You can close the city gates but not the mouths of men.
Related quotes
You can close the city gates, but you can't close the people's mouths. It's better to flee and stay alive than to die and become a hero. A timely tear is better than a misplaced smile.
City gate
Men may say a “natural state”
With city walls and city gates
Is superfluous in it’s greed
And in attempts to make believe
We’re all in honest company.
Yet give a thing autonomy
And choice: Order or anarchy
You’ll find that things like property
And city walls and city gates
Come often all too easily
To a truly “human” state
poem by Lazarus Knix
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Taking Away Grandfathers
Fat as rainbows belching into the city
And in the suburban yards one or two city cypress
As new as truant children skipping from school;
And if you look into the mouths where lions yawn,
Whole kaleidoscopes filled with city school
Buses,
And the long, young yards cut up by palmettos:
When it rains tender hooks- the alligators snore,
And you spend a long, young time
Passing smoke between the mouths- and Roman
Candles send up hopeless flares to the
Finnish bellies of the airplanes who go and then leave
Like holidays,
Spreading their arms like superheroes- and then
Taking away grandfathers or whoever once existed
Before your eyes.
poem by by unknown author
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Armenia City In The Sky / Heinz Baked Beans
If you're troubled and you can't relax
Close your eyes and think of this
If the rumors floating in your head all turn to facts
Close your eyes and think of this
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
If you ever want to lose some time
Just take off, there's no risk
If you ever want to disappear
Just take off, and think of this
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
The sky is glass, the sea is brown
And everyone is upside-down
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Freak out!
Freak out!
One, two, three, four!
What's for tea, Mum?
What's for tea, darling?
Darling, I said "what's for tea?"
What's for tea, daughter?
Heinz baked beans
song performed by by Who
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Tale of Three Cities
New York blasted London blasted
Singapore -
Ripped off each other's metaphoric balls,
Crumbling walls.
Priapic city monoliths -
Blue-sky scraping bastards -
Shout about their height (but really length) .
V8 arseholes didn't care -
Pumping shit into the air,
So long as they were always there to
Fart aloud a smoggy cloud,
Laughing at the weak asthmatic,
Humoured that it seems traumatic.
Watch the greedy cities oozing
Chair-bound fat committees, though they
Look a bunch of titties as they
Waffle on about the pound.
Ever thought to look around and see
That they were dead?
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2010
city city city city city city
city city city city city city
city city city city city city
city city city city city city
city city city city city city
city city city city city city
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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It's Forth Across The Roaring Foam
IT'S forth across the roaring foam, and on towards the west,
It's many a lonely league from home, o'er many a mountain crest,
From where the dogs of Scotland call the sheep around the fold,
To where the flags are flying beside the Gates of Gold.
Where all the deep-sea galleons ride that come to bring the corn,
Where falls the fog at eventide and blows the breeze at morn;
It's there that I was sick and sad, alone and poor and cold,
In yon distressful city beside the Gates of Gold.
I slept as one that nothing knows; but far along my way,
Before the morning God rose and planned the coming day;
Afar before me forth he went, as through the sands of old,
And chose the friends to help me beside the Gates of Gold.
I have been near, I have been far, my back's been at the wall,
Yet aye and ever shone the star to guide me through it all:
The love of God, the help of man, they both shall make me bold
Against the gates of darkness as beside the Gates of Gold.
poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
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I, John
(words & music by william j. gaither)
Oh well, i, john, he saw might numbers
A way up in the middle of the air
I, john he saw might numbers
Way in the middle of the air
Got to mighty move, john, you saw mighty numbers
Way up in the middle of the air
Well there were three gates in the east
And there were three gates in the west
Three gates in the north
Three gates in the south
And that makes twelve gates to the city all square wide
John, you saw might numbers way up in the middle of the air
Well john declared that he saw a man
He held twelve bright stars in his right hand
Well his eyes flashed fire like the burning sun
Old john got scared and he wanted to run
Well he wanted to run but his feet wouldnt go
Cause he felt the gospel cutting like a two-edged sword
And he heard a voice that said john, you take a look
And read what you see and then you write it in a book
And he saw twelve angels in the east
And there were twelve angels in the west
Twelve angels in the north,
Twelve angels in the south
Thats a total of forty-eight angels to the city, four squared wide
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Open The Gates Of Happiness
Open the gates of happiness to astound the cherished soul,
May forgiven people follow and let them repent further.
