I’m shattered,I won’t lie,
today has been long.
I’m tired yet awake,
can’t escape the throng.
Day light has ventured
and left while I worked,
The night has arrived now,
still never I shirked.
My eyelids are heavy,
my limbs they are tired,
And still on I toil now,
my time’s not yet expired.
Grateful am I
for the work that I do.
But soon I’ll be bidding
A ‘good night’ to you.
They stream in, seeking liberty
hoping for some sympathy
America once extended a welcome
Today the outstretched hand is seldom
Leaders neglected to check the newcomers
for police records, to view their true colors
We let in too many criminals, too much crime
with neither good reason nor rhyme
A perfect storm ensued
migrant murder and corruption
dominates the news
giving well-meaning Americans the blues
A tragedy could have been averted
had not government shirked its sworn duty
But now there are mass deportations
narrowly backed by a jilted population
Revival
We humans wept for the revival
Nothing nor time can be at arrival
Yet, the redshift of revival was horrendous
It often creeps the dream of wondrous
Sadly, shirked the throbbing drums
Yes! The soreness after the bubblegum
Thumps that messaged the wounds
Click away the silly sticky bounds
We, humans, sobbed for the curves
And constantly impairs the scattered nerves
Universe testified the forbearance
By passing phases of physical sufferance
We, humans, unable to speculate the fade
They rolled the unexpected blades
Blades that cut and curse the embrace
And we kept shouting with space to trace
Time, clicks away the antidote for pure
And eventually vanishes the miles of endure
We, vulnerable, we, vulnerable
We, vulnerable, we, vulnerable
Newness wakes after a decade
Decade of dullness and bone headedness
Create the covering cure and activeness
Yet, unwrap the belief, yet unwrap the belief
We, vulnerable, we, vulnerable.
Queen Elizabeth the Second passed
leaving the World in a mournful state.
How can this be--one who's so steadfast.
She tempered Britain's every fate.
Barely a bride on her honeymoon,
she learned her father, the King, had died.
Her life changed, becoming Queen so soon,
honeymoon left, that life set aside.
For seventy years, she was the Queen,
and a sister, daughter, mum, and wife.
Amazing what this lady would mean
to post-war Britain's foothold on life.
She guided with her feminine hands
never shirked her nation's duty call.
Tiny monarch ruling many lands.
She rose to be one-hundred feet tall!
September 8, 2022
Happy forty-sixth anniversary to you!
Happy forty-sixth anniversary to you!
Most people cannot get here,
So congratulations to you two!
Forty-six years of concentrated loving and wit.
Not easy to do, but you have accomplished it!
Bravo to you both, for the two of you have worked.
From your duty as spouse, neither have shirked.
This was not easy, there were probably arguments strong.
But your love kept you on track, and you did not go wrong.
This anniversary gives us hope that it is possible now.
Forty-six years of loving, this is a huge wow!
You are probably in the company of a very very very few.
Couples who could accomplish what you have, you two!
Happy forty-sixth anniversary to you!
Happy forty-sixth anniversary to you!
Tuning William Blake's Whistle
by Michael R. Burch
a musical prophecy, after William Blake
I.
Many a sun
and many a moon
I walked the earth
and whistled a tune.
I did not whistle
as I worked:
the whistle was my work.
I shirked
nothing I saw
and made a rhyme
to children at play
and hard time.
II.
Among the prisoners
I saw
the leaden manacles
of Law,
the heavy ball and chain,
the quirt.
And yet I whistled
at my work.
III.
Among the children's
daisy faces
and in the women's
frowsy laces,
I saw redemption,
and I smiled.
Satanic millers,
unbeguiled,
were swayed by neither girl,
nor child,
nor any God of Love.
Yet mild
I whistled at my work,
and Song
broke out,
ere long.
Keywords/Tags: William Blake, prophecy, Orpheus, singer, singing, minstrel, ministry, hymn, troubadour, whistle, Satanic, mills, manacles, law, leaden, ball, chain, prison, labor, slavery, freedom, music, muse, song, poets, miracle
Orpheus
by Michael R. Burch
after William Blake
I.
Many a sun
and many a moon
I walked the earth
and whistled a tune.
I did not whistle
as I worked:
the whistle was my work.
I shirked
nothing I saw
and made a rhyme
to children at play
and hard time.
II.
Among the prisoners
I saw
the leaden manacles
of Law,
the heavy ball and chain,
the quirt.
And yet I whistled
at my work.
III.
Among the children’s
daisy faces
and in the women’s
frowsy laces,
I saw redemption,
and I smiled.
Satanic millers,
unbeguiled,
were swayed by neither girl,
nor child,
nor any God of Love.
Yet mild
I whistled at my work,
and Song
broke out,
ere long.
Our
water
came from springs
and back yard wells.
