Lot's Wife
They say I looked back out of curiosity.
But I could have had other reasons.
I looked back mourning my silver bowl.
Carelessly, while tying my sandal strap.
So I wouldn't have to keep staring at the righteous nape
of my husband Lot's neck.
From the sudden conviction that if I dropped dead
he wouldn't so much as hesitate.
From the disobedience of the meek.
Checking for pursuers.
Struck by the silence, hoping God had changed his mind.
Our two daughters were already vanishing over the hilltop.
I felt age within me. Distance.
The futility of wandering. Torpor.
I looked back setting my bundle down.
I looked back not knowing where to set my foot.
Serpents appeared on my path,
spiders, field mice, baby vultures.
They were neither good nor evil now--every living thing
was simply creeping or hopping along in the mass panic.
I looked back in desolation.
In shame because we had stolen away.
Wanting to cry out, to go home.
Or only when a sudden gust of wind
unbound my hair and lifted up my robe.
It seemed to me that they were watching from the walls of Sodom
and bursting into thunderous laughter again and again.
I looked back in anger.
To savor their terrible fate.
I looked back for all the reasons given above.
I looked back involuntarily.
It was only a rock that turned underfoot, growling at me.
It was a sudden crack that stopped me in my tracks.
A hamster on its hind paws tottered on the edge.
It was then we both glanced back.
No, no. I ran on,
I crept, I flew upward
until darkness fell from the heavens
and with it scorching gravel and dead birds.
I couldn't breathe and spun around and around.
Anyone who saw me must have thought I was dancing.
It's not inconceivable that my eyes were open.
It's possible I fell facing the city.
poem by Wislawa Szymborska
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Related quotes
That Cat Won't Sit On Your Lap
She warned me
That cat won't sit on your lap
She won't let you pick her up
And she won't let you sit on your lap
She likes to rub her head on you
But that's it
She won't let you pick her up
The cat looked at me
I looked at her
I let her rub her head on my leg
I look at her again and made a cat noise
She said, you'll see, she doesn't let anybody pick her up
I just looked at the cat
She looked at me
I reached to pick her up and she flinched
But she came back
I looked at her
And picked her up
She arched her back briefly
I rubbed her head, which she liked
The cat stayed on my lap
She said....how did you do that?
I said, I just did!
I looked a the cat
she looked at me
And we agreed not to tell
I put her down
As I did she knowingly looked back at me.
poem by James T. Adair
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Cold Drive And A Warm Night-Chapter Two
He watched her take the drink
still warm and she cupped it
with two hands, warming them up.
The hands were thin.
She was not a farm girl
and she averted her eyes when
she looked at him.
The face was small with delicate
features
yet they were strong in their own way.
He wondered how what kind of lover she would be..
He wondered too how she could have
made a wrong turn and gotten here.
There were signs that clearly stated
'no public road'. 'dead end road.'
She noticed his stare and pulled at
her comforter, pulled it up more
around her shoulders.
She looked at him as she did so
noticing if he was noticing, if he was looking.
He noticed her noticing.
But he did not stop looking and she
to his surprize, didn't avert her eyes.
She looked right back, examing his face.
He looked down a bit to see what the comforter
was concealing, what shape her breasts were.
She noticed this too, and blushed.
He grunted, his grunt, satisfied that he had
a good look at her and got up.
He still didn't know what she was doing there
and he would feel uneasy until he find out.
He stood, walked by her and took his coat
from the coat stand, her eyes following him.
He turned pulling the heavy coat on saying.
'I'll be back.'
Have to check and push your car
back onto the road. Otherwise, the wind
will kick up, and by morning it will be buried
and tough to get out.
Another storm coming in.
It'll be cold tonite.'
Her eyes diverted again and she said, 'You will be back?
How long will it take? '
'You'll be ok. You can call me on the spare cell phone
over there. Look up my name, Lonnie.'
She nodded.
He closed the door still disturbed about her sudden arrival.
It was not an accident. He would check her glove compartment
in her rental car, maybe some info there, he thought to himself.
Meantime, Jenny sat up drinking her tea thinking:
'Damn he will find the rental agreement. What else was in the car? '
He'll start to wonder why she was really there. She could see that
he didn't believe her 'lost' story. 'Damn her cell phone was in the car too.
Everything was in the car. Damn her purse too! He had everything.
