Ibykos Fragment 286, circa 564 BCE
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Come spring, the grand
apple trees stand
watered by a gushing river
where the maidens’ uncut flowers shiver
and the blossoming grape vine swells
in the gathering shadows.

Unfortunately
for me
Eros never rests
but like a Thracian tempest
ablaze with lightning
emanates from Aphrodite;
the results are frightening—
black,
bleak,
astonishing,
violently jolting me from my soles
to my soul.



Preposterous Eros
by Michael R. Burch

“Preposterous Eros” – Patricia Falanga

Preposterous Eros shot me in
the buttocks, with a Devilish grin,
spent all my money in a rush
then left my heart effete pink mush.

Keywords/Tags: Ibykos, fragment, translation, Eros, Aphrodite, Thracian, tempest, lightning, jolt, soul, spring, apple, trees, river, flowers, grape, vine, shadows

Ibykos Fragment 286, circa 564 BCE
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Come spring, the grand
apple trees stand
watered by a gushing river
where the maidens’ uncut flowers shiver
and the blossoming grape vine swells
in the gathering shadows.

Unfortunately
for me
Eros never rests
but like a Thracian tempest
ablaze with lightning
emanates from Aphrodite;
the results are frightening—
black,
bleak,
astonishing,
violently jolting me from my soles
to my soul.

Keywords/Tags: Ibykos, fragment, translation, Eros, Aphrodite, Thracian, tempest, lightning, jolt, soul, spring, apple, trees, river, flowers, grape, vine, shadows



Preposterous Eros
by Michael R. Burch

“Preposterous Eros” – Patricia Falanga

Preposterous Eros shot me in
the buttocks, with a Devilish grin,
spent all my money in a rush
then left my heart effete pink mush.

I was startled to hear the sound of kissing again. Flesh lapping against each other like waves, my hands stroking the nape of your neck, tracing patterns and you biting my lip, grinning a little bit.
Kiss me.
We're way too eager that your crooked teeth bump against mine.
Laugh and pull away.
Graze the hollow at the base of my throat.
Your earlobes.

Your hands.
My *******.
Gasps that escape our lips.
Kiss.

Sending all signals they possess the soul
Feel a jolt from clouds of lightning

This is all true I know
They have taken my soul

Replaced by something new
Just to get a new aspect view

Free the eternal soul within me
Not a question of why or what is with this

Songs I sing can not be replaced
The thought of that can not be erased

Things these days have no means to an end
I hope that someday there will be a another message I can send

Feeling the pressure I release a gift that will surface
Hoping someday something new will serve it’s purpose

They all confused me
Confounded because my talent is not lazy

Help me survive where I want to be
Because they all diluted me

It wasn’t so much
Like falling
As it was being hit
By a fifty-ton train
That jolted me awake.

Across the green of the lawn, the morning sun
makes a spectacular  splash, a wash of gold,
the lonely tree blissfully embracing soft fog
all night long, gets annoyed and feels cheated
as the hands of sun tickles wisps of fog, startled
she  hurriedly leaves disentangling the branches.
A black cat, rudely woken up by sun's sultry pinch
still her eyes half closed,  runs across the lawn,
the dark shadow of the tree fallen across her path
engulfs her, perplexed she rolls on the ground
still her eyes closed, thinks she is trapped and
something is going to happen,"I am dead" she meows,
a morning bird on a low branch, seeing this,is amused,
in mirth she  tweets aloud" you fool, you fool, get up"