A swan would die with pride only for its black feet.
Related quotes
The Black Swans
In Iceland early one morning
A black swan without warning
Made a dramatic appearance
An extremely rare occurrence
It was actually the first of a series
That would raise many queries
Unexpectedly dreams were shattered
With Stock Markets getting battered
They called it a financial holocaust
The result of greed and blind trust
In unfettered capitalist manoeuvres
That made fools of gullible investors
Write offs and bail out plans followed
The bankers their pride finally swallowed
And set about changing their strategy
To cope with the crisis intelligently
But no one imagined that the Black Swan
Still lurking by and watching with scorn
Was waiting for an auspicious date
To announce the arrival of his mate
A second black swan sauntered in
This time with a bang and a lot of din
It spewed not fire works but smoke
Into the skies which did really choke
Not only Iceland but rest of Europe too
Flights were grounded and no one flew
The world watched in horror and fear
As the black ash blew out of the crater
Airports still look like a chaotic mess
Leaving stranded passengers in distress
Hopefully no baby swan will arrive with the stork
The adult pair having already caused enough havoc
NB: I have extended Nassim Nicholas Taleb's Black Swan Theory to describe the recent unparalleled catastrophes that hit a small country like Iceland
poem by Sandra Martyres
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Black Swan
I am the Black Swan swimming in your river,
I am the Black Swan swimming along side your boat;
And like a typical man and a typical woman in love,
But very wise and useful is the muse of your love.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Black Swan
(1947) gian carlo menotti
The sun is falling and it lies in blood
The moon is weaving bandages of gold
Old black swan where oh where is my lover now
Where oh where is my lover now
Torn and tattered is my bridal gown and my lamp is lost
With silver needles and with silver threads
The stars stitch a route for the dying sun
Old black swan where oh where is my lover now
I had given him a kiss and a golden ring
And a golden ring
I had given him a kiss of fire and a golden ring
Oh with silver needles and with silver threads
The stars stitch a route for the dying sun
Black wing o black wing take me down with you
Take me down with you take me down with you
Take me down with you
Old black swan take me down with you
I had given him a kiss of fire
Take me down with you
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale
Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale.
From what land do you come,
O Swan? to what shore will you fly?
Where would you take your rest,
O Swan, and what do you seek?
Even this morning, O Swan, awake, arise, follow me!
There is a land where no doubt nor sorrow have rule:
where the terror of Death is no more.
There the woods of spring are a-bloom,
and the fragrant scent 'He is I' is borne on the wind:
There the bee of the heart is deeply immersed,
and desires no other joy.
This One
Did I ever take you in my arms,
Look you in the eye, tell you that I do,
Did I ever open up my heart
And let you look inside.
If I never did it, I was only waiting
For a better moment that didnt come.
There never could be a better moment
Than this one, this one.
The swan is gliding above the ocean,
A God is riding upon his back,
How calm the water and bright the rainbow
Fade this one to black.
Did I ever touch you on the cheek
Say that you were mine, thank you for the smile,
Did I ever knock upon your door
And try to get inside?
If I never did it, I was only waiting
For a better moment that didnt come.
There never could be a better moment
Than this one, this one.
The swan is gliding above the ocean,
A God is riding upon his back,
How calm the water and bright the rainbow
Fade this swan to black.
What opportunities did we allow to flow by
Feeling like like the timing wasnt quite right?
What kind of magic might have worked if we had stayed calm,
Couldnt I have given you a better life?
Did you ever take me in your arms,
Look me in the eye, tell me that you do?
Did I ever open up my heart,
Let you look inside?
If I never did it, I was only waiting
For a better moment that didnt come.
There never could be a better moment
Than this one, this one.
The swan is gliding above the ocean,
A God is riding upon his back,
How calm the water and bright the rainbow
Fade this swan to black.
song performed by by Paul McCartney
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
To Be And So On
To Be or…
The swan on the lake doesn’t know it is a swan,
they say. How do they know? A swan may look
at us and say to another swan “Darling humans
don’t who they are.” Quite right my lovely, they
are daft that way” (swans have lot in common
with actors, the lake is their stage and we are
their adoring audience) I know that because Tom,
the only actor I have met in the flesh, called me
darling, well, not only me but everyone he spoke
to. Tom died no one calls me darling anymore.
