Medieval Marvels II

MEDIEVAL MARVELS

These are the best Medieval poems in modern English translations of Old English/Anglo-Saxon poems and Middle English poems by Caedmon, Geoffrey Chaucer, Deor, William Dunbar, Godric of Finchale, Charles d'Orleans, Layamon and the greatest of the ancient poets, Anonymous. There are also translations/modernizations of late Medieval poems by Thomas Campion and Sir Thomas Wyatt.

Some of the oldest English poems are among the most beautiful, including "Merciless Beauty" by Geoffrey Chaucer, "Sweet Rose of Virtue" by William Dunbar, and "Oft in My Thought" by Charles d'Orleans. All completely free here …

How Long the Night
(anonymous Middle English lyric, circa early 13th century AD)
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

It is pleasant, indeed, wh...

Why I "Left" the Religious Right by Michael R. Burch

Why I “Left” the Religious Right

These heretical poems on the subjects of God, religion and Christianity explain why I “left” the Religious Right.

If one screams below,
what the hell is "Above"?
—Michael R. Burch

Religion is regarded by fools as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful. — Seneca, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Bible Libel
by Michael R. Burch

If God
is good,
half the Bible
is libel.

I wrote this epigram to express my conclusions after reading the Bible from cover to cover at age 11 and wondering how anyone could call the biblical “god” good.

A Child’s Christmas Prayer of Despair for a Hindu Saint
by Michael R. Burch

Santa Claus,
for Christmas, please,
don&rsquo...

Poems about Adam, Eve, Lucifer, Eden and the Fall by Michael R. Burch

These are poems about Adam, Eve, Lucifer/Satan, The Garden of Eden and the Fall, written by Michael R. Burch.



Eden
by Michael R. Burch

Then earth was heaven too, a perfect garden.
Apples burgeoned and shone?unplucked on sagging boughs.
What, then, would the children eat?
Fruit indecently sweet,
redolent as incense, with a tempting aroma...



Outcasts
by Michael R. Burch

There was a rose, a prescient shade of crimson,
the very color of blood,
that bloomed in that garden.

The most dazzling of all the Earth's flowers,
men have forgotten it now,
with their fanciful tales of apples and serpents.

Beasts with lips called the goreflower "Love."

The scribes have the story all wrong: four were there,
four horrid dark creatures?chattering, bickering.

Aduhm ...

Play On Mister Saxman

Play on Mister Sax-man come blow your horn, red hot, cool Yet warm like the breeze after a summer storm soothing to My soul taking away my pain like the sound of the falling rain Calming my mind taking me back to another place and time When love still loved me or was I blind to it all and didn't want To see or was I stuck on stupid believing in Cupid never did I Think there could be the possibility that the one I loved just Didn't love me but no matter the fact Mister Sax-man your Melodic melodies keep me together telling the savage beast To chill as I find comfort and rest though sometimes I failed to Pass the test because the beast would still rise up but that Soundof your alluring alto sax would help me relax and get it Off my back and oh the sweet sound of that tender tenor or That sexy soprano would always be on point you always Knew the joint I needed to hear like,(There goes my baby);(I'm tired of being alone); or (I'm looking for a new love);(I'...

The Other Side Of Mothers Mirror

I pray I am on the other side

Her habits, from them I hide even as a child

The glass it cut me

Still I am bleeding

On the other side

The cuts still hurt, no matter how old or new

How do you pick all the aplinters out?

If I could, where do I put them?

On the other side of mother's mirror

They hurt so bad today and yesterday too

Lord please help me forgive her

You are the only one who can

On the other side

These memories won't stay in the back of my mind

...

Thirteen Years

It all started with my 19-year old self

eating a chocolate bar at the Food Co-Op

of Binghamton University in 2008.

I’m wearing a custom spray-paint T-shirt

I had gotten at “Six Flags” for $30.

I said “I want a Penguin with a palm tree

AND coconuts.”  And that’s what I got.

(Note:  not sure if the bowtie was artistic flare).

The picture title is “godfather of snickers,”

so I shouldn’t disagree with history

but that would mean I bought a Snickers

and BROUGHT it to an organic eatery.

Now that I think about it:

I WOULD do that.

