Wislawa Szymborska

On Death, Without Exaggeration

It can't take a joke,
find a star, make a bridge.
It knows nothing about weaving, mining, farming,
building ships, or baking cakes.
In our planning for tomorrow,
it has the final word,
which is always beside the point.

It can't even get the things done
that are part of its trade:
dig a grave,
make a coffin,
clean up after itself.

Preoccupied with killing,
it does the job awkwardly,
without system or skill.
As though each of us were its first kill.

Oh, it has its triumphs,
but look at its countless defeats,
missed blows,
and repeat attempts!

Sometimes it isn't strong enough
to swat a fly from the air.
Many are the caterpillars
that have outcrawled it.

All those bulbs, pods,
tentacles, fins, tracheae,
nuptial plumage, and winter fur
show that it has fallen behind
with its halfhearted work.

Ill will won't help
and even our lending a hand with wars and coups d'etat
is so far not enough.

Hearts beat inside eggs.
Babies' skeletons grow.
Seeds, hard at work, sprout their first tiny pair of leaves
and sometimes even tall trees fall away.

Whoever claims that it's omnipotent
is himself living proof
that it's not.

There's no life
that couldn't be immortal
if only for a moment.

Death
always arrives by that very moment too late.

In vain it tugs at the knob
of the invisible door.
As far as you've come
can't be undone.

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Notes For A Tomorrow

i feel very fortunate to be able
to write, and to share my thoughts
and feelings
i also feel a responsibility to write
the truth, not only my truth, but the
truth of all those around me
and so i paint these pictures of life,
some quite beautiful, some harsh and
distressing
we, as a people, and as individuals
are the human race. and what makes
it work is the word we
we are a part of each other, our happiness
and our hopes are dependent on each other
there is no i that is not a part of we!
we have reached a point in time when things
are extremely hard when it's almost impossible
to survive when it would be easy to lose hope
too many wars, too much poverty, too much disease,
too much homelessness, too much despair
if i'm not able to communicate anything else
let it be this each of you, each of us, and all
of life are precious it's time to join hands, and
work together for peace, and for a tomorrow
if we dont, there wont be a tomorrow
every moment we have is a gift a gift that
begs to be shared
in the wake of 9/11, and of the wars let's stand up
stand up and be counted as believers in life, and
in each other
i care about each of you and thank you for your time

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Glad To Be Alive (7'' Mix)

[INTRO:]
Ohh life's so hard
Someday's you need something new to wear
Like a brand new hat
[1a:]
Try so hard
To work it out
People try to hold you back
On day's like that
You need another hand
[1b:]
It's the same all over the world
People have to earn a living
Now you're so far from the troubles at home
Leave them alone
And they'll work themselves out
[CHORUS:]
We love it
Glad to be alive
I like it
Working over time in lovin'
I hope tomorrow feels like this
Yeah
[2:]
Dreaming hard
Brand new car
And another home loan
And the phone bill is overdue
Don't give up on rainy days
I've seen the sun come shining through
On you and me
Make you feel alright
[1b:]
[CHORUS:]
[BRIDGE:]
Life's so hard
We can work it out
Will it's a big tough city
We can work out our way
[CHORUS:]
[repeat & fade]

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The hidden Lion

make yourself smell like a perfume of passion, that never dies
and a wonderful moment that never fades, day to reckon
where everybody will remember, when our eternity await,
its final destiny

hidden lion keeps us, roaring in and out looking someone to be
devour living inside our soul, with every tears it fall, even
death it deceived, for the lion is very strong to push us in
the dungeon of the abyss of no return

the gift of life we share is the same life we give, let this be the
life that leads our offspring we entrusted the earth we left
with them, make the best, out what we inherited, the immortal
life, we bring is one that blooms the spring

life is just makes us fool, deceive what makes us fall, a lion in us
push us to feel that, the truth tell us the righteous way to the
kingdom we pray, is the final life we will stay

the freedom gain, of Adam and Eve pain is tainted with blood, that
makes us strong to face what brings us down, for the lion in
our heads hold the fortress, of the secret of the chamber of
our hearts, the Faith........