We only think we know ourselves, if we really did
it would be too scary to know that inside us lurks
a monster.
poem by Oskar Hansen
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Black Dog Blues
The black dog is now going for a walk
With his owner arround the block
But I hope that his owner understand that the black dog feels the cold also
And doesn't stay out too long with the black dog
Because the black dog might freeze
And the snow is no good for the dog's feet
Because they hurt the dog's feet
poem by Aldo Kraas
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Swan Song(dying sentence)
Remember me, remember my swan song,
I can't re-orient myself,
I can't live it all over again,
I can't re-orient myself,
I can't live that stain of my plastered smile again,
Let this be the last moment,
Let me say the last good-bye,
It won't count anything now,
So let me lay in silence,
Life has treated me well and I have had enough of it,
Lets end this game,
Enough of milling in and out,
Hear my swan song,
And let this end now,
I need to be away,
away from these thorns,
far far away,
Where you'll only see my memories,
my shadows,
my untold stories buried after me,
and my last swan song,
Hear my swan song,
I feel like a fish out of water,
from pillar to post,
fallen back upon,
Let me be buried under sand,
let me give my final test,
I'll never return, its time to sing,
sing my last swan song,
Hear my swan song,
maybe this moment or the other,
my soul would rest in peace,
before disappearing,
let me sing,
sing my swan song,
I only remember now the memory lived in me,
a perfectly encapsulated morsel,
of a good past,
from piebald brush strokes swaying,
to barren now, that I'd become,
As I'll say my last goodbye,
hear my swan song,
because now you'll never hear my voice again,
for ever and ever and ever...
Written on 5/6/11
poem by Ayesha Riaz
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Swan
Traffic jams, Concorde drones
TV's and radios drown me out
You won't change slamming doors
Temper, temper, that tongue of yours, drown me out
I've told you once when it comes to love
I'm like a swan, I only love once
I've told you once push comes to shove
I'm like a swan
I only love, only love, only love once
Dumbells crash, babies cry
A thousand voices, mostly lies, drown me out
The underground, Marble Arch
The deafening snap of breaking hearts, drown me out
I've told you once when it comes to love
I'm like a swan, I only love once
I've told you once push comes to shove
I'm like a swan
I only love, only love, only love once
Barking dogs, the lonely roam
The great unlaid making their way home, drown me out
I've told you once when it comes to love
I'm like a swan, I only love once
I've told you once push comes to shove
I'm like a swan
I only love, only love, only love once
song performed by by Right Said Fred
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Black Swan
When the swans turned my sister into a swan
I would go to the lake, at night, from milking:
The sun would look out through the reeds like a swan,
A swan's red beak; and the beak would open
And inside there was darkness, the stars and the moon.
Out on the lake, a girl would laugh.
"Sister, here is your porridge, sister,"
I would call; and the reeds would whisper,
"Go to sleep, go to sleep, little swan."
My legs were all hard and webbed, and the silky
Hairs of my wings sank away like stars
In the ripples that ran in and out of the reeds:
I heard through the lap and hiss of water
Someone's "Sister . . . sister," far away on the shore,
And then as I opened my beak to answer
I heard my harsh laugh go out to the shore
And saw - saw at last, swimming up from the green
Low mounds of the lake, the white stone swans:
The white, named swans . . . "It is all a dream,"
I whispered, and reached from the down of the pallet
To the lap and hiss of the floor.
And "Sleep, little sister," the swan all sang
From the moon and stars and frogs of the floor.
But the swan my sister called, "Sleep at last, little sister,"
And stroked all night, with a black wing, my wings.
poem by Randall Jarrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Beauty, inside and out
I am black
I am beautiful
inside and out
I am black
I am beautiful
my voice is medium toned, I try not to shout
I am black
I am beautiful
I don't let anyone put me down
I am black
I am beautiful
Though sometimes I may act as a clown
I am black
I am beautiful
I'm filled with such pride
I am black
I am beautiful
I'll make such a wonderful bride
Black and Beauty
that describes the outside of me
Nice or mean, you have to decide
To me and most people I am nice inside
I am beautiful, I am black
I am black, I am beautiful
poem by Camacy Melville
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My Swan, Let us Fly
My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.
That land has an up-ended well
Whose mouth, narrow as a thread,
The married soul draws water from
Without a rope or pitcher.