Back then I did what I wanted

rarely even realizing

if I stepp...

You Kiss the Sun, Promise the Moon

Crooked steps just 
         a seconds glimpse behind.
Perfect trail before me,
         each step toward a gift.

Then I caught sight 
         In the distance, at a cost
of something inside

I saw you kiss the lips
         of the sinking Sun
locked in burning embrace

My steps faltered
         O' how completely I struggled
that entire frozen moment

And O' how the next 
         and the next

Then the next I tasted
          betrayal so profound

O' how my vivid light died
           I re...

Confessions of a Moment Worshipper

I am a moment worshipper

Call me crazy

But this is what I have taken on 

As my spiritual sustenance

In this incredible

Existence

I’m going to worship each moment

Every one

For as long as I can

To worship is
To attend to

To pay my attention
To give
All of myself
What little I have

If anything
To this moment

Why?
I don’t know
But why wouldn’t I?

What else could make more sense to pay your attention to
If it has value
Something that can be paid for
Then I want to get
The most bang
For each mental buck
That I possibly can

So what else would I attend to other than EVERYTHING?

Why, oh why, would my attent...

don't you see the rainbows

Don't you see the rainbows
Up there on the wall?
Don't you see the rainbows
Caressing my hand?

So many people wish to be grand
Courageous, ready and brave
Too many people have their daily routine
Sticking to it like a brand

Don't you feel that you're living
Your life in a cage?
Blinded by darkness, ignorance and rage

Oh and if all the bad news on the TV screen
Could just be zapped away
To a channel where love could be seen

And that all the losers
The drunks and the loners
Could all be fitting in

You can twist it and turn it,
Light the bridge and burn it,
People get bored easily

But whatever happens
No matter the distance
You'll stay in my heart close to me

And besides all the lies
Just look in my eyes
And tell me the truth

...

Date Night

We feast on the rotting corpse,

Of the dead horse we beat,

The words unsaid are the maggot heads,

Stuck between are teeth.

You screw a smile from a wincing face,

As your stomach bile regurgitates,

All the promising lies contaminated,

within sour skin.

Dont spit it out in front of me,

Don't tell me your not hungry,

These festering worms beneath the bones,

Are still good to eat,

See I've dressed it up all nice,

Peeled lemon zest with lice,

With spite infesting every memory,

All crawling inbetween the lines.

Waiting

Is this freedom?                                                                                                                                                                                                      It can't be true. - There is no freedom if you can't break through.                                                            &nb...

salvation for fickle heart

You were a rainbow for my rain.
Remedy to my pain.
Though we have chosen to go our separate ways.
I have returned to my self-pity cage.

I am afraid of what it has done to me.
I get lost in thoughts, and it is hard to get out of it.
Sleepless nights and these red blurred eyes.
Made me realize that you were my shining knight.

I didn't mean the thing that I had said to you.
Though I probably don't deserve it.
Please forgive me and take me in with you.
Give me a chance to make it up to you.

Empire of Poetry.

Greetings peers, might I be counted amongst you nobles fair; as we establish our empire of poetry here.

Long may your pens reign, and upon this blank, digital page, mark out a domain, that shall last for the age.

Some of us may speak of love and law, whilst others inspired, preach of mortal men and God. Very well then, by all means, be made merry my kin. But let us establish one thing; united, a law of love that is binding, and over us nobles, sovereign.

Thus: "In passion we shall speak, and in pride repeat; and in all that we lords proclaim; let our emotions ring true, winter-clear and sincere."

Now point me to my throne, to claim, as I establish my empire of poetry here.

in my mind

You didn't come to see me
'cause you knew what would have happened
You didn't come
'cuz you knew it would have been a crime

You don't make me yours
Because all you are is mine
And all you'll ever be
Will be that burning image
In my mind