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The End Of The World

Go if you want to
I never tried to stop you
Know there's a reason
For all of this you're feeling
Low, it's not my call
You couldn't ever love me more
You couldn't love me more
You couldn't love...
Me - I don't show much
It's not that hard to hide you
See in a moment
I can't remember how to
Be all you wanted
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love...
You want me to cry and play my part
I want you to sigh and fall apart
We want this like everyone else
Stay if you want to
I always wait to hear you say
There's a last kiss
For all the times you run this way
It's not my fault
You couldn't ever love me more
You couldn't love me more
You couldn't love...
Love me more
Couldn't ever love me more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love
You want me to lie not break your heart
I want you to fly not stop and start
We want us like everything else
Maybe we didn't understand
Not just a boy and a girl
It's just the end of the
End of the world
Me - I don't say much
It's far too hard to make you
See in a moment
I still forget just how to
Be all you wanted
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love you more

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This Is The Moment

This is the moment
This is the day
This is the moment
When I know
I am on my way
Every endeavor
I have made ever
Is coming into play
Is here and now today
This is the moment
This the time
When the momentum
And the moment
are in rhyme
Give me this moment
My precious chance
I'll gather up my best
And make some sense atlast
This is the moment
When all I've done
All of the dreaming,
scheming
And screaming
becomes one
This is the day,
Just see it shine
When all that I have lived for
Becomes mine
This is the moment
This is the hour
When I can open up,
Tomorrow
like a flower
And put my hand to
Everything I plan to
Fulfill my grand desire
See all my stars align
This is the moment
My final test
Destiny beckoned
I never reckoned second best
I won't look back
I must not fall
This is the moment
The sweetest moment
Of them all
This is the moment
So double the odds
This day or never
I'll sit forever
with the gods
When I look back
I will recall
Moment for moment
This was the moment
The greatest moment of them all.

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(Love Poem) Building It All Up

Building it all up. Here I come.
With the antidote to what you need.
So sure of myself.
Absolute certainty.

Building it all up.
This is concrete.
No more dragging my feet.
You make me feel whole and complete.

Building it all up.
Time to lay the foundation to the everlasting.
Forever as a word means nothing,
but in my heart it means everything.
Building it all up.
Even when its hard.
Even whens it far.
I still can see my star.
Even in the dark.
It shines so bright.

Building it all up.
I feel so strong.
The weight of whole world on my shoulders.
It will never get old.
It will never get cold.
You are building my fire,
my warmth, everything that means so much.
So build it all up.
Here I come.
Were gonna have so much fun.
But yet the work shall never be done.
I will always love you hun. Always.

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Right Now

Dont wanna wait til tomorrow,
Why put it off another day?
One more walk through problems,
Built up, and stand in our way ,ah
One step ahead, one step behind me
Now you gotta run to get even
Make future plans, dont dream about yesterday, hey
Cmon turn, turn this thing around
Right now, hey
Its your tomorrow
Right now,
Cmon,its everything
Right now,
Catch a magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything
Miss the beat, you lose the rhythm,
And nothing falls into place, no
Only missed by a fraction,
Slipped a little off your pace, oh,
The more things you get, the more you want,
Just trade in one for the other,
Workin so hard, to make it easier, whoa,
Got to turn, cmon turn this thing around
Right now, hey
Its your tomorrow
Right now,
Cmon, its everything
Right now,
Catch that magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything
Its enlightened me, right now
What are you waitin for
Oh, yeah, right now
(solo)
Right now, hey
Its your tomorrow
Right now,
Cmon, its everything
Right now,
Catch that magic moment, and do it right,
Right now
Right now, oh, right now
Its whats happening?
Right here and now
Right now
Its right now
Oh,
Tell me, what are you waiting for
Turn this thing around

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Cant Wait

Ive been on this road a long time
Ive been travellin for days
But it seems Im getting nowhere
I just cant find my way
Ive been following directions
But they must be out of date
And I cant, and I cant, and I cant, no I cant
Decide which road to take
See Ive got to find my baby
Cause we need to work things out
Ive got to see that woman
I cannot do without her!
You know I cant wait, cant wait another moment
I cant wait, I cant wait another heartbeat
No I cant wait, cant wait another moment
I couldnt wait another heartbeat
I cant wait until midnight
And the nights go on forever
These days I get no sleep
And I miss her more than ever
Inside where love runs deep
Oh I know Im going to find her
Cause Im following this star
And I cant, and I cant, no I cant turn back
Oh lord, Ive come so far
And Ill know shell whisper in my ear
bout all the things Ive missed
Shes got that way about her now
I never could resist
And now I cant wait, cant wait another moment
No I cant wait, I cant wait another heartbeat
I cant wait, cant wait another moment
I couldnt wait another heartbeat
I cant wait until midnight
No I cant wait
I cant wait another moment
I couldnt wait another heartbeat
I cant wait until the midnight
Now I cant wait
No no no cant wait
No no no
Cant wait
No no no
Cant wait
(repeat and fade out)