Once the repentance stops close those gates they build,
So that forgiving can be a virtue of the highest strength.
May living beings experience the stopping and starting
So rare in the path of life, so confined we all are.
This is needed, forever in the mind, and gates are built,
To enter them is like providing for your own soul.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Big City Type
I woke up in a big city apartment
Rode to a big city job
On a big city subway
With hip, big city people
Worked at a big city job
In a big city skyscraper
Stood in a big city line
For lunch, heard big city jazz
On a big city radio station
It was like a big city scene
In a big budget movie
When I realized I had become
The big city type
I always wanted to be
Yet I was still me
poem by Adam Artois
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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C03 The Fall of Jericho
As Jericho's gates were shut,
To keep the Israelites out.
None could leave or enter
The guarded city's border.
Joshua knew not what to do?
Then, God gave him a clue.
'Soon, you'll take it over,
And it’ll be yours forever.'
'Listen, you march around,
With your soldiers behind,
For six days, once a day,
From where you all stay.'
'Let seven priests,
With their trumpets,
Go in front of this
Holy Covenant Box.'
'On the seventh day,
Follow the same way,
But then, go seven rounds,
With priests' trumpet sounds.'
'Finally, let them sound a long note,
A signal for all of you to shout,
In one voice, that'll vibrate,
And push the city walls out.'
'Easy will be your work.
The open city, you can take.
Into the city, you can walk.
Thus, you fulfill your task.'
Every God's command,
Joshua kept in his mind.
He obeyed what God said.
At the end, success it paid.
They killed without pity,
Every life in the city.
Then the city, they burnt.
Inside when they went.
But Joshua spared the lives
Of Rahab and her relatives,
As she helped two spies,
Who stayed in her house.
Joshua issued a warning,
'If anyone there is trying
To build the city again
It'll be considered a sin.'
'God's curse they'll get
By doing this sinful act,
Hear, this is God's curse
And all of you note this.'
'Whoever lays the foundation,
Will lose his eldest son.
Whoever builds the gates,
Will lose his youngest.'
So, God kept up His word.
And He did what all He said.
Joshua's fame spread far and wide,
By the grace of the Lord.
poem by Simple Simon
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Everytime I See Your Face
I was looking everywhere to find you
By and by, my intentions were good
But I know I don't watch where I'm walking
When I know I should
If the nighttime turns into day before I say what I mean
God damn all these obstacles before me, yeah
Every time I see your face, it's like Heaven opens up her gates
And I fall behind, I just close my eyes, I just close my eyes
If the quicksand of love and deception
Finds a way to come between you and me
Don't fret, I'm gonna cut through the darkness and set us free, yeah
And if you wanna just lay with me darlin, let the mystery silently speak
Take my tongue, take my lungs if you want, I'll even try not to breathe, yeah
Every time I see your face, something overwhelms my heart with grace
And I fall behind, I just close my eyes I just close my eyes
Every time I see your face
I know you are the one (I was looking everywhere to find you)
I know you're more than wonderful
I know you are the one
Every time I see your face, it's like Heaven opens up her gates
And I fall behind, I just close my eyes, I just close my eyes
Every time I see your face, something overwhelms my heart with grace
And I fall behind, I just close my eyes, I just close my eyes
Yeah, oh, oh, yeah
Every time
I see your face
Every time
Every time
song performed by by Live
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Gates to Heaven
The gates to heaven
is wide open...
For me to walk
through it.
The gates are
made out of gold...
I can’t wait until
I walk through...
The gates of heaven.
Oh how much I
want to see
God...
