Long Pealed Poems

Medieval Poem V

A Proverb from Winfred's Time
anonymous Old English poem, circa 757-786
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

1.
The procrastinator puts off purpose,
never initiates anything marvelous,
never succeeds, and dies alone.

2.
The late-deed-doer delays glory-striving,
never indulges daring dreams,
never succeeds,...

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Winter Awakens My Care
anonymous Middle English poem, circa 1300
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Winter awakens all my care
as leafless trees grow bare.
For now my sighs are fraught
whenever it enters my thought:
regarding this world's joy,
how everything...

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The Rhymed Poem aka The Rhyming Poem and The Riming Poem
Old English Poem (i.e., Anglo-Saxon Poem) from the Exeter Book, ca. 990 AD
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

He who granted me life created this sun
and...

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The Rhymed Poem aka The Rhyming Poem and The Riming Poem - Part II
anonymous Old English Poem from the Exeter Book, circa 990 AD
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

He who granted me life created this...

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MR. FRITZ AND BLACK SHEEP  :

Arrival at the clinic,
We're here to fix things.
Where's the the dentist?
This dude tooth's aching,
Thus Black Sheep;
He's not fit for some days.
He returned from London last two weeks.
It's pain's such...

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The priest had been here earlier and the rosary was said
and relatives and friends in single file were offering condolences.
"Sorry for your troubles," one by one they said, 
bending over Maggie Murphy, silent in her...

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Through raven’s eye, viewed I my fate, blood scribed upon the ground,
whilst shadows of the darkwood’s dead, stood solemnly around.
Accusing faces staring down, from purgatory’s stay,
those wraith dead eyes, that froze the soul, will haunt...

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Today, alone, and near despair,
my heart nigh crushed by this world's cares,
I stumbled, blinded by hot tears,
through bitter valleys, dark with fear,
my tortured mind the while was wrung
by memories of this I'd done.
or said, or...

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As i fly through the sky i believe i’m alive, this breath tonight.
is the First in my life, sun glistening as the setting brings the first,
restful night, without, white fright, or police might.
But let me...

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God, are you sending Earth an electron avalanche?
Was supplying sun’s particles part of Creation’s goal?
Is insulation why we have such a cold snowy North Pole?
Is there a light cycle, scientists’ least explored branch?

The suns’ fiery...

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Part 3:          AT HEAVEN’S GATES

To set Her free from destiny was far from my design,
but, though unplanned, I touched Her hand to give Her peace of...

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ONE NIGHT AT AN OYSTER BAR

        "Do they have steak?", he said
      to his friends, while passing time,
     ...

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You might not remember; it was so long ago.
Our memories devise tricks to flush away pain.
But I walk here in the alleys of remorse
During the darkening final days of the year.

I seek to atone for...

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Some things come to you
when you are alone
with your thoughts
and the sun is setting through your window.

Like now.
I am with my thoughts
of yesterday.
She is small
fragile looking.
I am not.
She came to me for solace
. . ....

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These stories and their strategies
tend to remain untold
little bit by little bit
they change our world

Gathering their momentum
bit by bit become
too dangerously headlong
and inch by inch
become encroaching 
sneaking up behind you
when we all are sleeping

Little by...

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You were the gift that gave me eyes, and grateful I’ll forever be. The poetic beauty inside our loss is within the dark we see.

So here I write my letter to you, the following week...

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In the vortex of a maelstrom, I was rudely thrown
drowning in turbulent waters for an error I bemoan,
a blunder of loving someone who chose to whittle
away at my heart until it became fragile and brittle

Bereft...

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The final kismet of three hundred sixty five days
Which charmed me in time’s remembering jaunts ,
As radiant eyes winked , 
and lacy veils blew
Beyond late dusk as old tower gongs pealed,
When hymn of joy was...

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I hadn’t heard of the wonderful Poets of Gloop!
How could I know that there was such a group?
I kept up a Blog where my work went to thaw.
But no one stopped by, no one ever...

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Sun is in my eyes 
Waiting for lamb without any fries 
The potatoes have a crispy feel 
After they were cooked and pealed 
I move an inch and the sun gets block 
While my seat...

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miracles sometimes seem like magic...teardrops and tick tocks...breaking triple locks
innocence and iniquity get blood bought
time is tragic...cool breeze in the casket...reserrected and risen...freed from soul prisons
deaf and blind given sound and sight
tyranny gets thirsty...evil exposed...

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* for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow *

he found her on the ledges, there
so lashed unto a mast ...
seaweed twined through raven hair
moony gaze now naught but stares
sweet blushing bosom frozen, bare
death's wan, pearly caste ...

 ...

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In the vortex of a maelstrom, I was rudely thrown
drowning in turbulent waters for an error I bemoan,
a blunder of loving someone who chose to whittle
away at my heart until it became fragile and brittle

Bereft...

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Her spirit died, she was not born again,
She found herself falling, calling, screaming for help,
She landed on a murky rock surrounded with volcanic eruptions,
Where ever she turned, souls were experiencing invasive destruction,
Her name was written...

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With pain i passed the night
All this was not polite
I fought with pain so tight
But still it torched me bright
I need to know good cites
Am tiered of all these fights
Now want to have dream rides
Making...

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