Tagged: free poem
Poem of the day
Time’s crooked arrow
describes an erratic arc
heedless of any damage
it might incur
an unrepentant apologist
Holocaust denier
skilled at self-deception
feigning objectivity
dissembling endlessly
(in the Hegelian fashion)
tipped for advancement
all the right clubs
holding a mirror before
a cold, blue corpse
writhing with flies
dubbing it progress
with bland assurance
cue the teleprompter
for the usual disclaimers
© 2014 Cliff Burns (All Rights Reserved)
From my window this morning…
Guest (Uninvited)
passing my upstairs window eight-forty a.m.
balancing a brimming mug of strong over-sugared
coffee surprised & perplexed by the doe in my backyard
calmly nibbling the exposed tips of raspberry
bushes lacking the timid mien one expects
from a creature who like the unfortunate
Odysseus has wandered far from home
wrecking itself upon my snowy shore oblivious
of any hostile scrutiny the resident sorcerer
determined to protect his secluded realm already
brooding up a terrible remedy to cure this thoughtless
trespass restore his enchanted solitude
March 4, 2013
March comes in with a…poem?
Ticonderoga
Thick barreled befitting small clumsy fingers
grimly shaping consecutive rows of letters
extra marks for keeping between the lines
bent studious anticipating lifetime habits
in thrall of shrill supervisors
documenting every shortcoming
critical of the slightest fault
laboring with little hope of reward
succeeding without getting ahead
ancient before their time
March 1, 2013
Short poem to start the day
This morning I was sitting at my desk and happened to glance out the window, at the ungainly maple tree in our backyard that is always in need of trimming back.
Last night we had a substantial amount of rain. The air rich with a variety of living scents, pouring into my home office, filling the room. All at once, I started scribbling…
18/08/2011
shining leaves
dripping morning light
brushed by the wind
stubbornly resisting
its relentless entreaties
It’s “National Poetry Month”
…and so, what the heck, two more recent poems:
The Human Genome Project
They decoded us, then
trademarked the parts.
In green, tended tanks,
suspended in nourishing brine.
Eyes, ears. Kidneys. Small, bobbing cocks:
replacements for factory fittings
ersatz and not nearly as smart.
By Order of the President
Find the reagent
break the spell
There’s still an outside chance
in your secret lab
Pls. advise on yr. progress
time is over and out.
© 2011 Cliff Burns (All Rights Reserved)
Apollo 11 Anniversary (July 20, 1969)
Iconic
The First Man must be humble yet self-possessed in times of crisis confident, as one who's been sorely tried. Drop him, spin him, shake him race his heart, see if he dies. Undaunted by fame, puzzled by all the fuss, natural in the glare. Stick him in a close compartment, sling it into the girding dark; crown him with hero's laurels should he return. *******************************************************************************************************
Real space nuts know that July 20th, 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon.
As that date draws near, I’m filled with equal parts nostalgia and melancholy. In July, 1969 I was five and 2/3 years old and still believed anything was possible. I recall being absolutely entranced by the thought of a man, a human being just like me, walking around up there on the moon.
Not sure why I’ve been so hung up on the moon this year–there’s the radio play I wrote, “Innocent Moon”, for the BBC contest…and later on in July we’ll be posting a special treat Sherron helped me put together, a short but sweet homage to Neil and the lads, using some of the fancy gear that came with this iMac. I’ll say no more. Watch for it in a couple of weeks.
And I came across this fantastic site real Apollo aficionados will love: you sign in and you can relive every moment of that four-day mission in real time. Take a trip to the moon with Neil, Buzz and Mike Collins. Only recommended for those with strong bladders and 96 hours to kill.
If anyone knows of other interesting sites celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, use the Comments form below and give us a head’s up (be sure to include a link).
Personal reminiscences are also welcome: where we you forty years ago and how did that one small step affect you, your life and your outlook on the universe?
Do tell…