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As springs’ budding blossoms emerge
the raptors glide mercilessly.
I wrote this haiku-like poem on 3-27-2023 after the Nashville Covenant school shooting massacre. — Michael R. Burch
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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How long will you live by eating someone else’s leftovers?
Find your own way, don’t live on regurgitated words!
—Kabir Das, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch (keywords/tags: life, words, Hindi)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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When you were born, you wept while the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die, the world weeps while you rejoice.
—Kabir Das, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch (keywords/tags: birth, death, world, laughter, rejoice, weep, weeping, cry, crying)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Keep the slanderer near you, build him a hut near your house.
For, when you lack soap and water, he will scour you clean.
—Kabir Das, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch (keywords/tags: home, water, Hindi)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Without looking into our hearts,
how can we find Paradise?
—Kabir Das, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch (keywords/tags: heart, hearts, paradise, sight, seeing, senses, vision)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Certainly, saints, the world’s insane:
If I tell the truth they attack me,
if I lie they believe me.
—Kabir Das, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch (keywords/tags: truth, trust, lies, faith, belief, world)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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A poet births words,
brings them into the world like a midwife,
then wet-nurses them from infancy to adolescence.
— Michael R. Burch (keyword/tags: poet, poets, words, birth)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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The most dangerous words ever uttered by human lips are “thus saith the LORD.” — Michael R. Burch (keywords: lord, god, bible, religion)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Trump broke the law and endangered national security. After all, it’s not like the KGB doesn’t know how to pick locks.
— Michael R. Burch aka “The Loyal Opposition” (Keywords: America, USA, leadership, Trump, treason, lock, locks, national security)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Ko Un was speechless at Auschwitz. Someday, when it’s too late, will we be speechless at Gaza? —Michael R. Burch (Keywords/Tags: Holocaust, Auschwitz, Gaza, death, murder, ethnic cleansing, genocide, infanticide, matricide)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Joe Montana was Joe Cool, but he was also Joe Clutch. — Michael R. Burch (Keywords/Tags: football, sports, Joe Montana, cool, clutch)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Water reforms, although we slice it with our swords;
Sorrow returns, although we drown it with our wine.
('A Toast to Uncle Yun' by Li Bai, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch)
Keywords/Tags: water, wine, sorrow, swords, Li Bai, Uncle Yun
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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The spring breeze knows partings are bitter;
The willow twig knows it will never be green again.
('Lines from Laolao Ting Pavilion' by Li Bai, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch)
Keywords/Tags: spring, green, part, parting, partings, tree, twig
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Cassidy Hutchinson is a modern Erin Brockovich except that in her case the well has been poisoned for the whole country. — Michael R. Burch
(Keywords/Tags: America, USA, patriotic, truth, justice, White House, Trump)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Cassidy Hutchinson is not only credible, but her courage and poise under fire have been incredible. — Michael R. Burch
(Keywords/Tags: courage, truth, patriotic, credible, incredible, credibility, Trump)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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I have suffused myself in poetry
as a lizard basks, soaking up sun,
scales nakedly glinting; its glorious light
he understands—when it comes, it comes…
(Michael R. Burch, "Sun Poem," keywords/tags: sun, sunshine, summer, poetry)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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I think it's woeful and should be unlawful to eat those awful tofu waffles! ('Woeful Waffles' by Michael R. Burch)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Truths are more likely discovered by one man than by nations.—Rene Descartes, translation by Michael R. Burch
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Love has the value
of gold, if it’s true;
if not, of rue.
—Michael R. Burch
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Elevate your words, not their volume. Rain grows flowers, not thunder.—Rumi, translation by Michael R. Burch
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Did heaven ever seem so far?
Remember–we are as You were,
but all our lives, from birth to death—
Gethsemane in every breath.
('A Possible Argument for Mercy' by Michael R. Burch)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Poets may labor from sun to sun,
but their editor's work is never done. (Keywords: poets, poems, poetry, edit, editor, editing)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women were created sequel... ('Adam's Rib vs. Women's Lib' by Michael R. Burch)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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The reign
in a chauvinist’s brain
falls mainly as mansplain.
("Apologies to España" by Michael R. Burch, Keywords/Tags: men, women, Spain, Spanish)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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There is nothing at all supreme, nor anything remotely just, about Clarence Thomas.—Michael R. Burch (Keywords/Tags: justice, injustice, supreme court, corruption, America, judgement)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Justice may be blind, but does she have to be deaf too?—Michael R. Burch (Keywords/Tags: silence, justice, injustice, integrity, truth)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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“Epigram”
means cram,
then scram!
("Brief Fling" by Michael R. Burch, Keywords/Tags: write, writing, words, word play)
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Brief autumn breeze ...
she always wanted to pluck
the reddest roses
—Issa, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
This is a haiku Issa wrote after the death of his daughter Sato with the note: “Sato, girl, 35th day, at the grave.”
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Wayne Gretzky was pure skill poured into skates.—Michael R. Burch
Keywords/Tags: sports, hockey, NHL, skill, talent, genius, miracle
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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Mother: the tenderest word on the world's lips. —Khalil Gibran, loose translation/interpretation/paraphrase by Michael R. Burch for Mother's Day 2022
Go to Quote / Comment | by Michael Burch
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