Look at my soul, what do you see?
A diverse human spirit hiding in me.
Protective barriers and walls I build.
Whilst living behind them, a life unfulfilled.

I'll take time with you for some secrets to share that I can love and hate, and anger and care.
I'm joy and sadness, and calm and remorse,
for I feel the same as other humans, of course.
Yet how much remains hidden you'll never know, for I'll only project what I want to show.

There's war in the world that I truly abhor.
It seems that few can be trusted anymore.
Surrounded by death and poverty and strife,
it's no wonder that I often reflect upon life.
With my values and beliefs badly overturned,
I take some time to explore what I've learned.

I'm alone in this world, yet part of another.
I cherish these bonds that remain unbroken
and those dear words of love that are often spoken.
My family's presence is beyond compare,
and when they're in need, I'll always be there.

I'm truly unique, my thoughts are all mine,
and I own my own feelings most of the time!
From the way that I am, I develop and grow,
exploring my soul so that more I shall know.
So look at my soul, what do you see?
There's a diverse human spirit shining in me.

Wonderland
by Michael R. Burch

We stood, kids of the Lamb, to put to test
the beatific anthems of the blessed,
the sentence of the martyr, and the pen’s
sincere religion. Magnified, the lens
shot back absurd reflections of each face—
a carnival-like mirror. In the space
between the silver backing and the glass,
we caught a glimpse of Joan, a frumpy lass
who never brushed her hair or teeth, and failed
to pass on GO, and frequently was jailed
for awe’s beliefs. Like Alice, she grew wee
to fit the door, then couldn’t lift the key.
We failed the test, and so the jury’s hung.
In Oz, “The Witch is Dead” ranks number one.

Keywords/Tags: Alice, Wonderland, Joan, Arc, martyr, blessed, beatific, religion, witch, Oz, carnival, mirror, lens, jury, kids, lamb, beliefs, faith, sonnet

I met a check-out chick the other day,
I asked how was her New Year's Day, okay,
She said she had a dreadful New Year's Day.
Her boyfriend battling bushfires with the CFA,
He had never been so far away,
What on earth could I say?
Our firies are like superheroes today,
Right there with Superman, okay?
Would you give them a salary or lunch money? Hey,
They don't do it for the money, okay?
Well, give them all a gold medal,  I say,
When these bushfires are gone one day,
Chats about our firies everywhere these days!

We’re off to see the wizard
The wonderful wizard of Oz
The one with courage, a brain, a heart, and a solution
The powerful wizard of Oz
The man, no being!, who has these wonderful things
The wonderful wizard of oz
You walk into his room
The wonderful room in Oz
You ask your questions
Oh wonderful wizard of Oz!!
Will you give me what I need? What I crave?
Please oh wondrous magician of Oz!
‘Why of course’ he says
For he is the wonderful wizard of Oz
‘You need a brain? Courage? A heart? A home?
Asks the inquisitive wizened man of Oz
‘Take mine and go, for I have no need of them
I want to fly away from this confining land of Oz
Take everything I have and let me float away
The man in the sky from Oz
Waving from above the clouds
In a wondrous balloon above Oz
You’ve been off to see the wizard
The wonderful wizard of Oz
And you’ve found, that he is a lost man
The hopeless man from oz

I take off the spectacles
and I realize 
the Emerald City 
isn’t green at all 
I see you 
in the light of day 
and I realize 
you’re not the person 
I thought I needed 
to make me feel good about myself 
I was asleep in the poppies 
and the validation wasn’t worth it
I loved you last night 
but I was dreaming 
too far over the rainbow
Now 
I just want to go 
home 
Someone please take me 
home 

- Manifest Destiny

It’s a bit like shock therapy
When you’d come to.
It was the Depression, sure,
And I was barely clothed and fed
But I woke up refreshed
Realigned and adjusted.
A clean sweep!
Surrounded by my loving family.
Back.
So this is the way things are;
The way things were,
Before
But it’s not so bad in comparison.

That over there was a disaster
The so-called
“Loss of consciousness”
Was I in a coma?
With witch’s feet
And those dancing trolls
A road leading where and why?
There are no other roads, so who cares the color?

It was a horror story, not a morality play
They were so presumptuous,
What I needed!
They told me that I had killed someone,
a complete stranger
and
That’s when it all got worse.

Bluebirds fly
Yes I suppose they do!
You are right!
I got my wish in a sick kind of way
I went beyond a “rainbow”
as it were

It was bad.
I liked those gorgeous orange woozy poppies
but so what,
I was asleep anyway.
Do you see what I mean?
Chased by monkeys and
people who don’t really like me.
Not really.
Not any more than anywhere else.
Despite what they say.
Anyway, everyone clearly had their own agenda.
It was a matter of convenience and opportunities.
What was mine again?
Oh yeah.
For it to stop.

The Wizard was a Kansas Man
He said so himself
And when I showed up
Well he decided to clear out
I guess we were two Kansans too many

Stay with us Dorothy!
We love you!
All of us!
We don’t want you to go!
Doesn’t that sound a bit odd?

So I came back with this bit about
Well “if I ever look
for my heart’s desire
again
I will look no further
than my own backyard
Because if it isn’t there
(It gets good!)
I never really lost it
To begin with!”
Can you believe that?
I also relentlessly repeated
HOME
Euphemistically speaking
and the word
LIKE
Which isn’t really a total and complete
lie

And somehow it worked
It came to an end
I can’t really explain why but
It could have been a Jim Jones situation.

But do you think that I believed any of it?
I escaped
And now I think that I know how to do it.
And I can do it again.
But to someplace
Else.

Synapses roll off the tongue,
Stutter and glitch
Stut-t-t-ter and glitch
Repeat....Re...p-p-peat
Misfired.
You a broken doll
With your bright brilliance.