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If I Falter
by Michael R. Burch

for Beth

If I regret
fire in the sunset
exploding on the horizon,
then let me regret loving you.

If I forget
even for a moment
that you are the only one,
then let me forget that the sky is blue.

If I should yearn
in a season of discontentment
for the vagabond light of a companionless moon,
let dawn remind me that you are my sun.

If I should burn—one moment less brightly,
one instant less true—
then with wild scorching kisses,
inflame me, inflame me, inflame me anew.

#

Children of Gaza Lyrics
by Michael R. Burch

I. 
Where does the Butterfly go? 
I'd love to sing about things of beauty, 
like a butterfly, fluttering amid flowers, 
but I can't, I can't …

Where does the butterfly go 
when lightning rails 
when thunder howls 
when hailstones scream 
while winter scowls 
and nights compound dark frosts with snow, 
where does the butterfly go?

Where does the rose hide its bloom 
when night descends oblique and chill 
beyond the power of moonlight to fill? 
When the only relief's a banked fire's glow, 
where does the butterfly go?

Where does the butterfly go 
when mothers cry 
while children die 
and politicians lie, politicians lie?

When the darkness of grief blots out all that we know: 
when love and life are running low, 
where does the butterfly go?

And how shall the spirit take wing 
when life is harsh, too harsh to face, 
and hope is flown without a trace? 

Oh, when the light of life runs low, 
where does the butterfly go, 
where does the butterfly go?

II.
When the soldiers came to our house, 
I was quiet, quiet as a mouse…

But when they beat down our door with a battering ram, 
and I heard their machine guns go "Blam! Blam! Blam!" 
I ran! I ran! I ran!

First I ran to the cupboard and crept inside; 
then I fled to my bed and crawled under, to hide.

I could hear my mother shushing my sister… 
How I hoped and prayed that the bullets missed her! 
My sister! My sister! My sister!

Then I ran next door, to my uncle's house, 
still quiet, quiet as a mouse...

Young as I am, 
I did understand 
that they had come to take our land! 
Our land! Our land! Our land! 
They've come to take our land!

They shot my father, they shot my mother, 
they shot my dear sister, and my big brother! 
They shot down my hopes, they shot down my dreams! 
I still hear their screams! Their screams! Their screams!

Now I am here: small, and sad, and still ... 
no mother, no father, no family, no will.

They took everything I ever had. 
Now how can I live, with no mom and no dad? 
How can I live, with no mom and no dad? 
How can I live? How can I live?

III.
For God’s sake, ah, for God's sake, I’m only a child?
and all you’ve allowed me to learn are these tears scalding my cheeks, 
this ache in my gut at the sight of so many corpses, so much horrifying blood!

For God’s sake, I’m only a child?
you talk about your need for “security,” 
but what about my right to play in streets 
not piled with dead bodies still smoking with white phosphorous!

Ah, for God’s sake, I’m only a child?
for me there's no beauty in the world 
and peace has become an impossible dream; 
destruction is all I know because of your deceptions.

For God’s sake, I’m only a child?
fear and terror surround me stealing my breath 
as I lie shaking like a windblown leaf.

For God’s sake, for God's sake, I'm only a child, 
I'm only a child, I'm only a child.

IV.
If I were King of the World, 
I would make every child free, for my people’s sake. 
And once I had freed them, they’d all run and scream 
straight to my palace, for free ice cream! 
Why are you laughing? Can’t a young king dream?

If I were King of the World, I would banish 
hatred and war, and make mean men vanish. 
Then, in their place, I’d bring in a circus 
with lions and tigers (but they’d never hurt us!)

If I were King of the World, I would teach 
the preachers to always do as they preach; 
and so they could practice being of good cheer, 
we’d have Christmas and sweets each day of the year! 
Why are you laughing? Some dreams do appear!

If I were King of the World, I would send 
my couns'lors of peace to the wide world’s end ... 
But all this hard dreaming is making me thirsty! 
I proclaim lemonade; please bring it in a hurry!

If I were King of the World, I would fire 
racists and bigots, with their message so dire. 
And we wouldn’t build walls, to shut people out. 
I would build amusement parks, have no doubt!

If I were King of the World, I would make 
every child blessed, for my people’s sake, 
and every child safe, and every child free, 
and every child happy, especially me! 
Why are you laughing? Appoint me and see!

V.
There never was a fonder smile 
than mother's smile, no softer touch 
than mother's touch. So sleep awhile 
and know she loves you more than "much".

So more than "much", much more than "all". 
Though tender words, these do not speak 
of love at all, nor how we fall 
and mother's there, nor how we reach 
from nightmares in the ticking night 
and she is there to hold us tight.

There never was a stronger back 
than father's back, that held our weight 
and lifted us, when we were small, 
and bore us till we reached the gate, 
then held our hands that first bright mile 
till we could run, and did, and flew. 
But, oh, a mother's tender smile 
will leap and follow after you!

#

Happily Never After
Michael R. Burch

He did not think of love of Her at all
frog-plangent nights, as moons engoldened roads
through crumbling stonewalled provinces, where toads
(nee princes) ruled in chinks and grew so small
at last to be invisible. He smiled
(the fables erred so curiously), and thought
bemusedly of being reconciled
to human flesh, because his heart was not
incapable of love, but, being cursed
a second time, could only love a toad’s,
and listened as inflated frogs rehearsed
cheekbulging tales of anguish from green moats,
and thought of her soft croak, her skin fine-warted,
his anemic flesh, and how true love was thwarted.
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