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Killin Time

People polishing guns
Theyve got nothing better to do
Though they think theyre having fun
Theyre just living to die, if they but knew
Now, now
All day long they sit at home
Waiting for the milk to come
Watch them turn into stone
Thinking bout the things they might have done,
Now, now
You missed the point, you missed the point
You really missed the point
Everybodys got to know
Loves the reason were here
No matter which way you go
Loves gonna meet you there
Killing time, killing time
Killing time, killing time
You missed the point, you really missed the point
Made me cry, I wonder why, why
You missed the point, you missed the point
You really missed the point

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Half-life

This thing we call an existence, I stand here
Trying to make some sense of it all,
Each pathway offers resistance, I force a smile
But its just not from the heart,
Im wrong for the part --
And I work like a dog to get even, take my chances
And go on believin, though deep in my heart I dream
Of brakin away
*are we all livin a half-life,
No point of dimension,
Trying to find our way,
Do we search in the dark,
You and i, livin a half-life,
Beyond our pretension,
Were much the same
We search for the spark*
Behind the smoke screen around me,
There beats a heart that is simple dreams that are mine --
Were only here for a moment, we try and capture the magic
Somehow in time, we make it all rhyme
And we work like a dog to get even, take our chances
And go on believin, though deep in our hearts we dream
Of breakin the chains
(* repeat)
And I work like a dog to get even,
Take my chances and go on believin
Though deep in my heart I dream of breakin away,
(* repeat)

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Make that fall

For a bird to discover its wings
And its “natural” ability of flying
It first has to make a fall
From the highest possible point in space
Only after several such daring attempts
Is the art of flight acquired
And the sky-confidence obtained
The danger is real
But, so are the rewards
If you cannot make that fall
You will never know you can
You will crawl when in fact you can fly
There is an Invisible Hand
Its strength is the strength of the whiling wind
Its length is the length of all the rivers of the planet
There is an Invisible Hand
That will never let you hit the ground too hard
When you finally decide to make that fall

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All I Have To Do Is Kill Her

Pulling this watch as faces go
Pulling in a word and done it slow this other time
I see your face is silent
Oh, we go away and play
What have you done
Takes a feeling inside us all
Continue out with just one push in my mouth
But you're so close now
And you're so close now
All i have to do is three short blows
All that still is best inside
The full when the wall
And you don't even know
And the other faces here with me
The others dressed in summers thing
If only one way is to be beautiful
If only one way is to the other song
And every time it's you, it's like the blood on the stairs is sent away
And every time we see it's all said before you
If only the ways to kill you
You used to say this fear of drowning
Fear no death by water
Father walks in at the foot of the bed
Six of you want to see you safe
Just one time you'll meet this man
All you've got to do is kill her
And all you've got to do is kill her
Trickle the sands against and pull the animals
Just out of the womb
Seeing the cow dead before he was born
It's the man he, he loved
The solid pieces fell on the ground
He couldn't kill another life
He couldn't kill another life
He couldn't kill another life
It's all been painted with love
It could have been some friends
Pulling strings to meet you
All i want to do is reach it
She says 'let go my shoulder!'
See the sky!
And the sky goes black
And the sky goes black
I just want to feel her
I just want to feel her
I just want you to feel it
I just want you to feel it
Everytime i looked up the stairs
I used to see her die
She would move so slow
Anyone could've been but she was a cat
Anyone could've been she was a cat
Pulling away as i used to fight
That's just playing so low
That ugly or pretty
The face stays the same
Her face stays the same
Her face stays the same
The ugly or pretty
Her face stays the same, stays the same, stays the same
And looking on the final walls
And looking on the final walls
Did you now find this malice out
The angels fall
Let's make some more ('noise'?)
Let's make some more ('noise'?)
Help me be your mother for just one day
Let's fall in churches far outside
They used to love they used to love...

