Long Supplicate Poems

Such Tenderness
by Michael R. Burch

for the mothers of Gaza

There was, in your touch, such tenderness—as
only the dove on her mildest day has,
when she shelters downed fledglings beneath a warm wing
and coos to them softly, unable...

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HEROES

Near somber guards, units of children heap 
dead leaves, naive to any else fallen.
Friend, you chuckle, but your posture speaks
of duty on this day of contradictions.

Firefighters bow heads in silent paean, 
while polished trucks stand...

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Mahmoud Darwish English Translations of Arabic Poems



Palestine
by Mahmoud Darwish
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

This land gives us
all that makes life worthwhile:
April's blushing advances,
the aroma of bread warming at dawn,
a woman haranguing men,
the poetry of Aeschylus,
love's...

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MY HERO
This is a brand new truth so give me focus attention, 
in spite of all I've been through life keep challenging me, 
just realizing am on a sinking ship, 
following folks in friendship hoping...

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Dark, the night morphs slowly toward dawn.
In its last vestige, the moment in which night becomes morning,
he speaks to me.
I refer to him as "he" only to supplicate my own delusional need
to believe that a...

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Awesome to witness this extraordinary phenomena 
The famous  rare' Ring of Fire' right over Africa!!
Today the sun's a terrific ruby ring in Tanzania
A fiery stunning cerise circumference, special effects, credits Creator Allah
As the luminous moon...

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I Quit, Yeah I said it
Wow, it feel good to finally be free
To be free of been stuck in a pot, 
You just know  how to get in
 but you don't know how to...

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"Our Sacred Lady of the Divine Perfect Imperfections" - Part 1

Our Sacred Lady of the Divine Perfect Imperfections
is worthy of our fervent introspection
constantly, equatiously
for SHE is “You”
and “You” is SHE
this is no mischievous 
chicanery, 
this...

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Humans have long trespassed
and destroyed animal territories
Humans have poached
And selfishly encroached
upon animal habitats
cutting down trees to build
human habitations.
Now the tables have turned
Humans are quarantined  in house arrest
while some lie sick in bedrest
So animals not usually...

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"I don't call them New Year's Resolutions. I prefer the term: 
Casual Promises to myself that I am under no legal obligation
to fulfill."            ...

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Yours truly never heard, seen, no lies
particularly when alone
facing my (pushing up daisies) demise,
without pretense nor guise,
he honestly decries
smelled, tasted, nor touched, any size,

and essentially knew nothing besides
ancient fruit grown in Japan
for past 1,000 years...

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On a monotone Monday,
under grey skies with perpetual rain,
I became a devotee to your magnificence.

A poetic pilgrim wandering upon a path,
which would lead me to your embrace.
Intoxicated with your romantic reflection,
my ink is seduced in...

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I don't believe in you.
Jesus, the Lord, Vishnu,
Shiva, Loki, Thor,
Horus, Ra, and more.

Today, when I tasted desperation,
I almost pretended at adoration;
to get a favor, to finally find some aid,
I almost lied, almost faked, almost prayed.

To...

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CUPID/EROS 


Oh! Erato, 
Muse of the poetry of love
Inspire me today
I supplicate you for 
I aspire for HIM to write 
HIM: CUPID, the son of Venus
Goddess of beauty, and of Mercury, 
The cunning messenger 
Of...

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Sometimes trees’ green fingers
Stand still like reposing harbingers
Of hope and despair; they meditate
On our ignorance of them who medicate
Us when diseases burgle into our souls
Taking us unawares like April fools.

At times tree branches and leaves
Come...

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Is it the end of the world?
Whose government shall reign, the son of man or God?
Would there be children on tattered clothes on the swing?
What shall become of my great perfect country?
What would happen in...

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This tale is of a long-suffering wife.
In misery she lived her married life,
for she had married young and badly too.
Things went all wrong after she said, “I do.”

If matrimony were a fire, she supplied
almost all...

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This I ask not in folly but in honesty,
Perfect me gods of poetry
Make me an eyes that sees,
Make me the mouth that speaks.
Let me be the hands that writes,
The legs that walk for perfection
The tongue...

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Romios, oh Romios, my 
own star twirling across
the night skies.
What say you to Panagiota,
having hot chocolate with a
floating marshmallow bobbing 
on her thighs?

Are you coming to take her
to her heavenly home this very 
night?
Do whisper to...

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Pumping and pushing with bloated gusto
In different styles and shapes they have come, as before 
Each emerging through unresolved processes as planned 
Piled up arsenals deployed like there is no tomorrow 
All chanting in deafening...

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A fortified castle with four towers stood mighty
on a barren, grassless hill,
here once helpless horses trampled down
wounded by pointy arrows...
they neighed and slid down
not having the strength to go further
and deluded the soldiers in heavy...

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You were my Neighbor for lots of Ages
You and I was inseparable,
We Lived together and accomplished our dreams together,
We played together, sang together, were sad And wept together.
My one And only Friend you were certainly
You...

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I am never intimidated,
or resticted testifying
on Your behalf, but always
courageous and motivated
to let others know in verse
the distorted shunned truth.

Numerous tendencies
and inclinations due
to imperfections weaken
the faithless soul
and the erring spirit.

My supplication to the Almighty
is to...

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Lord! Lord! My above Lord!
Give me peace not a war 
Give me freedom not servitude 
Give me uprightness  not partiality
Give me voice not the muteness
Give me bread not starvation and thirst
Give me friends not...

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Rain that slowly pelts
on the roses in sorrow,
don't make them weep any longer,
instead whisper the last melody
that they learned from the merry lark
that helped them through their agony!

Thousands are the warm raindrops
that fall from swollen...

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