
What do I owe to my times, to my country, to my neighbors, to my friends? Such are the questions which a virtuous man ought often to ask himself.
quote by Johann Kaspar Lavater

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
These Are Our Neighbors
Offered are no alternatives.
But complaints are voiced and heard.
Suggestions they have none.
But they come with venom,
On their tongues.
Exposing the teeth of wolves...
Seeking tender meat,
To consume and run!
These are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
These are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
Knockingdownwhatcanbefoundtogetnothin gdone.
Takingoutofcontextwithawishfailurecomes!
And these are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
Yes these are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
And these are our neighbors...
Every one.
Pickinguptheirtelephonestogossipwithm orelies.
Hopingwhatissaidwillkeepthetruthindis guise.
To keep deceit and defeat on the rise!
And...
These are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
Yes...
These are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
Offered are no alternatives.
But complaints are voiced and heard.
Suggestions they have none.
But they come with venom,
On their tongues.
Exposing the teeth of wolves...
Seeking tender meat,
To consume and run!
Pickinguptheirtelephonestogossipwithmorel ies.
Hopingwhatissaidwillkeepthetruthindisguis e.
To keep deceit and defeat on the rise!
And these are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
Yes these are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
And these are our neighbors...
Every one.
These are my neighbors.
These are your neighbors.
These are our neighbors...
Every one.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Time Has Provoked Insensitivities
I remember vividly those times,
Of innocent minds.
And the caring done...
By neighbors and friends.
It seemed as if everyone had an interest,
In each other back then.
A shifting of priorities,
Has left these qualities behind.
And time has provoked insensitivities.
With faith and trust diminishing into disgust.
In isolation we perceive no one can be believed.
Leaving us to feel abandoned without empathy.
I remember vividly those times,
Of innocent minds.
And the caring done...
By neighbors and friends.
It seemed as if everyone had an interest,
In each other back then.
Until the onslaught of progress...
Has left most feeling hopelessly digressed.
And suspicious of anyone expressing friendliness.
As we reject that quicker,
Than the addressing of deception few bother to question.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Talk About The Good Times
(words & music by jerry reed hubbard)
Well I remember when I was as children
The time the people used to treat the neighbor like a fellow man
And all their singin and big prayer meetins
When a man was proud to walk up and shake his neighbors hand
Oh you talk about the good times,
Talk about the good times
Oh if you ever needed help a friend was there
Some good neighbor
Help lift your burden
Mmm, and the simple joys of life a friend would share
Times are harder and the people are changin
Now most folks couldnt tell you who their neighbors are
All their guns are loaded, the front doors are bolted
Aint this ol world takin hate and fear just a little too far
Oh you talk about the good times,
Talk about the good times
I wish I could go back to the days Im speakin of
When a friend would meet you
And a smile would greet you
What this ol world needs now is a little old fashioned love
My granddaddy God rest his soul now
Well we had a big long talk together the day he died
Said son this world is full of hate and venom
An I cant wait to leave this ol place and rest on the other side
Oh you talk about the good times, talk about the good times
Talk about the good times
Im gonna see all the friends I knew in the good ol days
Well have a big hand shakin
An sit and talk together
Sit down by the river jordan and sing our blues away
Oh you talk about the good times, talk about the good times
Talk about the good times
Im gonna see all the friends I knew in the good ol days
Well have a big hand shakin
An sit and talk together
Sit down by the river jordan and sing our blues away
Oh you talk about the good times, talk about the good times
Talk about the good times
Im gonna see all the friends I knew in the good ol days
Well have a big hand shakin
An sit and talk together
Sit down by the river jordan and sing our blues away
song performed by by Elvis Presley

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Even in these times, there are still neighbors that will turn their backs on neighbors.
quote by Wynton Marsalis

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Feelings Left Untold
i pretend i'm les,
just to wonder if you even care?
but in my way,
it how i keep myself safe,
how do i tell you how i feel?
when it not be,
what i want to hear?
when are we ever going to piece together,
what we once have?
at times im happy,
and others times im left with questions,
are you truely in love,
or am i the one you want?
is there really anything left to what we had,
or am i looking at a furture,
where friends is all we ever be?
poem by Mona Martinez

