When I was young I had an elderly friend who used often to ask me to stay with him in the country. He was a religious man and he read prayers to the assembled household every morning. But he had crossed out in pencil all the passages that praised God. He said that there was nothing so vulgar as to praise people to their faces and, himself a gentleman, he could not believe that God was so ungentlemanly as to like it.
quote by W. Somerset Maugham
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Her Praise
SHE is foremost of those that I would hear praised.
I have gone about the house, gone up and down
As a man does who has published a new book,
Or a young girl dressed out in her new gown,
And though I have turned the talk by hook or crook
Until her praise should be the uppermost theme,
A woman spoke of some new tale she had read,
A man confusedly in a half dream
As though some other name ran in his head.
She is foremost of those that I would hear praised.
I will talk no more of books or the long war
But walk by the dry thorn until I have found
Some beggar sheltering from the wind, and there
Manage the talk until her name come round.
If there be rags enough he will know her name
And be well pleased remembering it, for in the old days,
Though she had young men's praise and old men's blame,
Among the poor both old and young gave her praise.
poem by William Butler Yeats
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Vulgar Before Me
To you. seperation, only to put it down.
To you. desperation, only to be around.
So on and so under, misdirected in other words.
Always I wonder is there anything I can do for you?
Anything I can do? well I can do anything...
To some, Ive been singled out, always I take your fall.
To some, same and broken down,
All weve left is dropping around you.
And you know these lines theyre open ended.
These books were meant to be followed,
And your rules left to be read...
Is there anything I can do?
I can do anything. i can do anything,
Its vulgar before me...
Is there anything I can do?
I can do anything. I can do anything.
Its vulgar before me, vulgar before me...
Vulgar before me, vulgar before me.
Vulgar, vulgar before me.
Anything I can do?
I can do anything. I can do anything.
Vulgar before me, vulgar before me...
song performed by by Candlebox
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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How We Were Introduced
—for perfidious protectors
I was playing in the street
no one paid attention to me
as I made forms out of sand
mumbling Rimbaud under my breath
once an elderly gentleman overheard it
—little boy you are a poet
just now we are organizing
a grass-roots literary movement
he stroked my dirty head
gave me a large lollypop
and even bought clothes
in the protective coloring of youth
I didn’t have such a splendid suit
since first communion
short trousers and a wide
sailor’s collar
black patent leather shoes with a buckle
white knee-high socks
the elderly gentleman took me by the hand
and led the way to the ball
other boys were there
also in short trousers
carefully shaven
shuffling their feet
—well boys now it’s time to play
why are you standing in the corners
asked the elderly gentleman
—make a circle holding hands
but we didn’t want tag
or blindman’s buff
we had enough of the elderly gentleman
we were very hungry
so we were seated promptly
around a large table
given lemonade
and pieces of cake
now disguised as adults
with deep voices
the boys got up they praised us
or slapped us on our hands
we didn’t hear anything
didn’t feel anything
staring with great eyes
at the piece of cake
that kept melting
in our hot hands
and this sweet taste the first in our lives
disappeared inside our dark sleeves
poem by Zbigniew Herbert
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It is ungentlemanly to lie; truthfulness becomes the gentleman.
Who Is God, That God Needs To Be Praised?
WHO IS GOD THAT GOD NEEDS TO BE PRAISED?
Who is God that God needs to be praised?
Who are we that we are worthy of praising God?
Isn’t this Praise a form of flattery?
And how can God possibly want or need it?
We may need to praise-
Out of Gratitude
We may need to thank God
For all our blessings,
But does God want us to be flatterers
Who think to be rewarded for our praise?
I need to thank God
In that need is the Praise
But Praise alone
Makes both God and me
Seem unworthy.
I thank God
For having given me
This Poem.
If it is a poem.
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Penciled Faces
She sat at her window everyday
and watched the world go by.
She was engrossed in seeing so many faces
and she often wondered why?
What was it about their differences
that captivated her so?
It must have been the expressions they wore.
Little did any of them know
that without this daily procession of faces
she would simply be lost.
She sat with pencil and paper
and sketched the faces that crossed.
And they became for her a family
for she was quite alone.
She'd set them up on the walls around her,
the names of them unknown.
So she gave them names for she loved them
and so her family grew.
Pretty soon her walls were filled
with people that she knew.
Years went by. She died in her chair
where she watched the world go by.
And all of her family of faces
were there to watch her die.
poem by Edwina Reizer
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Please Respect The Elderly!
Please respect the elderly!
Learn patience day-by-day...
A little love from you and me
Can go a long, long way!
God's love towards Mankind goes on
For all eternity
And when His children must pass on,
He treats them tenderly...
