There's a ******* pumpkin on my screen
He's just keeps talking about Covid-19
He keeps on trying to say China
But he just says a va-less ******
In another world I'd laugh until I cried
But no laughs now, my neighbor just died

Look, I understand.
You don't want to open your eyes
to a world full of despair and lies.
Believe me. I was the same way.
Numb to the core acting like I don't care anymore.
Then I realized that's not true.
I care just as much as you.
I just had to realize we aren't defined
by the actions of a man named trump sitting on his golden ****. Now I know the world's not that scary.
It's extraordinary
because I see the fight in the people who keep the light alive.
Who want to do more than just survive.
Don't say ignore the haters and the doubters
because they are the ones who fuel our powers.
I hope when you read this, you don't cheer or hate.
Just resonate with what I'm trying to say.
The problems of the world won't go away tonight or tomorrow.
But if we band together, our strength will grow forever and ever. And maybe one day, we can rise up and say
let's not make America great again;
let's make the whole world great again.

**** Trump is a googol of lies. a mountain of
misdeeds, a swamp of ******. He has turned
the Oval Office into the Offal Office. He does
not grace his office;  he disgraces it. ****
Trump is an autocrat, a de facto dictator. Worst
of all, he is a racist. Only a child molester
and a murderer are worse.

Copyright 2020 Tod Howard Hawks

There he stood, as millions watched.
Taking each & every punch.
As he shook the world.
Not one, could pretend.
It was then.
A Great, Awakening!

Epigrams II

Love is either wholly folly
or fully holy.
—Michael R. Burch

Civility
is the ability
to disagree
agreeably.
—Michael R. Burch

Death is the ultimate finality
and banality
of reality.
—Michael R. Burch



Original Prose Epigrams

We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it.—Michael R. Burch

Experience is the best teacher but a hard taskmaster.—Michael R. Burch

Time will tell, as it always does in the end.—Michael R. Burch

When I was being bullied, I had to learn not to judge myself by the opinions of intolerant morons. Then I felt much better.—Michael R. Burch

One man's coronation is another man's consternation.–Michael R. Burch

The most dangerous words ever uttered by human lips are 'Thus saith the LORD.' — Michael R. Burch

Hell has been hellishly overdone.—Michael R. Burch

If one burns below, what the hell is "above"?—Michael R. Burch

Teddy Roosevelt spoke softly and carried a big stick;
Donald Trump speaks loudly and carries a big shtick.
—Michael R. Burch

Thanks to politicians like George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann and Donald Trump, we now have a duh-mock-****.
—Michael R. Burch

As a general rule of thumb, ignore naysayers unless you agree with their criticism.—Michael R. Burch

Love is exquisite torture.
—Michael R. Burch (written after reading “It’s Only My Heart” by Mirza Ghalib)

Poetry moves the heart as well as the reason.
—Michael R. Burch



Epigram Translations

Birdsong
by Rumi
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

Birdsong relieves
my deepest griefs:
now I'm just as ecstatic as they,
but with nothing to say!
Please universe,
rehearse
your poetry
through me!

Raise your words, not their volume.
Rain grows flowers, not thunder.
—Rumi, translation by Michael R. Burch

The imbecile constructs cages for everyone he knows,
while the sage (who has to duck his head whenever the moon glows)
keeps dispensing keys all night long
to the beautiful, rowdy, prison gang.
—Hafiz loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

An unbending tree
breaks easily.
—Lao Tzu, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Little sparks ignite great flames.—Dante, translation by Michael R. Burch

Once fanaticism has gangrened brains
the incurable malady invariably remains.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Booksellers laud authors for novel editions
as pimps praise their ****** for exotic positions.
—Thomas Campion, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

No wind is favorable to the man who lacks direction.
—Seneca the Younger, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Hypocrisy may deceive the most perceptive adult, but the dullest child recognizes and is revolted by it, however ingeniously disguised.
—Leo Tolstoy translation by Michael R. Burch

Just as I select a ship when it's time to travel,
or a house when it's time to change residences,
even so I will choose when it's time to depart from life.
—Seneca, speaking about the right to euthanasia in the first century AD, translation by Michael R. Burch

Improve yourself through others' writings, thus attaining more easily what they acquired through great difficulty.
—Socrates, translation by Michael R. Burch

Fools call wisdom foolishness.
―Euripides, translation by Michael R. Burch

One true friend is worth ten thousand kin.
―Euripides, translation by Michael R. Burch

Not to speak one’s mind is slavery.
―Euripides, translation by Michael R. Burch

I would rather die standing than kneel, a slave.
―Euripides, translation by Michael R. Burch

Fresh tears are wasted on old griefs.
―Euripides, translation by Michael R. Burch



Native American Proverb
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Before you judge
a man for his sins
be sure to trudge
many moons in his moccasins.



Native American Proverb
by Crazy Horse, Oglala Lakota Sioux (circa 1840-1877)
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

A man must pursue his Vision
as the eagle explores
the sky's deepest blues.



Native American Proverb
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Let us walk respectfully here
among earth's creatures, great and small,
remembering, our footsteps light,
that one wise God created all.



The Least of These...