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Grant Us Peace, Father of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael
Grant us peace,
that we may not oppress our neighbors
Grant us justice,
that we may not enslave our neighbors
Grant us sanity,
that we may not torture our neighbors
Grant us mercy,
that we may not murder our neighbors
Grant us conscience
that we may not expel our neighbors
Grant us love,
that we may hunger for truth
Grant us discernment
that we may know what is ours, and what is not
Grant us decency
that we may return what we stole
Grant us courage
that we may admit what we’ve done
Give us strength to atone.
Ask only
that we end our silence.
Fascinating Popcorn Munching Moments
Those profiled to be threats,
Are not the ones...
To bring to them ultimate regret.
Their neighbors, family and their own friends...
Premeditate daily to do them in.
'Did you get mine buttered? '
And this cycle of vindictive viciousness,
Is a part of their welcomed valued way of life.
As if predicted from an ignored and sitting script.
With a wish to rid themselves,
Of those not like them.
~I've seen this before.
You might not like this.~
And yet those who prey to choose their victims,
Are...
Their neighbors, family and their own friends,
Who premeditate daily...
To do them in.
Making for fascinating popcorn munching moments.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Always Asking Questions
We all want peace we dont want misery
So many of us wont let us be these things
But we only are confused
We feel stronger as we grow older
But still we feel bemused
Always asking questions
Were always asking questions
And the temptation is to just step back
Well we give what we lack
We will always be asking questions
Why rich?
Why poor?
Always asking questions
Were always asking questions
Why this?
Why that?
Were always asking questions
Why this?
Why that?
Always asking
Dont stop asking
Dont stop asking questions
Always asking questions
In answer to this question is just shut up
You dont know
I dont know
Nobody knows
This is an answer to every question
This is a place to begin
Always asking questions
Always asking questions
Why this?
Why that?
Why this?
Why that?
Always asking questions
(why this why that? )
Always asking questions
(why this why that? )
Always asking questions
(why this why that? )
Words: william bryant
Music: howard jones
song performed by by Howard Jones

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
In fact, I have the privilege of traveling around our country and meeting people all over the country who are making a huge difference in the lives of their neighbors and themselves. That's what I'm really fortunate to be able to do.
quote by Laura Bush

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends: have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men.
quote by George Santayana

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Way Old Friends Do
YOU AND I CAN SHARE
THE SILENCE
FINDING COMFORT TOGETHER
THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO
AND AFTER FIGHTS
AND WORLDS OF VIOLENCE
WE MAKE UP WITH EACH OTHER
THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO
TIMES OF JOY
AND TIMES OF SORROW
WE WILL ALWAYS
SEE IT THROUGH
OH I DON┬┤T CARE
WHAT COMES TOMORROW
WE CAN FACE IT TOGETHER
THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO
TIMES OF JOY...
song performed by by Abba

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Cloaked As Someone's Philanthropist
'Where are your 'things'? '
My 'things'?
I didn't need them.
I gave them away!
'WHHHHAAAATTT! ?
Are you crazed?
What are my friends and neighbors going to say?
What lives are we going to live without those 'things'?
You've ruined my pretentions.
And succeeded in my defeat.
I can no longer flaunt my superficiality!
Why did you do this?
Aren't you feeling just a wee bit dazed? '
Not at all!
From now on I am going to be 'me'!
'AND...
Where will that leave me to be? '
Exposed as the leech you are.
Once cloaked as someone's 'philanthropist'.
To no benefit to the masquerading,
That now has to cease to exist!
'WHHHHAAAATTT! ?
Are you crazed?
What are my friends and neighbors going to say? '
I have no idea.
Why don't you ask?
Most of them I passed...
Standing in line at the soup kitchen!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Tragic Magic Of Human Logic
Have you heard what I said!
I know, I understand and I can talk
Not about just my pet
I know all about my friends and friends’ friends
I also know about my neighbors friends and friends’ neighbors
Neighbors’ neighbors and so on
Do you think I know only the people I interact with?
How sad! I can as well comment with authority on Jhumpa Lahiri
Shashi Tharoor, Chitra Divakaruni, Bharathi Mukerji
Oh……..you think because of my doctoral topic of diaspora studies
I feel comfortable to speak about them with ease
Good Lord! I can prove and speak with assertion
Ernest Hemingway, D.H.Lawrence, Mark Twain beyond question
Yeah….Do you think
Due to Post Graduation where I studied hours together without a blink
Lo! I do comment, criticize and laud with authority
Not only KCR, Kishan Reddy, Jagan, Rosaish, Chandra Babu
But also Manmohan, Chidambaram, Nitish Tiwari, Advani and others
If you believe that is because I’m an Indian
Snap! I know about Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, Obama, and all
Claps, shutterbugs, garlands galore
I am popular and all are floored
But when I question about myself to me
Silence surrounds………
Alas! At last I understand
I spent most of my life in a fairyland
Half bred, imagining full life led
Irrespective of the gender, caste and creed many of us live in a state of trance
Wondering this is life modern and advance
Lost in shams and farce
Away from the fact “Self Knowledge” is enlightenment
Into temporary state of sheer insensible entertainment
That’s the tragic magic of human logic
poem by Dr.Sandhya Tiwari