We raised crops and cleaned
our sturdy homemade things.
All worked. No duties were shirked.
Now, we captives to modern ways
sit in comfy homes, smile, and speak of
the good old days and how we miss them--NOT.
July 22, 2016
I have MANY sweet memories of the sixties, but they are NOT of the duties
described above!
Night planned a vicious game
To trap and kill the moon
Stars joined the plan
Thinking they can reflect
and shine bright
clouds gathered together
to hide the killing
forest helped them too
everything in minute details
were taken care
the path of the moon was tracked
to the perfection
finally time and date
was decided
till this time the sea was also
part of the plan
when the time approached
sea revealed everything to the moon
and hearing this Moon became sad
It shirked that day
And next day appeared to strike a deal
The bargain went like this….
The moon will not appear full every night
Instead it will gradually reduce
its size and beam and for one day
It will not appear at all
The Moon had no choice to escape
than to agree with the deal.....
The red bucket in my bathroom
suddenly one day broke.
Day by day it deteriorated
till it was revoked.
I needed some plastic
to melt for some work;
the red bucket was chosen
being already shirked.
Little by little, in few days,
the red bucket was cut.
From being a proper bucket,
it was not even its butt.
It sits there in a corner
waiting to die some more.
Unwanted, rejected,
it's not a bucket anymore.
It was an ordinary day,
when time she came our way.
So young and shy, with a lovely smile
I thought she’d stay for just awhile.
But ever since she cared for us
in everything she does.
She was hired so mom and dad could work.
She, no hard task ever shirked.
So I grew up within her care
she gave a love so rare,
from noon till night and every morn
as though from her I was born.
Now I have grown, I dread this time,
she’s old and past her prime.
She longs these days for her homeland,
I can’t release her loving hand.
I hide my tears but still I cling
to she, the wind beneath my wings.
It is not a normal day,
for my shadow leaves today.
07 July 2015
Time seemed to be in abundance; enough to chew and brew
Sleep, play or gossip; enough to spare despite all that we blew
Dreams, expectations, full of flurry; no tick to stir the blurry
Life discarded as wasteful worry; hurry, worry all went to bury
I the Master, I the Supreme; others, the ordinary got little attention
Times came and crept by slowly; learning shirked away at mention
Who cares, motto was straight; something will happen, why haste
We will surely learn as we grow; grew we sure, but in utter waste
Overtime, the uncared suddenly became important; time was short
With hunched shoulders I prayed for mercy; hoping for His support
Help! I shouted, but they laughed; I got no solace, calm or sleep
Fear, unknown, induced a maddening; my end seemed so cheap
Mercy, somehow was restored; zero, the ordinary I learned to ask for
Time, the industry & thrift; I learnt to strive for, not ignore anymore.
(This poem is a modified (couplet) version of an old poem titled 'Transcendence' which was in Free Verse form.)
Waves and winds comfort me
As I toss in fitful dreams.
The universe covers my head,
Sand gives my bones a humble bed
Oh, how much I'll fill this spot,
With all the memories I've got!
And tell this place how much I care,
Of loved ones, whose souls I've shared.
While seeking life in all its scope,
Their why I'll hold fast to hope.
A world for food, one for delight,
Morning, noon and in the night.
Each day when I say my prayers,
I'll thank God who truly cares.
Then count my blessing on earth,
A task too easily I've shirked.
Mankind Must Learn
Out were the rich earth reaches the growing vine
Nature bears fruit to gift such sweet , red wine
Earth , water and soil wedded with man's work
sweet results born from labors not shirked
Hot sun sends rays of shining beams of solar light
giving many blessings and life that's very right
All Nature serves man's earthy wants and needs
man must reply in kind by caring, saving deeds
Future life requires a caring , very smart plan
otherwise earth lives on without the life of man
Universe exists in real and rich fantasy mists
life must survive or love ceases to exist!
Robert Lindley , 06-07-2014
Time was in abundance,
In plenty to chew and brew,
Work, sleep or play,
Yet enough to spare.
Dreams, expectations, full of bounty,
No tick to stir the doughty,
Lifespan discarded as wasteful worry,
Hurry, worry, all went to burry,
I the Master, I the Supreme,
Others, the ordinary held little attention,
Times came and crept by,
Learning shirked away at mention.
Who cares? The motto was straight,
Something will happen, why haste?
We will surely learn as we grow
Grew we sure, but not to mature.
Suddenly, the uncared became all important,
Time was short, work too much,
With hunched shoulders I heaved a cry,
Mercy my lord! I the Ordinary.
Help! I shouted, but they laughed,
No solace, calm or sleep,
Fear, unknown induced the maddening,
The end seemed not so far.
Mercy, somehow was restored,
Zero, I learned to ask for,
Time, the ordinary, the industry & thrift,
I yearn to breathe the rest of my life.
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