He wasn't what she expected, younger, sort of bold in the way he
looked at you. He really looked at you. Made her a bit uneasy
but it was different to have someone look at you. I mean he looked
at everything, your eyes, your hair, your body. The man looked.
But flirting aside she knew he'd be back and she would have to explain
why she was really there.
She was safe but it might not be comfortable when he found out.
poem by Lonnie Hicks
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Mountains On Fire (Fun Poem 94)
Many years ago, my wife and I
went to Scotland and stayed in a holiday chalet.
Behind it stood a mountain
and you had to crane your neck to see the top.
One day my wife awoke
and looked out the window and panic gripped her.
“The mountains on fire! ” She shouted,
loud enough to wake the dead.
I got up and looked out the window.
“Oh Yea.” I said and went back to bed.
“What are we going to do about it? ” She asked.
“What are we going to do? ”
“Come back to bed.” I said.
“When the mist clears you will see the mountain is Ok.”
5 February 2009
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Look Forward
'Hi friend, how are you? '
Looked back; To my surprise - 'You? '
'Yeah, yeah, you never turned back'.
'Sorry late night, so didn't look back '.
After years I saw him, very thin.
On a single blow to flee unseen.
'Working where' I asked.He silenced.
May be of no job, I guessed
He walked back and forth.
Looked funny and fishy in truth.
He worded, 'what are you doing?
O' know in a paper mill you're working '.
I doubted him to spy me long.
A school mate viciously wrong,
Left out and forgotten by everybody,
Now holding me. Around us was nobody.
Hour passed, he said bye.' Hold on
What are you' I went on.
'Ghosting' answered to vanish. Felt something
God! since then I don't look back!
poem by Indira Renganathan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Looked At You
i looked at you,
and saw the fugitive
in my mirror.
i looked at me,
and saw the child in you.
i looked at God,
and saw the stranger waiting.
i looked at the stranger,
and saw my brother in need.
i looked at freedom,
and saw the bars of the cell.
i looked at the bars,
and saw my spirit walk free.
i looked at anger,
and saw forgiveness waiting.
i looked at forgiveness,
and saw the hands of love.
i looked at my body,
and saw the bird leaving the nest.
i looked at the nest,
and saw a world made of straw.
i looked at today,
and saw the scars of yesterday.
i looked at yesterday,
and saw the dawning of tomorrow.
i looked at the seed,
and saw the plant in fullness.
i looked at fullness,
and saw emptiness the seed.
i looked at you...
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Disappear
dragged my feet across a seat
Jumped out the passenger side
The only thing worth looking for
Is what you find inside
But that had not yet appeared
Lost invisible here.
Tel Aviv and Agadir
Tone deaf for almost
Before I learned to see
The vanishing point appeared.
I looked for you everywhere
I looked for you everywhere.
There is a calm I haven't come to yet
I spent half my life figuring what comes next
I telescoped in I finally win
I finally win the prize
That now eyes see comets perfect timing squeeze
Head first fighting everything
The crushing force of memory
Erasing all I've been
The vanishing point appeared.
I looked for you everywhere.
I looked for you everywhere.
Tell me why you're here.
I came to disappear.
Look at this face
Can you believe it?
Am I living in the beautiful vacuum?
Because I can't see it
The vanishing point appears.
I looked for you everywhere.
I looked for you everywhere.
Tell me why you're here.
I came to disappear.
Tell me why you're here.
I came to disappear.
I came to disappear.