Meditate to Mediate

Meditate to mediate the spots in which there congregate a myriad of fears
Tensions you don’t know exist but if ignored will all persist 
Blind spots that have you caught
Tied in a knot that time forgot
What are you running from? 
Where are you going? 
With the question unasked the truth remains masked 
Your actions compelled by a spell you did not know was cast 
Black magic in the truest sense
An ignored source delays defense
These black holes in your psyche make you want to fight me 
Their inky tendrils grip your will so tightly 
Yet you let it smite thee
Blindly standing idly
So you don’t have to face
That without a face
The void that you avoid 
Devoid of meaning, your psychic screening
Has hidden any chance of wisdom gleaning 
Annoyed, paranoid
You’re seething, barely breathing

hearts of blue

We were once on top of the world
Now some second-class failures took our place
I don't want to lose it all
I haven't known you before we went to be team #1
Their luck was my luck
Will I now lose you too?
Beginning again down at the ground
I'm not accustomed to lose anymore
For when things were slipping out of my hand
I always caught them before they were gone
I'm afraid my luck will be back at zero now
But when I think right
When they were just starting to get better
I went right along
My world began to turn already
When they were still beginning
And I knew and I felt
Something big was before me
I knew it one and a half years before
That we would hit the ground running
My team was first
And five months later I followed suit
Had the best time in almost two years
And they were always there leading the way
...

all the broken hearts in the world still beat

The beginning of the year, remembering
Spring is coming early
And last year's memories creep back in

A heart that healed
Can it break again?
I can feel the days of when it all began

Do the memories still live, the victories still matter?
Starting again is a ritual that comes with the returning sun
And this way only life becomes better

Create a you to be proud of, fight for your need
Be your own team and never give up
And when you look up at the rafters just remember:
All the broken hearts in the world still beat!

I LOVE MY WIFE

Am a man on my on my own,

With a woman in my throne,

Making changes with her tone,

I see our world as a clone,

Loosing her will create a zone,

Am not here to make a game,

Rather to make a fame,

Stay tuned for you to claim,

Your right as a Dame,

So that you won't be at shame.

All you need is a library 📚

All you need is a library;

A roadmap to the real or the imaginary.

A portal to different nations;

All books are destinations.

The Librarian is a tour guide,

Infomation, she will provide.

The index she will show you,

to help you find Timbuktu.

The aisles form crisscrossing roads,

Where books lead to crossroads,

Or scenic view points to discover:

such lovely places to linger.

A mysterious map to hidden treasures;

A start to many adventures.

New escape routes will unravel,

To the past, present and future, you will travel. 
 

Down the canyons rattles the trolley-tram,

Beware of the book traffic jam.

From your reverie, you shall be woken,

But your bond will never be broken.

All you need is a librar...

If I fell for You

I walked in delusion
To the room I was due
There was a note
Nothing to do

I wanted to turn
Around and go home
But I didn't move
You were alone

I've never seen you before
We started to talk
We walked down the stairs
And went for a walk

You seemed like a nice guy
And borrowed my matches
I don't even smoke
But my hands got scratches

I looked at your face
Perfection laid-back
You brushed the leaves
From my hair and back

I was at my darkest
You made me smile
I had a bad day
You made it worthwhile

I don't want to hurt you
I like you, it's true
Would it be unfair
If I fell for you?

crown

She smiles so pure,

Her dark hair falling so perfectly,

Framing her face like a perfect image.

She sings so softly,

The words gliding off her tongue.

Her eyes glisten,

so innocent.

But no one knows of the white lines which embroider her thighs,

or the tears that glide from her eyes.

She stares at a crown,

Scuffed and broken,

a golden husk,

Which long ago lost its jewels and gems embed.

She runs her fingers over jagged edges,

Reminded of the days she would run along the castle walls,

when the smiles came easy.

she picks up that golden husk,

and placed it upon her head.

He knocks on the door.

I smile as I see the crown on his head,

No longer scuffed and broken,

Once again with jewels and gems embed.

Decent Human ?

Were the words that were said to me as  I was told to leave

Always on the run fuck this heart on my sleeve

The Discounted Heart

Ánchored in Reality

Destined to be defined

Manifesting in Lucid Tradgedy

Reclaiming back the rewind

Âmore is well:  the word of the day

Abhorrently overused and tossled in such a way

Marked by the best beast and riddled with time

The minute hand strikes 

Stomping this rhyme

Çlearly this heart must be for sale

It has been here so long

As if swallowed by a whale

Êxcitedly the spectators take heed 

Provoking much dust

as

He  picks up the organ 

Rattling times discord of just

§oulfully it speaks to the hand that gave it a hold

I have waited here patiently

Just li...