But the gates: are
the gates to Heaven..
poem by Lisa Parks
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Mouth Of Babes
so here we are
true superstars
we're so real from afar and now
now you're with us now
and the mouths of babes sing revolution
and the mouths of babes scream disillusion
you can't break what's already broken
cause from the mouths of babes comes nothing
the "dream" was a sham
for saving what you can't
and now they're me but i'm not them
i am you and you are me
it's in the ways i walk thru fire
it's in the ways of my desire
and when i said that you're no good
what i meant was i wish you could
be there forever
be young forever
i wish you were there
so now i bid farewell
beyond the bounds of hell
and now you'll swear you knew us well
well you can never tell
and the mouths of babes sing revolution
and the mouths of babes scream disillusion
you can't break what's already broken
cause from the mouths of babes comes nothing
song performed by by Smashing Pumpkins
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In The City Of Poets,12/26/09
in the city
of poets
all men
are equals
and stride about
congratulating
one another
on their genius.
in the city
of poets
the statistics
of attentive readers
exceed
all expectations
and the bookstores
burst
like fat silos
with their harvest
of rhyme.
in the city
of poets
passports
to immortality
are issued
with abandon,
frontiers
evaporate,
and customs gates
are thrown open
by exuberant
and trusting
guards.
The city of poets
is a classless
society
where no one
dares admit
the existence
of aristocrats
or kings
and everyone
shamelessly
lays claim
to successful
expression.
In the city of poets
bad verse
drives out good
or rather
drowns it
in a sea
of mediocrity,
a conspiracy
of equality,
a brotherhood
of banality,
and every man
is his own
best
bard.
poem by Percy Dovetonsils
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Mouths of babes
so here we are true superstars we're so real from afar and now
now you're with us now
and the mouths of babes sing revolution
and the mouths of babes scream disillusion
you can't break what's already broken
cause from the mouths of babes comes nothing
the "dream" was a sham for saving what you can't and now
they're me but i'm not them i am you and you are me
it's in the ways i walk thru fire
it's in the ways of my desire
and when i said that you're no good
what i meant was i wish i could
be there forever be young forever i wish you could be there
so now i bid farewell beyond the bounds of hell
and now you'll swear you knew us well
well you can never tell
and the mouths of babes sing revolution
and the mouths of babes scream disillusion
you can't break what's already broken
cause from the mouths of babes comes nothing
song performed by by Smashing Pumpkins from The Aeroplane Flies High
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Armenia City In The Sky
If youre troubled and you cant relax
If youre troubled and you cant relax
Close your eyes and think of this
Close your eyes and think of this
If the rumors floating in your head all turn to facts
If the rumors floating in your head all turn to facts
Close your eyes and think of this
Close your eyes and think of this
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
If you ever want to lose some time
If you ever want to lose some time
Just take off, theres no risk
Just take off, theres no risk
If you ever want to disappear
If you ever want to disappear
Just take off, and think of this
Just take off, and think of this
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
The sky is glass, the sea is brown
The sky is glass, the sea is brown
And everyone is upside-down
And everyone is upside-down
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Armenia, city in the sky
Freak out!
Freak out!
Freak out!
Freak out!
song performed by by Who
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Eternal Kansas City
Chorus (choir singing)
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city? (do you know the way to kansas city? )
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city? (do you know the way to kansas city? )
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city? (do you know the way to kansas city? )
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city? (do you know the way to kansas city? )
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city? (do you know the way to kansas city)?
(van singing)
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Train down to st. louis
Get me there alright
Over to the city there, you know that one
Where the farmers daughter digs the farmers son
Dig your charlie parker
Basie and young
Witherspoon and jay mcshann
They will come
Oooowoooowoooo
Chorus (van and choir in background)
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Excuse me do you know the way to kansas city?
Lady liberty in waiting
You know she lights the way
Her name is billie, shes a holiday
And the city is eternal -- hey, cant you see?
Its inside of you and its inside of me
Oooowoooowoooo
Chorus (van and choir in background)
You know, you know the way to kansas city?