song performed by by R.E.M. from Reveal
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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2008: Nothing To Talk About
She sat down in the booth with her drink and her number
Her lunch was cooking then they'd bring it to her
She looked so alone elderly with washed-out color of hair
Then he caught up and sat down across from her
Looked to be her son or about that age
So thin with a dirty pony tail counldn't sit still
Few words no smiles he looking left and right she down
Her tray came nothing for him he can't sit
Tells her he's going to look for a store
She tells him Lucky's is just across the street
Standing he looks out the windows
Like he doesn't know what direction to go
Then he's gone and back quickly bought nothing
Still can't sit asks if it's OK if he goes back outside
She looks so lonely no one to talk to
When he's here or when he must step outside
She know what he needs and can't find
He comes back in looking for her
She's not in the booth he can't wait
He's back outside by their car pacing around
She's out of the bathroom walking to her car's driver's side
He need a ride somewhere for something he can't talk about
I wouldn't think he'd find what he wants around here
But I may not know where to look or who to talk to
poem by Tom J. Mariani
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Her Mother's Dark Moments
In one of her mother’s
dark moments
of opening up
Clara’s mother had said
of the baby
which died
after a few days
that she threw it
in the trash
before anyone
could find out
about the darn thing
and you could
back then girl
you could get away
with almost anything
if no one knew a thing
about it
and then her mother’d
clammed up
and go back
to staring into space
as if she’d opened up
too much
and Clara tried to imagine
what it must have been like
to have done that
and she tried to picture
her dead sister
lying amongst trash
and what she looked like
and what colour hair
she had
and her eyes
when she was briefly alive
what colour they were
and how they stared out
at the mother
glaring back at her
not wanting
not caring
and it all came back
to that in the end
the wanting of being
of love
and seeing he mother
there just sitting
and staring
and not wanting
and not caring
just the occasional glimmer
in eyes
that were becoming
darker and dimmer.
poem by Terry Collett
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Disappear
I dragged my feet across the seat
Jumped out the passenger side
The only thing worth looking for
Is what you find inside
But that had not yet appeared
Lost invisible here.
Tel aviv and agadir
Taroudant or olomouc
Before I learned to see
The vanishing point appeared.
I looked for you everywhere.
I looked for you everywhere.
There is a calm I havent come to yet
I spent half my life figuring what comes next
I telescoped in I finally win
I finally win the prize.
That now my eyes see
A comics perfect timing squeezed.
Head first fighting everything
The crushing force of memory
Erasing all Ive been
The vanishing point appeared.
I looked for you everywhere.
I looked for you everywhere.
Tell me why youre here
I came to disappear.
Look at this face
Can you believe it?
Am I living in the beautiful vacuum?
Because I cant see it
The vanishing point appears.
I looked for you everywhere.
I looked for you everywhere.
Tell me why youre here.
I came to disappear
Tell me why youre here
I came to disappear
I came to disappear
song performed by by REM
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Do You Want To Play?
Met her on a friday afternoon
In a neon dayglo pink
Chiffon satin room
She never looked back
She always looked good
Dressed in black
And she says oh
Do you want to play?
She lived beneath the
Disco discount store
With pictures of Randy Newman
Scattered all across the floor
I said "This place
Looks sort of desolate"
She said
"Are you only half alive?
Or have you simply always
Been this inarticulate?"
Oh
Do you want to play?
Don't think too hard
Don't think too fast
Don't ever try and say
What you can't take back
Don't try and comprehend
What you can't understand
Beneath the disco daylight
Neon crystal chandeleir
Pink champagne deity
I said "Take it back
Take it back
Take it back"
Oh
Do you want to play?
Oh
Do you want to play?
song performed by by Jewel from This Way
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ines
I saw that glance
As you looked back
Your eyes so brown
Your hair so black.
Those perfect lips
A sculptors dream
That oval face
Your skin like cream
You hair like silk
Down that sweet back
I wish you'd looked
At me like that!
Copyright © Res John Burman 2009
poem by Res John Burman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Looked Inside Myself /And There I Seemed Somebody Else
I LOOKED INSIDE MYSELF /AND THERE I SEEMED SOMEBODY ELSE
I looked inside myself
And there I seemed somebody else-
And then I looked away
And it seemed I'd come back to stay-
There is no me
And yes
there is,
More of me
Than I can say-
Many am I and not at all
And all of course only one-
Self or self or not self today
One day soon I will be gone -
Who I am
And what I be
Only God -Great Mystery
May retell my small history.
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Where Does Time Go?
Where does the time go, It seem like just the other day, Your eyes were barely open, And I had no words to say.
You would lay there in my arms, As you looked up at me, That's when I knew what love was, As I looked back down at thee.
You have never cared about my stature, Or what I couldnt give, all u wanted was my love, And forever with me to live.
Looking back it don't seem so far, Since the first time I did kiss, Now your almost all grown up, All the cherished times I do miss! !
poem by Richard Goolsby
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Fabian
My name is Fabian and,
There was a time that i loved a woman;
But she kept growing and never looked back.
There was a day that i made love to this woman and,
She kept smiling and never looked back;
For i never knew that she was very lonely.
She cried for love and i satisfied her,
But after some time she went back into the thin air!
