The heights of great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upwards in the night.
quote by Winston Churchill
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The heights by great men reached and kept
were not attained by sudden flight,
but they while their companions slept,
were toiling upward in the night.
quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night.
quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Ladder Of St. Augustine. (Birds Of Passage. Flight The First)
Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices we can frame
A ladder, if we will but tread
Beneath our feet each deed of shame!
All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents,
Are rounds by which we may ascend.
The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues less;
The revel of the ruddy wine,
And all occasions of excess;
The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart, that brings
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;
All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,
That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will;--
All these must first be trampled down
Beneath our feet, if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair renown
The right of eminent domain.
We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.
The mighty pyramids of stone
That wedge-like cleave the desert airs,
When nearer seen, and better known,
Are but gigantic flights of stairs.
The distant mountains, that uprear
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear
As we to higher levels rise.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern--unseen before--
A path to higher destinies.
Nor deem the irrevocable Past,
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks, at last
To something nobler we attain.
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Ladder of St. Augustine, The
Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices we can frame
A ladder, if we will but tread
Beneath our feet each deed of shame!
All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents,
Are rounds by which we may ascend.
The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues less;
The revel of the ruddy wine,
And all occasions of excess;
The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart, that brings
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;
All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,
That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will;--
All these must first be trampled down
Beneath our feet, if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair renown
The right of eminent domain.
We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.
The mighty pyramids of stone
That wedge-like cleave the desert airs,
When nearer seen, and better known,
Are but gigantic flights of stairs.
The distant mountains, that uprear
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear
As we to higher levels rise.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern--unseen before--
A path to higher destinies.
Nor deem the irrevocable Past,
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks, at last
To something nobler we attain.
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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A Poetical Epistle To Sir William Bennet, Bart. of Grubbat
My trembling muse your honour does address,
That it's a bold attempt most humbly I confess;
If you'll encourage her young fagging flight,
She'll upwards soar and mount Parnassus' height.
If little things with great may be compared
In Rome it so with the divine Virgil fared;
The tuneful bard Augustus did inspire,
Made his great genius flash poetic fire;
But if upon my flight your honour frowns,
The muse folds up her wings, and dying - justice owns.
poem by James Thomson
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Ignite Ice
' Ignite Ice ' by Hart
For the tears of those who cry
Ignite ice and take flight
O great and resplendent Angel
Beautiful nimble and vigilant Angel
Ignite ice from heights on high
Noble wise and goodly Angel
Soar to heaven's delicate heights
Carry the flame of might.
Now a multitude of unholy frights
Will come to holy earthly sites.
Ignite ice and soar oh great
Ancient noble angel
For this and every night
Tame the portending tempest of
Unholy earthly sights
poem by David Hart
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Vaibhar
We've attained the heights and we've reached the peak,
So there is no turning back on this love;
And like how the stars spelt out our names.
Vaibhar,
We've come of age on this love;
But Presidents will be like boys when the need arises,
And i will teach you how to swim on this love.
The sun is the centre of the solar system,
But i will care for you with a royal pampering;
For my garden of love is very handsome and beautiful,
And it is covered with stimulated emotions to touch your sweet heart.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Heights
We fly to heights;
then sink to depths.
Like birds that fly in the sky;
but pick their feeds from earth.
Like plains that travel in the air;
but gather passengers from the ground.
Like great mountains, towering in glory,
but are founded on their bases.
Great men are small!
They bow to wash others feet,
they get their hands dirty,
to clean up the mess.
The greatest things on earth are small
But there are no mountains without bases
And no wave fails to see the shores
No bird feeds in the air
Heights are sweet but we soon come back home
The greatest imperfection lies in heights
The only temptations come from pride
There’s no warmth in heights
We strive for heights but fall to depths
Heights are never real.
poem by Timothy muggaga
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Our Secret Sonar Romances
bats are back
their fruit trees in fruit
night feast flight
flit flit flutter flight
fruit passion consumed
in tree dance flight
season past season
come dance our night
under shades of moon
I click my fingers
a few bats flit flight
fly up circle come
fly past my face
a few feet away
flit flight greetings
they like the audience
sonar image my face
thought whisper greet
ink veil night magic
moon crescent night magic
arch phases paint magic
dark building backdrops
stand tall solid frame trees
in background night prayers
silhouette shadow salutes
sky heaven altar glorious
heart stirs in night shades
friend bats flutter flight
disappearing back into trees
feast feed ripe flower fruits
friend bats I know
your ways of disappearing
friend bats I know
your night vision trails
your night vision paths
your night cycle dances
flowers fade into rebirth
organic petal forget me nots
out of sight out of mind
love is bat night flight born
bats my rest break companions
we share night flight visions
this realm of darkness
our mind flight mansions
our secret sonar romances
Dedicated to Miroslava Odalovic who shared a few of my nights with conversation between ritual night writing songs of creativity.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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In the Train
As we rush, as we rush in the Train,
The trees and the houses go wheeling back,
But the starry heavens above the plain
Come flying on our track.
