Long Twig Poems

"Who Put Luebella down the Wych Elm?"

There are rumours
about me, some 
come seeking me
with their geiger counters
and ouji boards
with their heart 
shaped planchettes

unanswered questions
in the woods, crackling
within the sounds of leaves
invisible dead things speaking 
underfoot...

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Poems about Butterflies and Bees



Flight
by Michael R. Burch

It is the nature of loveliness to vanish
as butterfly wings, batting against nothingness
seek transcendence...



Album
by Michael R. Burch

I caress them—trapped in brittle cellophane—
and I see how young they were,...

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Poems about Things that Break I
 
These are poems about things that break and/or shatter: a bubble, glass, a mirror, a twig or tree limb, a thunderstorm, cities and towers in times of war, old...

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Poems about Things that Break III
 
These are poems about things that break and/or shatter: a bubble, glass, a mirror, a twig or tree limb, a thunderstorm, cities and towers in times of war, old...

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Over the next two evenings after the Council had recessed, Seileach visited each of the Councilman who had voted to release Dyndoeth in an effort to assess their feelings about whether they were inclined to...

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Chinese Poets: English Translations

These are modern English translations of poems by some of the greatest Chinese poets of all time, including Du Fu, Huang O, Li Bai, Li Ching-jau, Li Qingzhao, Po Chu-I, Tzu Yeh,...

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Of new pains new verses must be composed 
To give matter for the canto twenty
Of the canticle first, treating sunk posed.

I just was inclined with desires many
To thoroughly look at the open deep,
Which was moisten...

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“Oh please don’t worry.
I haven’t a heightened sixth sense… about the mint infused lilt here.”
There must be a compass without a point surrounding me
“Looking for directions.
The town you’re seeking is a few winding roads and...

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Lost libido as rez erected cockamamie Shtrungool haint no prickly fallacy

The following pastiche 
poetically pricked prick,
whereby fantasy courtesy Eros 
(????) cow licked
country bumpin videlicet hick
bullied who consider me 
on account of a dinky dick.

Me primate...

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GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEART 


From a two-room schoolhouse high on a hill over the Fundy Bay, I sat at an old wooden desk daydreaming. The ink stains and etchings which were dug deep into...

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Make Do and Mend,

Years ago we had jobs
We had fun and money in our pocket
Things were much better then
Once you could go out the door
And never ever lock it

But still so many struggled
To buy food...

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Spring equinox arrives March 20th, 2023 at 5:24 PM

Despite what outside temperature registers
(even absolute zero), the official arrival
of spring occurs, when thee eel hip tic
of coe phish hunt holy Mackerel
becomes tangential to barenaked ladies 
barren...

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“The Evolution of a Broken Heart”



In thy hands, 
I gently placed it

lacking hesitation’s pleas and virtues
‘twas ne’er a time to be uncourageous
plucked somewhere from deep within
my honorable, clean gilded home where
pure intention sat regally spartan
upon...

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Serrated swathes of overwhelming savage gusts without compassion,
directionless dilatory daydreamer that  I am  ostensibly vulnerable,
to the serendipitous intrusion at a wispy sapphire cloud flaccid noon,
the minimal load  burdensome midpoint idle tranquil saunter,
meteorological...

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Into the woods we ventured, where darkness began to encircle us,
Their ancient murmurs mingling with the forest’s ominous chorus.
A chilling breeze, as if the very breath of the woods sighed,
Veiled in tempestuous clouds, the stars...

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What happened to my sex drive?

(sung – in a round pussy willow warble - to the tune of -- 
Oh Where Oh Where has my little dog gone).

Once pronounced libido of mine 
took kamikaze nose...

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A walk home 
...And there he lie in fetid squalor,
Upon the chaise in vacant parlour...

“What befell this young man?” a query.
A sorrowful tale - tis quite dreary. 
Tricks! The superstitious mind doth play. 
Bested -...

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The Fallen and the Angel

The droplets from the sky
Landed on her wounded shin
That pierced through her shivering body
Like a needle intruding her skin
The scarlet eyes of hers
Peeked through her saggy blindfold
All people turned into a...

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Father solar systemic Sun Time
and Mother Earth's Space
regenerated RNA 4D spacetime, 
reiteratively sensed
echoing through our dipolar DNA fueled
omniscientific
omnisciently empowering
Right hemispheric temporal memory
of Information's Harmonic String RootSystemic Theory.

Equitable peace within radically inclusive consciousness,
Earth love feeding on...

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If ever there’s a campfire, rekindled as the sun goes down,
where ghosts of articulated writers, return and gather ‘round;
raise their glasses to a toast to commemorate their rhyme,
I wish that I could be there if...

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Johnny's parents owned a bakery, selling cakes and yummy confections.
Though only nine-years-old, Johnny showed interest, asking questions.
 
He was soon making tasty cookies, to the glee of his baby sister, Anna.
For parents are the best...

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Li Bai translations

These are my modern English translations of Chinese poems by Li Bai, also known as Li Po.



Zazen on Ching-t’ing Mountain
by Li Bai
translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Now the birds have deserted the sky
and the...

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In an atmosphere when every one is worried and busy in solving its own problems, this poem would give you some moments of relief to enjoy the beauty of Nature, With best wishes to all...

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A Great Fun
We do majestic on the day of justice,
She will say plz keep quiet for God sake.

Your Misanthropy
Your every verbum has tranquility,
I'm starving for your misanthropy.

Your Gracious
Please don't come for my condolence,
Your gracious will...

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Old Man Looking Back



Lone figure in the distance looking back from a tall hill
Shades of something familiar that gave me a cold chill

A look , a stand , something strangely calm about the man
Even the...

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