Long Scalding Poems

As winter hazes of January spraying
While I was meditating on how
To write this riveting poem which
Seemed to be for someone who
I never cast in my sight.
Despite her name is not an odd in me
But I...

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Juvenilia: Early Poems by Michael R. Burch

In the Whispering Night
by Michael R. Burch

In the whispering night, when the stars bend low
till the hills ignite to a shining flame,
when a shower of meteors streaks the sky
while...

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State of the Art (II)

These are my "ars poetica" poems about the art and craft of writing poetry. 



What the Poet Sees
by Michael R. Burch

What the poet sees,
he sees as a swimmer 
~~~~underwater~~~~
watching the shoreline...

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If I Falter
by Michael R. Burch

for Beth

If I regret
fire in the sunset
exploding on the horizon,
then let me regret loving you.

If I forget
even for a moment
that you are the only one,
then let me forget that the...

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A Vain Word
by Michael R. Burch

Oleanders at dawn preen extravagant whorls
as I read in leaves’ Sanskrit brief moments remaining
till sunset implodes, till the moon strands grey pearls
under moss-stubbled oaks, full of whispers, complaining
to the darkening...

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She stood with her back turned to me
Leaning slightly towards where the light tapered off into darkness
Her faced buried deep inside her cupped hands 
Her own shadow towered over her seemingly at odds with her...

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"The Children of Gaza" Lyrics: I

These lyrics were written by Michael R. Burch and were adapted in places to the music by Michael R. Burch with input from composer Eduard de Boer.

World premiere, April 22,2017,...

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Captain kuni-lemel graduate strikes again - updated

Steely Dan sing queen (me)
outdid himself on sixtieth anniversary 
after Grahame Wood 
determined to meet 
the evolving needs of the community 
opened the first Wawa Food Market 
in Folsom,...

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I write about my ex a lot,
we didn't talk much, but our tongues touched,
we used to have sex a lot and 
it was so hot that it set my soul ablaze, 
and no, it wasn't...

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Pasha Acremodios grew greedy,
discontented with the domain he dominated,
so he turned covetous eyes toward Farabia,
sending his soldiers to seize this ripened plum

Spoiling for a fight and fighting for spoils,
his army swept across Farabia
like a bloody...

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Norwegian bachelor farmer days I never lived

Woebegone and egg foo young on you
meaning me of course
sidestepping a crucial positive
electric kool aid battery acid test
prior to pledging troth,
and tying Gordian knot
to strangulation point,
never fending for myself,
nor...

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My parents had both passed and I felt orphaned, alone --
Although I was married and lived hours away with a family of my own.
And today was a day I had dreaded for months
Silently traveling the...

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The burial ground,  groomed to greet
the gatherers of their love apocalypse
with garlands grown and sown
from the rose fire of Athena's throne,
on this day they come to mourn
the Poet who perished for the passion of...

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I do not fear you, Blue hellion of Satan! From deep within the reaches of his evil den, your master has sent your frozen azure waves crawling to my stronghold. Inch by inch, your glacial...

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There's a time to chase the world,
and a time for the world to chase you...
the distinction between destiny and damnation
can become ambiguous as a dream
on the edge of twilight
when the world is watching you ruthlessly,
hungering...

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The heart calls the safety of the beats the melodic beat the beats that love beats from destiny doors  and the two shall meet to become one faith one Lord one feeling one love...

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The best sports poems by Michael R. Burch, Part IV

King Henry the Great
by Michael R. Burch

Long live the King! 
Send him victorious, 
happy and glorious, 
long to reign over us: 
Long live the King! 

Long...

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Psalm of the Heretics Saved

Oh, God!
You’ve taken my hands;
the blood spills onto the heathen soil of my birth!
The jaguar cannot help me.
The mighty pyramid rising past the trees
is a pride you’ve turned to shame.
You sent...

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It was such a simple act but it had a significant meaning
the Disciples had no idea what the Lord Christ was gleaning
they had witnessed His death with their own eyes
and could not grasp the concept...

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Where the Railroad Track Meet 

Grasping, lunging as does a donkey for the
dangling apple leading it forward, I reached
for the ever elusive spot.  That place where
the railroad track meet.  Almost had it in
Idaho...

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I don’t deserve
This kind of punch to my pride
You used your best left hook, uppercut and jab to my ego
Here desperately griping the corner of the ring
Unable to believe the idea
That he ever felt that...

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Ah Microsoft Word you tempt me
As I lay across my keyboard wrapped
In a red wine haze
My fingers lingering over the letters
Caressing the ‘L’ for ‘Love’
You speak to me silently
Tantalise me
Trip me up why don’t you?...

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I Write Wits Psalm Burning Desire...

Why?
To escape livingsocial,
     and negate mine birth
figuratively, knowingly,
     and precariously,
     I nightmarishly perch
teeter tottering atop - dearth
of financial...

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Poems about Poets

Elemental
by Michael R. Burch

for and after Dylan Thomas

The poet delves earth’s detritus—hard toil—
for raw-edged nouns, barbed verbs, vowels’ lush bouquet;
each syllable his pen excretes—dense soil,
dark images impacted, rooted clay.

The poet sees the sea...

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An email written to eldest daughter
December 28th, 2019,
which unwittingly, magically, accidentally...
resurfaced while scrolling
thru outdated emails 
and OpenOffice documents of mine
thee evening of February 20th, 2022.

The remaining lines 
comprising reasonable poetic rhyme
sent to said offspring
more than...

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