Please respect the elderly!
No matter, fit or frail...
A soothing word or pleasantry,
Is hardly known to fail.
Lord Jesus died for one and all...
He died for young and old...
While young at heart we may walk tall,
In time, we're not so bold...
Please respect the elderly!
Is that too much to ask?
Our actions prove our courtesy,
Regardless of the task...
God hears the prayers of everyone,
No matter, rich or poor.
If we do things that must be done,
God couldn't ask for more...
Denis Martindale, copyright, June 2011
poem by Denis Martindale
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Covenant Woman
Covenant woman got a contract with the lord
Way up yonder, great will be her reward.
Covenant woman, shining like a morning star,
I know I can trust you to stay where you are.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
Ive been broken, shattered like an empty cup.
Im just waiting on the lord to rebuild and fill me up
And I know he will do it cause hes faithful and hes true,
He must have loved me so much to send me someone as fine as you.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
Covenant woman, intimate little girl
Who knows those most secret things of me that are hidden from the world.
You know we are strangers in a land were passing through.
Ill always be right by your side, Ive got a covenant too.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
song performed by by Bob Dylan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I had a good friend, a sweet elderly gentleman who was unabashedly gay, and he passed away several years ago. He used to denounce gay marriage in the most vicious manner and, so one day, I asked him what inspired such strong sentiments. He responded, “Honey, I can’t stand religions since most seem to have issues with those of my kind...and I can not fathom why any gay person would embrace any institution such as marriage that is a religious sacrament. In doing so, they only succeed in offending the religious majority and creating even more hatred against my kind. It just makes no sense!” Today, my gay friend would be unable to voice openly such a contrarian opinion since, within a society under thrall of politically correct fascists, aka, neo-McCarthyites, such a sentiment would be deemed to be a “hate crime.” Until the politically correct fascists are removed from their positions of power in our society, particularly within the academe and Big Media, then the suppression of free speech will continue and everybody will be compelled to walk upon eggshells, no matter what their race, religion, or sexual preference.
quote by Catman Cohen (2017)
Submitted by anonym
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Country Gentleman
Country gentleman walked a crooked mile,
Got our money in his pocket.
Did it all with a very handsome smile.
Now, he's livin' it up in a great big office.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-goona help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.
Country gentleman, we see him on T.V.,
Glad handin' folks and chattin' to the nation.
We never knew what really to believe.
Just word upon slogan with emotional connection.
Chorus:
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.
And in the papers all we'd ever read is
So and so big-shot signed his resignation.
Now, country gentleman he wants us to believe
That he's kind and honest with the best intentions.
Chorus
Country gentleman, now there's a bird that flew
High above his nation, prayed on its weakness.
Picked our bones and threw it in his stew.
Thank God he went back to California.
Chorus
song performed by by John Mellencamp
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Pachyderm
O' my elderly world, am I getting too bold?
The ones who go first were the elderly ones
Leaving spawns of unfertile aftermaths
Leaving my elderly world high and dry
O' my elderly world, am I getting out of control?
Doing everything that crosses my mind
Like there is no tomorrow
Like there are no rules
O' my elderly world, am I worthy of being alive?
When all my tendency contributes are turmoils
When my currupted mind only grieves others'
Like I own this elderly world...
O' my elderly world, are the rulers doing well?
When all they can offer are blood, tears and lives taken
When the rich becomes richer
When the poor becomes poorer
Like they own this elderly world...
O' my elderly world, do I still have the time?
Am always envious of time
Am always running out of time
Hope I won't be here when your time runs out
O' my elderly world...
poem by Chosen Reject
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hollywood does not write parts for people like me, an elderly gentleman, and when they find out you're crippled, forget about it. No, I'll never work again.
quote by Ricardo Montalban
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Morning Has Broken
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
Gods recreation of the new day
song performed by by Cat Stevens
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Read All About It
Riots on our city streets
violence behind closed door
while the rich are getting richer
all the rest are sad and poor.
Young people can't find work
the elderly left on the scrapheap
people are feeling anxious
they struggle to get some sleep.
But that's all the bad news
surely there's some good as well?
this used to be a great country
not a mixture of misery and Hell.
The papers only cover the bad stuff
this is what we all want to read
but this isn't a bad place to live
full of badness, poverty, and greed.
What about the doctors and nurses
who tend the sick in their hospital beds
or all those selfless charity workers
with only good thoughts inside their heads?
People running marathon after marathon
to help someone who is ill and in need
they do it because they're full of compassion
not motivated by lots of money or greed.
So this country isn't yet gone to the dogs
whatever the newspapers like to say
there's still lots of brightness to be found
not everything is dull, depressing, and Grey!
poem by Kevin Halls
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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What's Wrong With Kid Now?