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Buy Me A Rose

(jim funk/erik hickenlooper)
He works hard to give her all he thinks she wants
A three car garage, her own credit cards
He pulls in late to wake her up with a kiss good night
If he could only read her mind, shed say:
Buy me a rose, call me from work
Open a door for me, what would it hurt
Show me you love me by the look in your eyes
These are the little things I need the most in my life
Now the days have grown to years of feeling all alone
And she cant help but wonder what shes doing wrong
Cause lately shed try anything to turn his head
Would it make a difference if she said:
Buy me a rose, call me from work
Open a door for me, what would it hurt
Show me you love me by the look in your eyes
These are the little things I need the most in my life
And the more that he lives the less that he tries
To show her the love that he hold inside
And the more that she gives the more that he sees
This is a story of you and me
So I bought you a rose on the way home from work
Opened the door to a heart that I hurt
And I hope you notice this look in my eyes
Cause Im gonna make things right
Im gonna hold you tonight
Do all those little things
For the rest of your life.

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Anything But Strong

Why do you hurt yourself?
You do it very well
You do it so politely
That you couldnt even tell
When everything has changed
You think youre not to blame
How come you keep on talking
When the whole thing feels so strange? ....
But seeing
Is not the same as believing
When everything goes wrong
Youre anything but strong
Its all bittersweet
Outside in the street
The grass is growing greener
Underneath your feet
We come and go
The deep water flows
Tiny leaves from smaller seeds
To tall trees do grow
But wanting
Is not the same thing as needing
Theres no need to pretend
You cant turn back again
And loving
Is so different to keeping
The hurting that we send
Is so difficult to mend
[hold on to the good things]
[that keep you from falling down]
[hold on to the good things]
[that keep you from falling down]
How my heart aches
More than I can take
What are we really learning
When we make the same mistakes?
Where is your hope?
Its all gone up in smoke
You used to be so funny
Now its just the same old joke
And laughing
Is so very close to crying
When theres nothing to defend
It gets you in the end
And living
Is so very close to dying
You struggle on and on
To find where you belong
Where do you belong?

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Didn't Mean

[1st Verse:]
Baby don't, don't go.
You know I need you so.
Sometimes my pride gets in the way.
I say things that I don't mean when I think your hurting me.
I love you more and more each day, each day.
[Chorus:]
I didn't, I didn't mean to make you cry.
I don't want, I don't want you to say goodbye.
I didn't, I didn't mean to make you sad.
Your the best love I ever had.
And nothin', and nothin' goin' to tear us apart.
And for this, and for this love we work so hard.
And can we, can we try to work it out.
I'm yours all yours with out a doubt.
[2nd Verse:]
I know that living wit me can sometimes be unhappy
but I really need you in my life, yeah.
Cause every part of me you totaly complete.
Remember to make me your wife? Please and...
[Chorus:]
I didn't, I didn't mean to make you cry.
I don't want, I don't want you to say goodbye.
I didn't, I didn't mean to make you sad.
Your the best love I ever had.
And nothin', and nothin' goin' to tear us apart.
And for this, and for this love we work so hard.
And can we, can we try to work it out.
I'm yours all yours with out a doubt.
[Musical Interlude]
[Repeat Chorus 1x]
[Musical Interlude 2]
[Repeat Chorus 1x]
[Bridge:]
Were only human baby, were gonna make mistakes boy
I really need for you to forgive me. (I need you to forgive me).
We can't let this love go.
I love you more than you know.
I really need for you to forgive me.
(Forgiiive me...)

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Glad To Be Alive

Written: craig harnath, c carranza
Intro:
Ohh lifes so hard
Somedays you need something new to wear
Like a brand new hat
1a:
Try so hard
To work it out
People try to hold you back
On days like that
You need another hand
1b:
Its the same all over the world
People have to earn a living
Now youre so far from the troubles at home
Leave them alone
And theyll work themselves out
Chorus:
We love it
Glad to be alive
I like it
Working over time in lovin
I hope tomorrow feels like this
Yeah
2:
Dreaming hard
Brand new car
And another home loan
And the phone bill is overdue
Dont give up on rainy days
Ive seen the sun come shining through
On you and me
Make you feel alright
1b:
Chorus:
Bridge:
Lifes so hard
We can work it out
Will its a big tough city
We can work out our way
Chorus:
(repeat & fade)

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What If I Fell In Love?

