self-made is self-man made
self-made is self-man made glory
joy is self-made joy
joy is a joyful self-made
joy is a joyful glory
glory is a joy of glory
glory of joy,glory of self-made

man is man made glory
a mass of glory is a mass of man made
a mass of glory is a mass of energy
energy is a mass of energy
energy is a mass of joy
energy is a joy of energy
mass is a joy of energy

self-made is self-made energy
self-made is self-made mass
time is man made
time is self-made
time is self-made joy
self-made joy is self-made time

birth of mankind
birth is a new birth of joy
a new foundation is a new birth of joy
foundation is foundation of joy
mankind is founded by joy
mankind is founded by mankind
new joy  is new birth of joy

birth is a new joy founded by new joy
foundation is founded by a new birth of joy
new joy is new foundation
birth of mankind is a birth of joy
joy is founded by joy
joy is founded by a birth of joy
a century is a birth of a century

a century is a birth of joy
a century is a birth of mankind
a century is founded by a century

Rounds
by Michael R. Burch

Solitude surrounds me
though nearby laughter sounds;
around me mingle men who think
to drink their demons down,
in rounds.

Now agony still hounds me
though elsewhere mirth abounds;
hidebound I stand and try to think,
not sink still further down,
spellbound.

Their ecstasy astounds me,
though drunkenness compounds
resounding laughter into joy;
alloy such glee with beer and see
bliss found.

***

This is an elegy that I dedicated to my mother, Christine Ena Burch, after her death from Covid pneumonia. 

These are epigrams by Michael R. Burch and his translations of epigrams by other poets  ...

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

Love has the value
of gold, if it’s true;
if not, of rue.
—Michael R. Burch

Belly belly the hard boiled egg.
I map out of a dream.

Your smile in times of terror and pain

- reminds that that your spirit and mine are stronger than we have ever given ourselves credit for.