loved, making plenty of money,
And a...

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When we think of traveling we most often think of going from one location to another. That’s good but I sometimes like to return in reverie to times in my past. Places where I spent...

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PTSD

Like rabbit in the headlight caught
I want to move, i know I ought
But quicksand stuck, I’m petrified 
My body still, arms laid by side
Stretched out on mattress, naked, soaked
From sweat in which my body’s cloaked
My eyes...

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It was in the heart of frigid winter, that my car had broken down,
I was frustrated and so cold, so like the snowflakes falling down.

I had called for a mechanic, but I had been waiting...

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I am not sure whether I am missing you or that you are missing life~

                    ...

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"Love...ultimate truth in life,    
                  came tiptoeing, whispering...murmuring...tinkling" - by Poet    

...

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What will I pack for lunch at work?
I gather healthful foods in the morning:
Nuts? Dark chocolate? A salad with croutons?
Perhaps organic crackers with cheese
or maybe a nice sandwich -
tuna, egg salad, or a BLT.
Driving home,...

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As I neared home I went by the water works that stood for years behind the ice plant. That’s where the water for the city was processed and I remember how clean and clear the...

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La Poetess Gardener;
And in her garden she's growing;
Small flower Jan Allison;
We thank you for your words and verses of encouragements;
How be it some funny, a lot heaven sent;
We thank you for sharing your creativeness;
A small...

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Wasn't it just yesterday

                             When we were...

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A father with one daughter and two sons;
a mother with four daughters of her own -
They came together years ago and bought
what would become my fondest childhood home.

A sharply inclined driveway much too narrow
for all...

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To: My Grandpa
~1918-2016~

Grandpa was sharp as a whistle up until the very end. Old age and time passing just took a toll on his poor body. Ninety eight sure is a long life to have...

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Unlikely Mike
by Michael R. Burch

I married someone else’s fantasy;
she admired me despite my mutilations.

I loved her for her heart’s sake, and for mine.
I hid my face and changed its connotations.

And in the dark I danced—slight,...

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I was a college music teacher, engaged in pitch, tempo, rhythm and melody,
As lavish planets dance around a golden star, with the zeal of fuchsia fidelity.

I taught harmony, vocals and singing, and how to play...

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At altamira cave
For centuries,snowfall after snowfall,
Outside, in what would be Spain
They painted their walls and left their mark
Calling down the magic of image
To control the beasts whose flesh and bone and hide
Made possible their desperate...

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Announcement to Shepherds
Luke 2:8-20

Luke: “Nearby shepherds were living in the fields,
Guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel,
Stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone [yields],
Around them, and they were terrified [the dell].

10 The angel...

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These are modern English translations of poems by the German poets Hannah Arendt, Ingeborg Bachmann, Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim and Heinrich Heine.



Heinrich Heine

The Seas Have Their Pearls
by Heinrich Heine
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

The seas have...

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When you get life has edges and dangers abound,
Pat yourself on the back, for this wisdom’s profound.
One who groks danger’s near has the best chance to live!
Fools who’re sure that they’re safe either brag or...

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The Eleventh Day of September


I had cherished the dream of walking up and down the endless lanes and avenues
Of a city celebrated for its illustrious and peaceful intensity and universal fame.
The images still vivid in...

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I was a marvelous ophthalmologist, impacting how others saw this world,
As tomorrow one day sees yesterday, on lanes where hued leaves swirled.

I corrected hazy, crazy vision problems, with eyeglasses and with surgery;
Like a second look,...

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Virtual Reality

At Altimira Cave
Centuries pass, in what would be Spain,
While the snows fell and fell
They painted their walls,
Making their mark,
Calling down the magic of the image
To control the beasts whose flesh, bone and hide
Made possible...

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I was an experienced family therapist, helping families maintain functionality,
As wandering, starlit seasons maintain all nature, being rooted in practicality.

I loved preserving healthy relationships, that foundation of healthy societies;
And kept up a fruitful dialogue between...

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Praise

Falling gently from the mountains,
Singing to the winds, in silence – tenderness
Gentling the hopes that enter the spirit,
The ones who let us know – we’re His,
Promised a home in heaven,
Where we’ll always be together –
Forever...

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