Long Snowflakes Poems

The first soft snow: 
leaves of the awed jonquil 
bow low
—Matsuo Basho translation by Michael R. Burch

Come, investigate loneliness! 
a solitary leaf
clings to the Kiri tree
—Matsuo Basho translation by Michael R. Burch

The cheerful-chirping cricket
contends gray...

Read More

Dusk-gliding swallow, 
please spare my small friends
flitting among the flowers! 
—Matsuo Basho translation by Michael R. Burch

A bee emerging
from deep within the peony's hairy recesses
flies off, sated
—Matsuo Basho translation by Michael R. Burch

That dying cricket,...

Read More

For All That I Remembered
by Michael R. Burch

For all that I remembered, I forgot
her name, her face, the reason that we loved ...
and yet I hold her close within my thought:
I feel the burnished weight...

Read More

Part 1: FORE SIBERIAN FATE

silk wings wet -
angel on the lake.
starlight glitter
separates from

the golden wheat.
her docile hair,
prophecy of ice.

winter pink,
pinched cheeks.
ice skate scrapes -
flecks of flakes.

the snow queen
before her relentless
reign, a pretty thing.

her smile warms
the...

Read More

I want to tell you the story of my life.  I was born in a barn at dawn.  There
were eight of us but I was the only one with spots.  I was...

Read More

“Now behind the eyes and secrets of the dreamers in the streets rocked to sleep by the sea, see the titbits and topsyturvies, bobs and buttontops, bags and bones, ash and rind and dandruff and...

Read More

[This poem 'No God Of  Mine' was seemingly confounding readers as
to its meaning. Ordinarily, if I felt a poem wasn't  cutting it, I'd delete
it, but on this occasion, I've been asked to explain it... so here goes.]


By...

Read More

Randomling 1:  Matthew Macfadyen

I believe I'm in love with Matthew Macfadyen
He inspires in me a terribly bad yen
But as poetry goes
His name 'spires woes
Cause nothing rhymes with "Macfadyen”.


Randomling 2: Birthday Wishes
  
For my birthday,...

Read More

Poems about Children III

Miracle
by Michael R. Burch

for Jeremy

The contrails of galaxies mingle, and the dust of that first day still shines.
Before I conceived you, before your heart beat, you were mine,

and I see

infinity leap in...

Read More

Juvenilia: Early Poems VIII

These are early poems of mine, written in my teens as a high school and college student. 

Moon Lake
by Michael R. Burch

Starlit recorder of summer nights,
what magic spell bewitches you?
They say that...

Read More

With you, the twilight changes, wandering through the silent dreams,
With you, destiny wanders, hopes and promised goals.
With trembling boats at the shores, love urges us to be
Hostages to the droplets of waves and kings over...

Read More

"The Call of the Grimoire" 


when Exalibur was retrieved 

from the rock, then foolishly 
and irretrievably lost 
in that dreadful battle most worthless

the imps encouraged 
the once good Poesie folk 
to jeer and throw pebbles

the...

Read More

We have all gotten used to wearing our masks just like we do our bras and panties, now we need get used to wearing a muzzle in case we rub the "Woke" and "Snowflakes" up...

Read More

She dresses the land down
in a virginal bridal gown 
a masterfully cut and sewn chenille 
shines brightly with a fine crystal appeal

Her assistants work quite diligently
to add special touches and then flee
they decorated the mountain peaks 
using all their...

Read More

1  Where are we

The path appears as we walk upon it,
crystallising right before our soul’s eye,
enabled for those with resolve and grit,
who to attain God, are ready to die.

If the God-search task seems like...

Read More

In the May-time of my life
time bloomed each day a prickly boll –
but I, like the softest cotton within such a sharp seed  
swaddled in the purity of security 
for what seemed like eternity...

Read More

Cement, sand and gravel, blood, body and soul
Eternity bred from hell's darkest hole
Combine gruesome aggregates, hydrate the mix
Mould them and dry them, then stack up the bricks.

Thought in advance and precision laboured
Set automatic, eternity savoured
No...

Read More

Slowly creeping out of winter 
Would it ever be the same 
If I showed up at your door 
Out of breath, out of line 
With a million excuses behind my manic behavior?
A video diary full...

Read More

Spirit of Christmastide
Beneath the mantel's alabaster gleam
Where verdigris flames pirouette 
     in cerulean ballet's beam...
We gather close—a familial love—
In hallowed halls where chimes of 
     crystal laughter...

Read More

My auntie winter's icy breath wacked my bare face hard, when I step out earlier on
She gave me the cold shoulder and iced me out with a frosty glare for no reason at all 
it's...

Read More

Winter Weary
A rhyme that sends a winters “chill’.
With snow, not knowing where to start.
But as he’s had some time to “chill”. 
A fellow with a changing heart.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~...

Read More

Sounding like the goosebump tickles,
on the edges of naked breath,
awaiting the solace of prickly feelings
hesitant as the gossamer gentling
each hue of delicate blossoms and blooms,
each bud caressed by the night’s quiet dew…

Glistening like the star...

Read More

They say that God is clothed in white,
A throne of clouds, a robe of light.
The angels, too, in linen gleam,
Like snowflakes stepping through a dream.
The lamb is white, the dove is pale—
All heaven's cast in...

Read More

Solace snowflakes fall upon my cheek
Been stressed out throughout the week
Saw the crystalline fractals of ice fall too
When I faced a sentimental winter so true
When I faced a sentimental winter with you

Flurry of snowstorms rush...

Read More

Dear Budding Poet . . . 

   My view on modern poetry is that one must read the poets of old, to grasp
the concept of poetic form, word use, tone, imagery.  Then,...

Read More