What you
do
to
the refugee
(the least of these)
you
do
unto
Me!
—Jesus Christ, translation/paraphrase by Michael R. Burch



The Church Gets the Burch Rod

How can the Bible be "infallible" when from Genesis to Revelation slavery is commanded and condoned, but never condemned? —Michael R. Burch

If God
is good
half the Bible
is libel.
—Michael R. Burch

I have my doubts about your God and his "love":
If one screams below, what the hell is "Above"?
—Michael R. Burch

If God has the cattle on a thousand hills,
why does he need my tithes to pay his bills?
—Michael R. Burch

The best tonic for other people's bad ideas is to think for oneself.—Michael R. Burch

Hell hath no fury like a fundamentalist whose God condemned him for having "impure thoughts."—Michael R. Burch

Religion is the difficult process of choosing the least malevolent invisible friends.—Michael R. Burch

Religion is the ****** of the people.—Karl Marx
Religion is the dopiate of the sheeple.—Michael R. Burch

An ideal that cannot be realized is, in the end, just wishful thinking.—Michael R. Burch

God and his "profits" could never agree
on any gospel acceptable to an intelligent flea.
—Michael R. Burch

To fall an inch short of infinity is to fall infinitely short.—Michael R. Burch

Most Christians make God seem like the Devil. Atheists and agnostics at least give him the "benefit of the doubt."—Michael R. Burch

Hell has been hellishly overdone
since Jehovah and his prophets never mentioned it once.
—Michael R. Burch

(Bible scholars agree: the word "hell" has been removed from the Old Testaments of the more accurate modern Bible translations. And the few New Testament verses that mention "hell" are obvious mistranslations.)



If every witty thing that's said were true,
Oscar Wilde, the world would worship You!
—Michael R. Burch



Shattered
by Vera Pavlova
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

I shattered your heart;
now I limp through the shards
barefoot.



Keywords/Tags: epigram humor satire religion politics love poetry hell trump democracy mrbepi mrbepig mrbepigram

Published as the collection "Epigrams II"

Did you watch it, what a show
Little Mikey slammed around,
Battered slowly blow by blow
With accusations that astound.

Pocahontas on the war path,
She’s the one that wields the axe,
Indignation, poisoned wrath
Her solutions just more tax.

Crazy Bernie full of zeal
Flaring nostrils squinting eyes,
Somewhat bridled brought to heel,
Marxist fervor cut to size.

Sleepy Joe clearly not there
A hologram appearing in his place,
To his chances not a prayer
Slipping badly from the race

Mayor Pete, Amy who?
Going at it head to head,
Lots of insults, no breakthrough
Further progress all but dead.

So who won you might well ask
All who watched could that one see,
There's but one person for the task
And that person's clearly me.

OrIginally published JANUARY 2017 -
The Leader
February 2020 - He Marches On.

Hoofbeats from a strange land,
As cascading Thunder roared,
upon the horse of prosperity,
     he rode purposely,

Many embraced him as disciples,
  Others laughed and jeered,
     A fool has come today,
   But his garments are fine,

Not a son of god nor prophet,
  But rain in a drought,
    For the thirsty,
Who had tasted sand,

  A destroyer for others,
ancient dams would fall,
Thunder, blessings, cursing’s,
For The Leader had come,


  A Time of fear for her,
  A Time of hope for him,
They danced in bitterness,
Why this volatile disunion,

The Leader on his day,
Shouted visions for disciples,
unbelievers swam in confusion,
Many cried and screamed,
              Alas,

James Kirk-Wiggins (c) 2017

“Comrade Bernie's in full swing
Arms flailing, fingers pointing,
Like a possessed puppet on a string
To his legions never disappointing.”

“We're a movement young and strong
Forward thinking, kind to all,
They call us mad but that's so wrong
Such a thought takes quite some gall”.

“We in turn look on bemused
The Stars and Stripes turning to the Sickle,
To put it mildly we're confused
Democrats floundering in a pickle.”

“Little do they understand
Momentum's on our side;
From our crusade we'll never bend
We march united like the tide.”

“Yet Trump's laughing with great glee
Re-election firmly in his sight,
Bernie's pitch a hollow plea
Republicans itching for the fight.”

“They may mock us, underrate
Wait and see, watch and learn;
Our revolution simply fate,
Love the man, feel the Bern.

Who is wrong and who is right
In this battle for our hearts,
One thing’s sure it will be tight
Once we get through all the barbs.

So many words, such boring waffle
Posturing peacocks, whispering snakes,
Actions so twisted doubtful if lawful
A bunch of connivers, dithering flakes.

In the House which they rule
They pointed and frowned
Lectures unending as if back at school,
Comments unwelcomed, arguments drowned.

Then to the Senate the matter was sent
Pelosi's grandstanding the Media in tow,
Swaying opinion her only intent
Her hands animated, her face all aglow.

But Mitch was just waiting,
Lurking, knives drawn,
Biding his time skillfully baiting,
For he had the Queen, they just the Pawn.

Here comes their bleating
Lost sheep wailing foul
They accuse us of cheating
Which makes me just howl.
Boy I like winning
It's such a huge high,
I so can't stop grinning
While watching them cry.

Now the deal's done
This farce put to bed,
I'll continue to stun
As I forge way ahead

They thought they could win
By playing the part
But if acting's a sin
I've mastered that art.

Another four years
Of me and my tribe,
No matter their tears
To me they'll subscribe.