Long Whittle Poems

Family Poems

Mother's Smile
by Michael R. Burch

There never was a fonder smile
than mother's smile, no softer touch
than mother's touch. So sleep awhile
and know she loves you more than "much."

So more than "much, " much more than...

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Poems about Fathers and Grandfathers III




Success
by Michael R. Burch

for Jeremy

We need our children to keep us humble
between toast and marmalade;

there is no time for a ticker-tape parade
before bed, no award, no bright statuette

to be delivered...

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Poems about Children IV

Salat Days
by Michael R. Burch

Dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, Paul Ray Burch, Sr.

I remember how my grandfather used to pick poke salat ...
though first, usually, he’d stretch back in the...

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When they came to a side hall Joulupukki stopped.
     “Do you feel the magic?”  He said to her.  She nodded.  He stepped around the corner, on the far...

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He wondered with horror how so many memories, so many forms to be branded on his skin and engrave there.

Then the wet rattle of a twisted throat, and he beats his last breath to his...

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Ponderings on my 60 th Birthday!
On this my 60 th year I have gained a few new insights that can only come with age and experience. 
I do find it surreal that 60 years have...

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The great poets begged for muse and not for moments stolen.
We lesser mortals cup in hand beg, not for attentions’ span nor
cause to celebrate, but Time; a worthy goal.
Seconds spent pondering half-held slow bled moments
shuffling...

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Purposely, intentionally
enter out my reluctance and enter in a nose dive back into the past
a Samurai Jack experience
It has to be here somewhere
these long forgotten memoirs pieced together yet never mentioned
never verbally spoken nor handwritten
They...

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EXFOLIATION, I AM      
 
In my advanced age am I but 
       The castoff--remnants 
Of a vitality that once was and has  been...

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For those who are following this story, here is the next installment. If this is your first time reading, please read the first one and it will help make sense of the story. Thanks for...

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Dear people,
Worthless, it. Certain, is…
To Encouraged services that offer the nervous sure assurances-
        to sure help self serve self worth with a sense of self-deservedness. Welp!
  ...

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Cries of beast and man intertwine,
mortals lamenting what has been done,
this night is filled with sorrow,
forever horrific scenes pressed into the mind.
From this sorrow, can glory really take flight?
in time to come it may do.
Fight...

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Children's Poems IV

These are poems for children and poems about children and their mothers, fathers, grandmother, grandfathers and extended families. 



Boundless
by Michael R. Burch

for Jeremy

Every day we whittle away at the essential solidity of him,
and...

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The Whittlers

The stately county courthouse was their usual meeting place,
a columned Greek Revival, and a lovely public space.
They sat upon their benches under lofty pecan trees,
wood shavings on their ankles and some cedar twixt their...

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Compared with us, the kids today
Too little play and too much weigh.
Alone indoors they snack and sit
And buttons hit, while we stayed fit.

We'd quickly chores and homework do,
Then dash through doors to fun pursue,
To basketballs...

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~ Shown to me here, as it is one now known by me to be the very beauty of His generous 
character. The one 
seen shining, on the no truer notions of his. 
Known now...

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Passion

Passion can be very good,
But it is misunderstood.
“Passion” comes from the word for “suffering,”
So, in a sense, without buffering:

It can give, but it too takes,
For every heart it lifts, it breaks!
If you feel it, then...

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Alias indomitable invincible
Donald John Trump oozes wrath
inexorably plunging every species
of life toward apocalyptic warpath
mercilessly threatentens world
wide web promising bloodbath

validating ex post facto commander
in chief as nonpareil sociopath
hence... this call to arms gives run
for money challenging...

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Yep I reckon I'll go out, about a bit to roam, and talk a while 
and ponder I will, yep, set here and talk some alone with God 
of the many a sorted thing, and...

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There was a fussy old toad, yes; some might call him, a curmudgeon, at soul. 
When his ladylove died, he took it in stride, and sought someone else to pester.
Eventually, he came to our lake,...

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Hanging out new to the scene
So often wonder what it means
As I sit in front of the worlds screen
Started in on ...Googling

I typed in a single word
Pressed enter for the Google search
Took me down the...

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to be a single woman in
america & aging to boot,
one must have breasts that sing to
the air (that never fall, that never
sag, that never do anything but
what the magazines show on
their covers).

to be a single...

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The horrors began with a hush
as banking empires locked their doors
to balance grand consolidations
and whittle tender values down.

Upon resurrection, crowds gathered
attempting to withdraw marrow wealth.
Rotting complacency filled the vaults
while floating paper clogged the aisles.

We slumped...

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most people trouncing round the empire 
walk with a sense of respect built by
the accumulation of things,
built by the constant reassertion of one’s
personality publicly,
pronouncing themselves a 
functional
social
being,
as defined by these terms alone---

and the western world...

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Together we would whittle sticks while chewing juicy gum

We would find a place to rest beside a river green and wide

The skies were blue, and tall grass would grow, and brush against my knees

Where willow...

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