Long Unburned Poems

Radiance
by Michael R. Burch

for 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 but feels its meaning—
the...

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These are poems about Dylan Thomas, as well as poems "for" and "after" Dylan Thomas. Dylan Thomas was one of my favorite poets from my early teens and has remained so over the years. I...

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Myth, after Dylan Thomas
by Michael R. Burch

Here the recalcitrant wind
sighs with grievance and remorse
over fields of wayward gorse
and thistle-throttled lanes.

And she is the myth of the scythed wheat
hewn and sighing, complete,
waiting, lain in a low...

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I was going to be late to work again, as it was one of those days,
When one small mishap after another, made for way too many delays.

Lateness had become a genuine problem, to a person...

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Today is the Very First Day
The Very First Day of the Very First Year
The Very First Year of a New
And Very long awaited Decade.

I turn my head toward the Future to say
As if to say...

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It was a day that started out just like any other one
We never dreamed America could come under attack
It seemed an enemy had slipped through a crack
Who knew they would come from behind our back
They...

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Young as just a week,
He was wrapped in a flannel.
His tender feet were shoeless -
Today was his appointed time;
 His feet must dialogue with gods.

The frontage was kind
To the pews and table.
The priest stood before...

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You don't love me, you don't have compassion, 
Maybe I am handsome not enough, 
You don't look in face with wild passion 
putting arms on shoulders without love.

I'm not rude or gentle with you, dear,...

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Warm Embrace, I remember clear of such,
My body helpless at your touch,
You voiced three words into thine ear,
And courage shyed in veil of fear.

You rest a hand beneath my jaw,
As staring through your eyes, I...

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A Christmas Tale 

When a child we had small live candles on the Christmas tree; 
the fire service had a busy night. Mum had a bucket of water
 by the tree and kept an eye...

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you are afraid that seeming soft makes you weak, so you over compensate with anger and agression in order to appear fierce, so that you can feel as though you are strong, you feel that...

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Fool you are to find me again only for this
The shredding of the prism in the heart
The tearing of settled consolation apart
For it was only one night of frenzied heat
That piled us, drained us, emptied...

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Labyrinthine notions of complex emotions
break through the mind with a crack.
Vulnerable pains bubble up once again,
as the memories draw the strain back.

How far does one go before one truly knows
that an abhorrent mistake has been...

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Steel coffins race across the sand,
Rommel's making his last stand.
The 88's are cracking steel
With loud-sharp-noise like bursting bells.

As columns march across the steppe
Are swallowed up in Asia's depths.
"Bomber" harries is on the phone:
"Bomb Berlin til...

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One baby’s sleeping
By mother’s lullaby
His nose she’s clearing
Then she’ll wash the baby in a bay.

The baby has to wake up
And a helicopter’s flying by
The mother’s belly starts to move,
But she doesn’t know why,
And milk is...

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