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Country Aint Country
He was raised on a tractor in overalls and boots
Been to college and then law school since leaving his roots
Came home in a lexus,he left in a ford
Country aint country no more
He told his daddy catch up with the times
He said now a days people trade heifers online
Dad aint selling deals with a handshake like before
Country aint country no more
No,country aint country no more
The back forty was sold to make up for hard times
Then sold by the half acre lot overnight
The houses went up and the trees were cut down
And there went the finest deer hunting around
Lord everyones locking their doors
cause country aint country no more
Now his dad sits in traffic looking round at the change
Watching crews turn the county road into four lanes
The old sunday drive has turned into a chore
Country aint country no more
Lord,country aint country no more
The back forty was sold to make up for hard times
Then sold by the half acre lot overnight
The houses went up and the trees were cut down
And there went the finest deer hunting around
Lord everyones locking their doors
cause country aint country no more
Theres no turning back
And you just cant ignore
That country aint country no more
No,country aint country no more
song performed by by Travis Tritt

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Consistent Excellence
Go...
Ask anyone of your neighbors,
How difficult it is...
To produce consistent excellence.
With a doing done you do,
To ensure your life...
Is lived to make sense.
With the best from yourself,
To show those your excellence...
Is not some luck that has been sent.
Your excellence is what is meant.
Go...
Ask anyone of your neighbors,
And when you are done...
Ask your friends and family too,
If consistent excellence with a bit of sweat...
Is something done you know they do,
For themselves.
And nothing from them to you to prove.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard for his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country, who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections.
quote by Samuel Adams

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Returning Home
In the smoke I smell
Dead animals,
Dead neighbors, friends, and family members.
In the mist I see
All those who were once alive.
Behind me
Our town stands
Burned down to ashes;
Only skeletons remain.
This war has taken away so much.
In the rubble on the streets
I see
The way things once were.
Happy homes
Filled with laughter
Children playing
Stickball in the street.
Now
So much has been taken
Away from me.
We find bodies
In the yards, in the wells,
In our fields and on the streets;
Dead animals,
Dead neighbors, friends, and family members.
The war is over
And we are back.
To bury the dead,
To give hope to the young,
To start again.
poem by Rabia Minhas

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Will Also Pay Tribute To My Friends
I will also pay tribute to my friends
After all they have done for me
In each of the journey’s of my life
That I have walked
Some of the journey’s have been tough
Others have been easy for me
But without my friends all the journey’s
Would never have ended
So what keeps me here now?
My friends that surround me
In this place
My friends have nurtured me and comforted me
In good times and bad times
poem by Aldo Kraas

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The real questions are the ones that obtrude upon your consciousness whether you like it or not, the ones that make your mind start vibrating like a jackhammer, the ones that you "come to terms with" only to discover that they are still there. The real questions refuse to be placated. They barge into your life at the times when it seems most important for them to stay away. They are the questions asked most frequently and answered most inadequately, the ones that reveal their true natures slowly, reluctantly, most often against your will.
quote by Ingrid Bengis

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
For God And Country
They say
For God and Country
We go to war.
They say
For God and country
We descend into hell.
They say
For God and country
We die.
But I do not
Go to war or
Descend into hell or
Die
For God and Country.
I go to war and
Descend into hell and
Die
For my family
My friends
My people.
I got to war and
Descend into hell and
Die
For my fellow troops
And their families
And their friends
And their people.
I got to war and
Descend into hell and
Die
For you
And your family
And your friends
And your people.
Go to war for God and country, they said.
No, I said.
I will not go to war for God and country.
I will to go to war for mine and yours.
And God help those who oppose.