Long Michel Poems

Spiritual Mahjong
Your Move Lord

Is there a God?
A benevolent entity.
An eternal presence presiding over me.
A creator, watching and observing.
All knowing.
Is my end determined and conclusive before it begins, before I begin?
If so, then to what purpose...

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Translation of Les Moulins de mon Cœur-THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND by T. Wignesan

(For the orignal text in French by Eddy MARNAY : see here below. The English version by Marilyn and Alan BERGMAN differs...

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On Fam’ly Traditions - 2nd third -
 


“Might as well grab us some food an' some beer...some ice...and some bundles o' wood, an' prob'ly some charcoal....there ain't nothin' better than walleye from right off a...

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Slang..
Chick-fil-a = the best place ever
jade = 
brooke = gorgeous 
mishin = the boss, as in “You aren’t the boss of me.”

Orpheus
We’re on vaycay. School is OVER, COVID is over. We’re in New York City...

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I'd risen from my bed quite early, in the pale silent sunshine,
And I thought to have a day out, and not waste summer's prime.

The world still was sleeping, but the bluebirds sang a tune,
And blooms...

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This piece was inspired by a true story about a man who searched for several years to find, and buy back, a very particular car that had originally belonged to his grandfather, to then give...

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UNQUOTABLE QUOTES: LI - Tongue-Teasers

If you want to give someone a « taste of his own medicine", you must first obtain sufficient quantities of the same medicine in the market, and if it’s out-of-stock -...

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Life is way too short for some, and far too long for others -


“Says here, ‘Lester Kiblingworth - a former county sheriff - and oldest man in Sidwell, passed away at one-oh-three,’” 
I announced to...

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About Bill Posters and Bill Greenwell

Words not to use in poems

In 1993, I (Bill Greenwell) went on a three-day workshop with the poet Peter Sansom, who co-edits The North, and runs the Smith/Doorstop imprint. He’s...

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If you don't love dogs, you probably won't like this poem...my wife and I DO!


Can’t believe I used to think - when I was very young - that dogs made poorer pets than cats and...

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IF EVER I HAD A COUNTRY : LX - LXI

The Yijing says : " If the common folk commit crimes, the fault for them shall reside with this one person (i.e., the Sovereign) himself… "...

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I remember that day and never looking back
I said goodbye to my family and grabbed my duffel bag
Im off to be a hero just like my grandfather and my dad
Im going to fight for America...

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Once upon a time in a city called Paris in France, there was a young boy named Michel.
He had been called from the country to live with his grandmother in the city.


Since he was new...

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My wife and I prefer hand-me-downs to new things in most cases, but then, we're antiques freaks - 


Lots o’ fog an’ kinda brisk that mid-November morning when my an’ Russell’s tackle boxes spread to...

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Villanelle: Who's afraid of the Virgin Wolf's wisdom tooth

(As unlikely as it may sound, this happens to be the TRUTH: the foremost French journalist, André FONTAINE of Le Monde; an illustrious  Academician poet, Pierre...

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Un-revelling Rivalry

Who am I to speak of historical rivalry I cannot contest
all the clever myriad truths conjectures and refutations
about the two masters the two foes with huge presence
when history acclaim appreciation is subjective personal 
up...

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These are my English translations of songs sung by Dimash Kudaibergen.

This is my translation of one of my favorite Dimash Kudaibergen songs, the French song "S.O.S." ...

S.O.S.
by Michel Berger
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Why do...

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Oh, if I could quickly bare witness to God's perfect hand in life renew.
Oh, if I now could bare witness to his wondrous seasonal debut.

Oh if spring would come and release my body from the...

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Ballade : In favour of those called Decadents and Symbolists, Translation of Paul Verlaine’s Ballade en faveur des dénommés Décadents et Symbolistes

						for Léon Vanier*

(The texts I use for my translations are from : Yves-Alain Favre,...

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Non descript hedge rows sculpted into ornamental animal 
via botanical artist wielding pruning shears and chain saw 
carved, limned and sculpted with wrist wrought voila uber
prestidigitatiously head turning botanical picturesque Sun
kist animals at an exhibition...

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The komoris' eyes fix the camera
                             ...

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I
Which is more –
words told by the people who 
have gone to the underworld
or the number of stars in the sky?
Before the World War III, till the earth would be destroyed completely, 
will the planet,...

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Adieu Michel, adieu the great gem

An icon bore when the wind stood still

As I waved this emotional hands in fear, 

My tears hung in the mid air

And the gravitation could not pull it down.

 

Say...

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I got green banana stain in my heart
I got Lacatan, Gros Michel, and Robuster
And payday tomorrow, sweetheart
I got big fields and dreams in a cluster
I got banana stain 
Flowing in my Elderslie vein
And all I...

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The importance of Pomposity
(Not to be taken seriously)

The Perfect life, a wife half his age
Their house grand, with a zip code to match
All bought and paid for.
No hawkers, appointments only

But look closer
The Wife bides her...

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