Long Unanticipated Poems

“le livre bleu” 

Terabytes.
lonely poets, writers, 
musicians and artists play here,
they wear masks that cover
vermillion dripping smiles
over sharp little wolverine teeth,
they drown their sorrows in their muses -
contemporary little monsters – Still Life, 
they call...

Read More

Dear John,

All day
yesterday
I loaded up with a cascading river
of mixed anxiety and anticipation
about what to safely and kindly,
transparently and vulnerably
compassionately, so non-violently, share,
what to communicate;

Which narrative tributaries to choose
within this vast spacetime stream
of choices
directions
felt depressions...

Read More

Mark my word...
Das führer Donald Trump will return with a vengeance

Trump wracked up an impressive 
$122.00 million war chest
accumulating $82.00 million
merely proffering impish grin
between January and June of 2021;
now he sets his sites and will...

Read More

Although I had always adored flowers, I had never had a green thumb;
And while I tried awfully hard, my efforts always had sorry outcomes.

Like the sorrow of old garden roses, during the unanticipated drought,
Or storms...

Read More

Google Maps told me today
that my Phoenix to Tucson drive
would last an hour and fifty-seven minutes.
At excactly two-nineteen I would arrive.

But surely it is folly to assume
How could Google get this right?
Even with up to...

Read More

Come, You
by Rainer Maria Rilke
translation by Michael R. Burch

Come, you—the last one I acknowledge; return—
incurable pain searing this physical mesh.
As I burned in the spirit once, so now I burn
with you; meanwhile, you consume my...

Read More

Liebes-Lied (“Love Song”)
by Rainer Maria Rilke
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

How can I withhold my soul so that it doesn’t touch yours?
How can I lift mine gently to higher things, alone?
Oh, I would gladly find...

Read More

The glory of America, now heats up 
   with agitation poised to strike on the brink 
sans legislation incites humiliation, 
    which goads desecration fete accompli chink 
  ...

Read More

Dump Trump – a lump n prowl lot terror re: hot

The tattered glory of America, now heats up
with agitation poised to strike on brink
arty choked Jerusalem legislation incites humiliation,
which goads desecration fete accompli chink
in armor...

Read More

The glory of America, now heats up 
   with agitation poised to strike on the brink 
sans legislation incites humiliation, 
    which goads desecration as fete accompli chink 
 ...

Read More

have you ever felt like you've been set up?
have you ever felt like you've taken the fall?
you're angry, in denial, frustrated and fed up
while you're so-called friends are out having a ball

but when God sets...

Read More

In a closed door speech Saturday April 10th, 2021,
thus far, he accumulated $85 million so far.
*     *     *     *    ...

Read More

We planned this trip with forethought…it’s the way we both prefer
but no matter how well we planned it…unexpected things occur:

Today instead of using our GPS to take us to Banff
I used a map …and apparently...

Read More

As quiet blackness deepened
I lay awake my heart in check,
The cool night wind blew
And welcome silence grew…
_______

Unanticipated music exploded
Roused me from bed rest, 
I tiptoed to its source:
Dark sounds from downstairs, 
Nearer, higher, and louder...

Read More

The glory of America, 
now heats up
with agitation poised 
to strike on the brink
sans legislation incites humiliation,
which goads desecration
 
as fete accompli chink
in armor of Democratic rubric, 
constituting capitalistic
ethic, generic iconoclastic, 
and jingoistic logic,
nor budging...

Read More

Hither flows an isolated yet drowning droplet,
With a glistening shield concealing its gloomy core.
Straying across its share of triumphs and misery,
Within its own little sea world,
hoping to not be bruised when the ghastly wind whirls.
Hustles...

Read More

I tell you I've no use
mind removed
ideas confuse
compare to
a sports team seen
consecutive relegations 
the changing scenes
cause debts and frustration 
a one way street
in season repetition 

Down one league 
Down two
should be the big fish
but at...

Read More

In the late interlude of existence, a woman,
Readies herself to step into the celebration of her seventieth year.
She asks, has she found the soul's peace,
Fulfillment, the joy of life, or does she still wander
In search...

Read More

Life is a lesson you learn it as you live 
a schools education is given to a kid 
getting Grade A papers, isn’t that splendid 
but you’re a human being and that means you are...

Read More

In the bounded citadel of slumbering souls,
Where the search is mute and the waiting - an unwritten world,
Wrestling roots of unplanned love twist and coil,
Bursting wild in the field where reason holds no visa.
While thought...

Read More

One thing I’ve learned about life…in all the memories I’ve collected…is hot to embrace the unanticipated…the unforeseen…the unexpected

Oh, I still believe in planing trips with forethought, caution and care…but I’ve found unplanned moments can lead...

Read More

In the Orient it's called Karma,an inescapable butcher of beasts continuously chopping,slicing & trimming the meat of our mentalities,precisely weighed,
 
Occidentally the official judge of justice is commonly greeted as God,punisher of aggravated appetites,gatekeeper to...

Read More

There is a presence to a Sunday morning,
an ease.  People waiting on line for their
coffee seem more animated, less agitated,
friendlier….almost chatty.  The traffic seems
to get along better too.  No schedules demand
cut throat...

Read More

©Francis Maugo
I understand we'll never return.
Behind my warmth,
I'm stacked up with shame.
To me it's become so obviously.
These jumping in contemplations
Have begun to crowd.

What did I mess up? Compassionately give me
Furthermore clarification
Do whatever it takes not...

Read More

It happens to be that we all perceive
in a grand allegiance never brought into question
as though the clocks have been frozen
giving us all tock subtracted from tick
and Change the poster child has a gun to...

Read More