what if i fell in love with a leaf,
became the tree that nurtured?
became the sun, the rain, and the wind,
and the turning of the seasons...
what if i fell in love with the lock
on the knob of the door to eternity?
what if you were the only key?
whose hands would make the turn?
what if i fell in love with shadows,
etched by the blade of hungry light?
whose face, whose form, whose scent...
whose imprint on my soul?
what if i fell in love facing death,
and you were my last breath?
would you breathe into me rivers...
rivers and trees, and stone laid paths.
what if i fell in love despite of...
despite of wars, poverty, and anguish?
would you restore hope to the hopeless?
and build a fire to warm the night...
what if i fell in love again,
and we met like strangers for the first time?
would your hand fit into mine?
could we find passion stolen by loss?
what if i fell in love because i have to,
because i want to, because i need to?
because life demands to be lived,
and time is but a moment!
what if i fell in love with a leaf...
what sound would it make when it fell?
would the world be strong enough to go on?
would the sun ever rise again?

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Work Of Art

Life is a ‘work of art”, and humanity is the biggest part.
We draw and paint masterpieces, and write the
Histories of each generation.
Just to show that we’ve been here
Because in our lives we live in fear.

Paintings, pictures, movies and words
With all this knowledge we still don’t learn.
For we create our heavens, and we create our hells
Look around you and you can tell.

Wars, hunger, poverty and hate
We better stop before it’s too late.
We’re already destroying all that nature is giving
“is this what we call living? ”

(if you want to see the “work of art” of humanity
Then take a white canvas and paint
“A large black dot”.
For that is humanity destroying the clean beauty
That the lord has given us.)

This canvas a work of art? Who is to say?
Can you express this life in a better way!

“Work of art” it is anything and everything that
Man puts in their minds, and it becomes
A part of the times.
For “perception becomes your reality”
And this is the work of art that I see.

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It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

[Alan:]
The sun is hot and that old clock,
is movin' slow, and so am I.
Work day passes like molasses,
in winter time, but it's July.
Getting paid by the hour,
and older by the minute.
My boss just pushed me,
over the limit.
I could call him something,
think I'll just call it a day...
Pour me something tall and strong.
Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve. But I don't care,
it's five o'clock somewhere.
This lunch break is gonna take
all afternoon, half the night.
Tomorrow morning I know there'll be hell to pay,
but, hey, that's all right.
I ain't had a day off now, in over a year.
My Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here.
If the phone's for me you can tell them
I just sailed away....
Pour me something tall and strong.
Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve. But I don't care,
it's five o'clock somewhere.
[Instrumental]
I could pay off my tab, pour myself in a cab,
and be back to work before two.
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder,
what would Jimmy Buffett do.
[Jimmy:]
Funny you should ask Alan, I'd say...
Pour me something tall and strong.
Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care.
[Together:]
Pour me something tall and strong.
Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve. But I don't care,
it's five o'clock somewhere.
[Alan:]
... but he don't care, I don't care.
Together
It's five o'clock somewhere.

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Elegy for a Spider (by a chronic arachnophobic)

There you sat
guarding the door
of the space
I think of as my room.
You are exotic
and foreign to my senses;
I have never seen
one such as you.
I should respect
and treasure you
for the unique creation you are.
You move like the wind
on your two cubed legs.
You make silken thread
strong enough to catch others.
You produce a chemical
lethal to those you choose
to infect it with.
But you only kill
when you must.
You eat your victims,
their death serves a purpose –
such a noble creature.
I’m frightened out of my “wits”,
so frightened that I find someone
else to get rid of you.
They spray you
with synthetic poison –
yet, you do not die.
They swat at you
with machine-made objects –
yet, you do not die.
Then one unfortunate blow
flattens you, brave warrior.
Your coffin – toilet paper.
Your final resting place – the dustbin.
You, superior hunter, have died
an unworthy death,
because I am frightened of you,
and in doing so, I prove myself
less advanced than I would like to think.

I wish to beg your forgiveness,
but your species has no need for it.
Only humans have need of guilt,
repentance, forgiveness, redemption
for we are the only species that sins.
Still, I wish you could forgive me
for this grave evil.
I wish you could relieve
the burden of my heavy conscience,
but I think it is there to weigh
my hand down to my side
when I see another creature
more noble than I.

Even though you might have had
the ability to harm me,
you lifted not one of your eight legs
to approach me.
Yet a human uses both its hands,
arms and even legs
to kill you.

And to think we’re ignorant enough
to call ourselves the most evolved of all life forms.

poem by Alice KrielReport problemRelated quotes
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