Long Maim Poems

Epitaph for a Palestinian Child
by Michael R. Burch

I lived as best I could, and then I died.
Be careful where you step: the grave is wide.



Autumn Conundrum
by Michael R. Burch

It's not that every leaf must finally...

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Poems about Fathers and Grandfathers I

I translated the first six Native American poems for my father when he chose to enter hospice and end his life by not taking dialysis …


Cherokee Travelers' Blessing I
loose translation/interpretation...

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To a Daughter More Precious than Gems
by Otomo no Sakanoue no Iratsume
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

Heaven's cold dew has fallen—
and thus another season arrives.
Oh, my child living so far away,
do you pine for me...

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An old Greek word, ecclesia,
is often translated as church,
but could also be thought of as a civilization
acting civilly,
as a citizenry
acting as responsible citizens.

The noun side of Ecclesia
casts residents as consumers
of democratic and economic cooperative systems,
while...

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“ANTE BELLUM”


BEIGEBest served where it can’t be seen
On Stirling Silver platters
With redruM narcotics
Delivered by sharp Blood-Red
Well-mannered talons
Strutting in sleek wet rolling tight-skirted
Long French Silk Stockinged legs all the way down to 
Lethal Six Inch stilettos...

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When I was young, and adventure routine,
With excitement and newness still unforeseen
I was eager to spread my wings to the world
And seek more adventures as those wings unfurled

Within my long travels I happened to meet
Two...

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Long in the tooth male doth recount, reflect, reimagine...
his woebegone damn dental daze today May 5th, 2021 

No particular rhyme nor reason
garden variety indentured flunky (me)
revisits his salmagundi salad days, 
when oral blight smote 
left...

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When I was a FreshPerson in a new higher school,
our English Literature class was delighted
to meet a new to our area Ms. Liska,
who was a beautiful teacher
both outside
and in,
and so we all loved her,
and knew...

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Poem 1: A Boy And His Painted Piano

he used lively greens
tender blues,
touches of plain mauve 
and rainbow trout splatters
to paint music
on the gas fumes 
that inhabited the clean air
that once use to live there.

he made...

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Modus Operandi of psychopaths and sociopaths

They are all around us, seeking to destroy us,
if not to kill us, to maim us, for life
physically, mentally, emotionally
morally, financially.

They are the psychopaths and sociopaths!

Now psychopaths are rare indeed,...

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Once wars were fought with sticks and stones
to flog the flesh and batter bones
and conquer lands, defending thrones -
though gods provoke, not one atones. 

The multitude (by hordes beset
with battle-ax or bayonet)
braved blades, dyed red...

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RESURRECTION OF A HEROE:
This is ANDERSON WALKINGSHOES... 
CHORUS:
Far from comparison, far from fear.
Failure part of the journey; shed no tears.
Man...do... the best you can do.
Talents in your hand's only for you. 
No body cares...what you...

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The Cold Doorknobs 

I.
I am sure there will be that profound moment in time
when the dog out back will stop its incessant yapping,
Its unrelenting impulse to belch out its interminable wails, 
alas, to inform its...

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As October 1 approaches, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY……………………
I have enormous tracts of land and vast volumes of water, but cannot feed myself.
So I spend $1 billion to import rice and another $2 billion on milk.
I produce...

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From all worlds and time’s eternal outer reaches,
Where the Creator is perceived to dwell.
You try to learn what your told He teaches,
Regarding Life, the Universe, Heaven and Hell.

The soul is a precious, beautiful place,
Where you...

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Years ago I wrote this poem to help me understand my god…
To get it straight inside my head…
as I watch what’s happening in God’s name today 
I think it’s time for me to remind myself...

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I’m going to reveal a fact about myself some of you may find odd…
It’s that I am not religious…but I do believe in God.

My God has given me a brain, a heart, a soul and...

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Who am I? I am me, and me is having a little me time
No way!  Five days plus a weekend. 7 days, that’s mine.
It’s not fair. It’s a sin. It’s crazy. No, really honey,...

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Wherein lies the great dividing moral distinction
between hate crimes of socioeconomic historic proportion
and multicultural perpetuation,
and the more mundane population of defiance crimes
of a more personal nature?

Why is society's right to aggressively imprison unto nutritional neglect,
to...

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Olena Rudenko met Pavlo Lavinski whilst at Kyiv University 
Pavlo told all his friends that she's definitely the girl for me
They got on well then fell in love and had planned to wed
But like the...

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(World War One Poem)

Field Of Dreams

The World has stated our freedom,
the worms shall share a soldier's fear.
To look above my trench
is to be a thief in the night.
Life shall lurk, afraid of what is above.

My...

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None of us live forever were the words I'd often hear.
Words softly spoken from a man I held so dear.

He taught me to be brave and stand for what is right.
He said don't ever give...

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Colonizers WHY YOU TAKE WHATS NOT YOURS   
Man interest in other lands, peoples and territories and things
What other people got they want it for themselves
It’s there’s you know the rest
Colonizers, it’s not mine...

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Perhaps immigration is our big US national anxiety
because we don't know how to unilaterally abort
cancerous growth of matricide.

Too much to even think about
at a merely nationalistic level
of ecocidal unconsciousness.

Earth is our shared sacred home
which has...

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After the rain, 
the Sun will rise again
we have been in darkness since they arrived
in their caravan of dreams with empty promises of change, 
and constructive untruths, with which they tricked us to abandon our...

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