Our English Rose
by Michael R. Burch

for Christine Ena Burch

The rose is—
the ornament of the earth,
the glory of nature,
the archetype of the flowers,
the blush of the meadows,
a lightning flash of beauty.

NOTE: This is my translation of a Sappho epigram. It was originally titled "Sappho's Rose" before I chose to dedicate it to my mother, Christine Ena Burch, who was born and raised in England. Keywords/Tags: Rose, ornament, glory, nature, archetype, flowers, blush, meadows, flash, beauty, lightning

Violets
by Michael R. Burch

Once, only once,
when the wind flicked your skirt
to an indiscreet height

and you laughed,
abruptly demure,
outblushing shocked violets:

suddenly,
I knew:
everything had changed.

Later, as you braided your hair
into long bluish plaits
the shadows empurpled,

the dragonflies’
last darting feints
dissolving mid-air,

we watched the sun’s long glide
into evening,
knowing and unknowing.

O, how the illusions of love
await us in the commonplace
and rare

then haunt our small remainder of hours.

Published by Romantics Quarterly, Muse Apprentice Guild, Victorian Violet Press, Boston Poetry Magazine, and Poetry on Demand

Keywords/Tags: Violets, flowers, wind, skirt, blush, hair, shadows, sunset, evening, love, illusions, time, commonplace, rare

Winter rain -
dark aureole like raindrops 
on leaves, drooping like *******.
Mirrored in pools
trees blush.

soft blonde hair
plush kisses on my cheek
fingers tracing circles
at the edge of the creek
confessions
and blushing cheeks
wiping tears
fixing the leaks
lips on skin
gentle heat
a warm summer day
with a love so sweet

Blood rush,
Brain chained,
Teeth tied,
And here I sit

Scent
Intoxicating
Invading
Smoking out defense

Those succulent dimples,
That clicking mind,
That husky hooking voice.
Substitutes of a hungrier passion.

I feel lost,
I want some,
I need to forget.

Obsession is unbecoming,
Unwanted internal conflict
Ripe with dead dreams
Fighting harsh realities

Simplicity is all I want,
But each day
that lie
gets harder to say.

You are living
In my space
Without payment.
Leave me, please.

I glance up

Eyes meet
Heart beats
Hot cheeks

I smile and look away


You say my name

Pulse is up
Hands brush
Lips touch

This time I stay.

Sweet, succulent Elberta Peach
It's tell-tale blush within my reach
It's that time of year again
A peach to die for and then
I have to have another,
The ultimate peach, brother!
Sweet, succulent Elberta peach
It's tell-tale blush within my reach

When I told you that I dig you
You were scared and shared
That you did not want to do it
And you were at all not prepared

So why not try to diss me
And maybe it will be sometime
When I see you I feel nervous
And my anxiety escapes the undersurface

You did not ace your respective game
And let me be ashamed
My friends cheered my courage
And then felt my pain
I didn’t want to see you
Because I’d blush again

So I finally let you go

As the other devil came
And I will see when we are done
If you’ll ever come back
In the memories, in my brain

Slip by me
Sneakily
And wrap your arm around me
Just a peck
On my cheek
Enough to make me squeal
And blush like crazy
Oh you stealer of hearts
My Green Eye Boy.