You know, you know the way to kansas city?
You know, you know the way to kansas city?
You know, you know the way to kansas city ?
You know...the way to kansas city
You know...the way to kansas city
Wild thing
You know the way to kansas city (choir only)
Thank you man (van)
You know the way to kansas city
Sing it (van)
You know the way to kansas city (van and choir)
Hit it (van)
You know...the way to kansas city
You know...the way to kansas city
You know...the way to kansas city
You know...the way to kansas city
Baby cant you sing it one time (van)
(choir)
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
You know the way to kansas city
song performed by by Van Morrison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Gates Of Babylon
Look away from the sea
I can take you anywhere
Spend a vision with me
A chase with the wind
Move closer to me
I can make you anyone
I think youre ready to see
The gates to babylon
The power of what has been before
Rises to trap you within
A magic carpet ride a genie maybe more
A city of heavenly sin
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Oh gates of babylon
You can see but youre blind
Someone turned the sun around
But you can see in your mind
The gates of babylon
Youre riding the endless caravan
Bonded and sold as a slave
A saber dance removing all the veils
Getting as good as you gave
A saber dance removing all the veils
Getting as good as you gave
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Look away from the sea
I can take you anywhere
Spend a vision with me
A chase with the wind
Move closer to me
I can make you anyone
I think youre ready to see
The gates of babylon
The power of what has been before
Rises to trap you within
A magic carpet ride a genie maybe more
A city of heavenly sin
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Black gates of babylon
The devil is me
And Im holding the key
To the gates of sweet hell
Babylon
song performed by by Rainbow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Jet City Woman
Every time I leave
You say you wont be there.
And youre always there.
Every time I cry your name at night,
You pull close and say its alright.
I look in your eyes, just like the rain.
Washing me, rain wash over me.
Touching your face, I feel the heat
Of your heartbeat echo in my head like a scream.
What you do to me!
Waited so long I cant wait another day without you.
Jet city woman.
Its a long way, home to my
Jet city woman.
I see her face everywhere, cant get her out of my mind.
Whenever Im alone Im thinking,
Theres a part missing from my life.
Wonder where Id be without your love
Holding me together now im
Watching the time tick, tick away.
Face grows longer every day.
Fortunes are lost on the women Ive seen
But without you I cant breathe!
Youre the air to me!
Waited so long, Im all alone thinking about you.
Jet city woman.
Got to find my way home to her.
Jet city woman.
I see her face everywhere I look!
Jet city woman.
Just a thousand miles and Ill be there
Jet city woman, to make the clouds go away.
Time for some blue sky!
Waited so long now the planes delayed
And hour, reminds me of all our days apart.
Hold on, just a little longer.
Jet city woman.
Wonder where Id be, youre the air to me.
Jet city woman.
Eyes like the rain, rain down on me.
Jet city woman.
No more nights alone Im almost home now.
Jet city woman.
Close my eyes, Im there in my jet city.
song performed by by Queensryche
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Life and Nature
I passed through the gates of the city,
The streets were strange and still,
Through the doors of the open churches
The organs were moaning shrill.
Through the doors and the great high windows
I heard the murmur of prayer,
And the sound of their solemn singing
Streamed out on the sunlit air;
A sound of some great burden
That lay on the world's dark breast,
Of the old, and the sick, and the lonely,
And the weary that cried for rest.
I strayed through the midst of the city
Like one distracted or mad.
'Oh, Life! Oh, Life!' I kept saying,
And the very word seemed sad.
I passed through the gates of the city,
And I heard the small birds sing,
I laid me down in the meadows
Afar from the bell-ringing.
In the depth and the bloom of the meadows
I lay on the earth's quiet breast,
The poplar fanned me with shadows,
And the veery sang me to rest.
Blue, blue was the heaven above me,
And the earth green at my feet;
'Oh, Life! Oh, Life!' I kept saying,
And the very word seemed sweet.
poem by Archibald Lampman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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