My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.
Clouds never cluster there,
Yet it goes on and on raining.
Don’t keep squatting outside in the yard –
Come in! Get drenched without a body!
My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.
That land is always soaked in moonlight;
Darkness can never come near it.
It is flooded always with the dazzle
Of not one, but a million suns.
My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.
Adair Welcker, Poet
The Swan of Avon died-the Swan
Of Sacramento'll soon be gone;
And when his death-song he shall coo,
Stand back, or it will kill you too.
poem by Ambrose Bierce
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Swan And The Fawn
Finely Freckled Fawn called to Suave, Stately Swan,
“Please help me quickly. I need you to come on.
When I took a drink in the pond, what did I see?
But a poor little fawn drowning who looked just like me.”
Sir Swan explained “Be calm my dear and listen here.
It’s only your reflection.” he explained with affection.
“Each time you take a drink just think how you can smile,
As that pretty face looking at you is happy all the while.”
“Oh thank you Sir Swan.” said the grateful Freckled Fawn.
“All my fears and all my tears from now on will be gone.
Suave, Stately Swan and Finely Freckled Fawn are friends
Because of thoughtfulness and gratitude upon which friendship depends.
poem by Gregory Huyette
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Swan Song
black swan song
red tai chi
foggy forest
damp swamp
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Swan ~ A Villanelle
Floating upon the crystal pond
She kept wearing her diamond crown
While the other white swan was gone
Never doubting their fierce loving bond
As the leaves went from reddish to brown
Floating upon the crystal pond
Her blue eyes searching far beyond
Couldn't see that he'd recently drowned
While the other white swan was gone
So curling, becoming withdrawn
When ten suns in the sky settled down
Floating upon the crystal pond
She talked to the geese that were blond
And asked where he was with a frown
While the other white swan was gone
They cared not and didn't respond
In the reeds was a kings golden crown
Floating upon the crystal pond
While the other white swan was gone
poem by Sara Fielder
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Swan Lee
Swan lee got up at the running foot pow-wow,
Heading from the fire to his waiting canoe.
Chattering squaw untied the wigwam door,
The chief blew smoke rings two by two!
The land in silence stands...
Swan lee, his boat by the bank in the darkness,
Loosened the rope in the creek is entwined.
A feather from the wing of a wild young eagle,
Pointed to the land where his fortune he'd find
The land in silence stands
Swan lee paddled on from the land of his fathers,
His eyes scanned the undergrowth on either side.
From the shore hung a hot, heavy, creature infested
Tropic, swan lee had a bow by his side
The land in silence stands
Swan lee kept time, half on land, half on water,
Grizzly bear and raccoon his fare.
He followed his ears to the great water fall,
Swan lee knew deep down that his squaw was there!
The land in silence stands....
Suddenly the rush of the mighty great thunder,
Confronted swan lee as his song he sang,
In the dawn, with his squaw, he was battling homewards
It was all written down by long silas lang.
The land in silence stands...
The land in silence stands...
The land in silence stands.
song performed by by Pink Floyd
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I have had so many great moments, but I would have to say that dancing the Swan in 'Swan Lake' was such a unique and passionate experience for me. It was such bloody hard work, even at that very early age, that I would not want to try to replicate it again now.
quote by William Kempe
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Leave The Body
Leave the body's coloured pride
Underneath the bed of dreams,
This dream needs a kiss from duty.
Still white and black is the face
With the feet of gold and silver,
For I see the smell and the sight
Together, together, and together.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Leda
Where the slow river
meets the tide,
a red swan lifts red wings
and darker beak,
and underneath the purple down
of his soft breast
uncurls his coral feet.
Through the deep purple
of the dying heat
of sun and mist,
the level ray of sun-beam
has caressed
the lily with dark breast,
and flecked with richer gold
its golden crest.
Where the slow lifting
of the tide,
floats into the river
and slowly drifts
among the reeds,
and lifts the yellow flags,
he floats
where tide and river meet.
Ah kingly kiss --
no more regret
nor old deep memories
to mar the bliss;
where the low sedge is thick,
the gold day-lily
outspreads and rests
beneath soft fluttering
of red swan wings
and the warm quivering
of the red swan's breast.
poem by Hilda Doolittle
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!