Whats wrong with kids today? The way they speak, they don't care,
Oh what's wrong with kids, they don't even like anymore to share;
Some have become bullies, and like to cause harm and trouble,
Where back years ago, when I was young, kids would would be so humble.
What's wrong with young people, They don't care if they get caught,
Swearing, lying, cheating, Doing drugs, they'll not do what theyre taught;
Some underage caught driving and end up killing someone they don't know,
But fail to take the blame, please God, let them see that others know.
What's wrong with some young adults, who have become parents too soon,
Then leave their young ones unattended, and babies left in their room;
While the parents are out doing drugs and drink, not caring at all,
Please God, they need to grow up and see, they have taken a fall.
What's wrong with other people, from many different places,
Coming to our country, who cause strife, for strangers faces;
Why can't they think of becoming a very trusting, caring friend,
Please God. Make them see, the world has gone round the bend.
What's wrong with country leaders, who bring shame to their country,
By stirring up strife in their party, being dishonest, to so many;
Why don't they realize they'll be caught, when they don't expect too,
Please God, help us to get honest leaders, to be honest and be true.
poem by Margaret Haig
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Television is not vulgar because people are vulgar; it is vulgar because people are similar in their prurient interests and sharply differentiated in their civilized concerns.
quote by George Gilder
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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If your family doesn't have much money, I want you to remember that in this country, plenty of folks, including me and my husband — we started out with very little. But with a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible — even becoming President. That's what the American Dream is all about. If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too. In fact, that's why people first came to this country — to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh — these religions are teaching our young people about justice, and compassion, and honesty. So I want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with pride. You see, our glorious diversity — our diversities of faiths and colors and creeds — that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are.
quote by Michelle Obama
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Country Girl
(copyright nazareth, tiflis tunes,inc.- ascap)
You are a girl from the country
Your eyes remind me of the sun
You came to visit in the city
And won the hearts of everyone
You are a girl from the country
Your hair is colored like the corn
I have never been outside the city
I am no friend to anyone
Chorus:
Country girl wont you stay a while
Wont you stay a while with me
Country girl wont you stay a while
Let me see you smile for me
Lead
You are a girl from the country
Before you came I was alone
Please say youll take me to the country
And let me share your country home
Chorus
song performed by by Nazareth
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In Praise of Praise
Good dog…! ’…
Your faithful hound closes his eyelids
for a fraction longer - could this be bliss
so pure that humans rarely know it? –
rests his head for a few moments
on your knee; twitches tail, just once,
to indicate the words received:
the one phrase which, it's said,
(quietly; almost, to yourself)
completely understood and shared
by man and dog: fulfilment
of the karma of companionship..
*
Yesterday, I was praised.. or rather,
there was praise for something
that was enacted through me..
Such a moment is too valuable,
too full of self-knowledge, to be dismissed
with embarrassed modesty: live it:
for a moment, one is in the presence
of oneself: here’s a giant; here’s a hero;
who is oneself, and yet, is to be worshipped
as the fulfilment of all one’s wished
oneself to be: being and worthship
come together in a purity..
so, praise the praisers! – who are all too few;
cast aside that English fear
that praising may involve some personal
commitment that one later may regret…
to be praised, is but self-dedication
in which praiser, praised, are alike; at one;
and from that moment on,
live together in that unity
and grow from it in ways
that must be lived and known, to be believed..
come now – tell me that you don’t
remember clearly, the very words your teacher said
the day they praised you from the heart
so unexpectedly, you even thought them human..
or what your mother’s friend (your mother,
who could never find it in her to so praise you in the words –
despite her sweetness for some reason –
with which, your mother’s friend later told you
she boasted of you, out of your own earshot…)
praise the praisers! join their ranks
and find that magic wand:
spoken directly, face to face;
or if you must, discreetly passed,
its implications hanging golden in the air…
that magic wand, which grows the soul
of giver and receiver joined as one in One..
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Morning Dew
Walk me out in the morning dew my friend
Walk me out in the morning dew today
Cant walk you out in the morning dew my friend
Cant walk you out in the morning dew today
I thought I heard a baby cry this morning
I thought I heard a baby cry today
You didnt hear no baby cry this morning
You didnt hear no baby cry today
Where have all the people gone this morning
Where have all the people gone today
Youll never find no people here this morning
You didnt need those people anyway
I thought I heard a young male call this morning
I thought I heard a young male call today
You didnt hear no young girl call this morning
You didnt hear no young girl call today
And now I cant walk you out in the morning dew my friend
I guess it doesnt matter anyway
song performed by by Devo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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