She never called back and she never wrote to me;
Then i knew what was wrong,
For this lovely lonely lady who suppose to be mine is gone forever!
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Give Me The Right
(words & music by wise - blagman)
Give me the right
To hold you tonight
The tears that Ive cried over you
Give me the right
You cant say no
When I need you so
I want you back in my arms
Give me the right
If you looked deep in your heart
Like I looked into mine
Youll find that nothing has changed
Our love was there all the time
Why make me plead
For something you need
I want to bring back the thrill
Give me the right
Give me the right
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Rising Sun
Do you just drift away
shattered with a empty emotion
from feeling's of the past
promise's that wouldn't stay
now they are all gone
you got no place left to go
So you take a ride
away from the rising sun
leaving everything behind
searching for things out there
that you couldn't find
did the good time's last
out there on the run
Lost inside the mirror of illusion
of everything forgotten and abused
was it a safe place for you to hide
away from the pain and confusion
beaten down and used
did it ever escape your mind
She just stared out the window
and said I've said again and again
time after time
no, the pain never escaped my mind
as fast as I could drive
as far as I could hide
I looked beside me
and confusion was riding by my side
So I turned around
my back to the calling moon
and I drove back toward the sun
but here in the dark I wasn't sure
where everything had gone
and as easy as I drifted away
in the winds of yesterday
against the wind
it was harder that way
But I fought on to travel the miles
back to where we once stood
feeling crazy that I was hoping
you would still be standing at the crossroads
where that canyon between where things
changed to not so good
as I crested that mountain
of going back
I feared that I have lost the way
nothing looked the same
And then spreading across the horizon
melting over the Eastern sky
the sun began to rise
and there you were
no confusion, no illusion
there you were
this time with the rising sun
Spiritwind/Violet Blue-2010
poem by Spiritwind Wood
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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What I Want Is What Ive Got
All that I want
In my life
Is the feeling of peace
Deep within me truly
I took a chance
I let go
I promised myself
That it wouldnt scare me
Miracles appear I know
Now I can see it show
cause i
Found out what I dreamt of
And looked it up
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Found out what was missing
And I looked it up and
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Life is too short
To hold back
I wont live in the past
Being lonely now I know
This is the time
Of my life
Yes Im sure what I want
Is what Ive got
Miracles appear I know
Now I can see it show
cause i
Found out what I dreamt of
And I looked it up
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Found out what was missing
And I looked it up and
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Now Ive found out what ive
Been dreaming of
Its the feeling of peace deep within me
Cause life is too short to hold back
I made up my mind I just
Found out what I dreamt of
And looked it up
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Found out what was missing
And I looked it up and
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Found out what I dreamt of
And looked it up
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
Found out what was missing
And I looked it up and
At this very moment
What I want is what Ive got
song performed by by Westlife
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Alone
I was walking on the street lonely
obsessed with the people stalking calmly
Every one staring at me like an alien
never had an idea of me making such a big mistake
but never my life was at stake.
Looked back, looked back but nothing
except the gaze as I never made the stage.
Never had a puppeteer nor the puppets
unlike you puppets my life was not in cage
bonded by the desperate relationships. everlasting love?
poem by P. Ashok Kumar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Second Time
Written by stevie nicks and rick vito.
Was it in my mind
Or was it true
That woman used to hollywood living
Do you remember how
The angels sang
And your sorrows left you there
Right before the lights came up
Do you remember
You took my hand
Do you remember, my friend
Did you feel like it was
The second time with you,
That feeling of a vivid memory
Well it had to do
With a dream come true
And someone that you loved
And would always love
The second time around
For us
She never looked back
Someone that you loved
And would always love
The second time around, for us
She never looked back
She could never look back
song performed by by Fleetwood Mac
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Get Back
(LennonMcCartney)
[Sweet Loretta Fat thought she was a cleaner but she was a frying pan.]
Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner
But he knew it wouldn't last.
Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona
For some California grass.
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jojo. Go home
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jo.
Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman
But she was another man
All the girls around her say she's got it coming
But she gets it while she can
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Loretta. Go home
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Loretta
Your mother's waiting for you
Wearing her high-heel shoes
And her low-neck sweater
Get on home Loretta
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
[Thanks, Mo! ...on behalf of the group I hope we passed the audition.]
song performed by by Paul McCartney
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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