All the beautiful stars of the sky,
The silver doves of the forest of Night,
Over the dull earth swarm and fly,
Companions of our flight.
We will rush ever on without fear;
Let the goal be far, the flight be fleet!
For we carry the Heavens with us, dear,
While the Earth slips from our feet!
poem by James Thomson
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Eagle Watch
The morning came, the eagle stirred, one leap to fly again.
The tourists smiled to watch this bird, the envy of all men.
For who has not at one time slept and sometime in the night,
Believed that if they also leapt, they, too, could rise in flight?
Within one dream, atop a hill, I ran and ran and ran...
And all at once I felt the thrill when my first flight began!
I left the hill, I left the Earth, to glide upon the sky...
It was as if my soul gave birth to something that could fly!
No holding back, I had to hurl myself upon the wave!
Like Superman and Supergirl, I flew as if by faith!
I knew just how the eagle felt, designed for higher things...
A better hand I had been dealt, transforming hands to wings!
Each time I see an eagle soar to heights beyond my eyes,
I realise what dreams are for, to simply mesmerise.
Today, each pilot flies above, content to do his best...
Just like the eagle that I love... God help them to be blessed...
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Eagle Watch'.
poem by Denis Martindale
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While You Were Sleeping
Last Night while you were sleeping,
Did you know that I was wide awake,
On my side, at your side
Waiting for morning to break.
I watched as you slept,
As the dreams enter in your soul
Then through my eyes, I realized
That truly, I love you so.
Last night, while you were sleeping.
Last Night while you were asleep
Did you know too, that I was there
On your bed, also laid my head
Along with my soul and prayer.
Lying quietly at your side
As I have done the nights before
To be with you, my love so true
Could any man ask for any more.
Last Night while you were asleep.
Last night while you slept,
As waiting for morning to come,
While at your side, I laid that night
While dreading the coming of the sun.
As always with you I was there
Even when morning began to arise
But then again it came, as so did the pain
As I said goodbye to another night.
Last night while you slept.
Last night while you did sleep
You never knew that you weren't alone,
As when you awoke not one word did I spoke
As on the couch I slept from which I never roamed.
Upon my side there I solemnly laid
Being so still, and quite as a mouse
Not to make a sound that might give my secret away,
I wandered; did you too feel lonely in this house.
Last night while you had slept.
Randy L. McClave
poem by Randy McClave
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Voyage Through The Night
He says he has not slept for five years.
Every night through the window hole
He has escaped to the night sky
To mingle with the teeming stars!
He says he has not slept for five years.
Every night he has ridden a comet
To reach the farthest sky and beyond
And cartwheel on shooting stars!
He says he has not slept for five years.
So that not one night goes amiss
In his cell of suffocating walls
With an iron crown and chained feet
On a spiked bed shedding endless tears!
poem by Pradip Chattopadhyay
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Heed to an advice
Never turn blind to advice,
Not because you are novice,
But all the need doesn‘t suffice,
So no tag or free without price,
Sometimes it may spring great surprise,
Pave the way for sudden rise,
May just save you from sudden demise,
All with earnest desire with no promise,
It is in best tradition and in interest,
Unwanted things stop with timely arrest,
Achievement of things with opportunity rarest,
Arrival of guests considered as dearest,
People may not take and not like,
Lazy in buying with sudden price hike,
It may not be proper to ride on bike,
But advice if comes mind must strike,
It is just free and for asking,
With open face and without masking,
If pointed out not to smoke?
Need not take it as simple joke,
Stature is attained with time passage,
Able to judge and pass on the message,
Not useless things but many usages,
Time and place change but not ages.
poem by Hasmukh Amathalal
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In the Train
AS we rush, as we rush in the Train,
The trees and the houses go wheeling back,
But the starry heavens above the plain
Come flying on our track.
All the beautiful stars of the sky,
The silver doves of the forest of Night,
Over the dull earth swarm and fly,
Companions of our flight.
We will rush ever on without fear;
Let the goal be far, the flight be fleet!
For we carry the Heavens with us, dear,
While the Earth slips from our feet!
poem by James Thomson
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Hunger In The Night
Theres a heart flight of a neon moon in the darkness of this shuttered room
Watch out
Easy for some action holy satisfaction ooh
Midnight makes a call skin begins to crawl
Inside the heights upon the fantasies
Let me introduce you now
Im gonna let you see the other side of me
Theres a hunger in the night moves me completely
Hunger in the night bleeds so sweetly
(its) a hunger in the night moves me completely
The hunger in the night bleeds so sweetly
Through the shadows you wont hear a thing
Cloaked in darkness my loves a deadly sting
Watch out
Comes in through the fence, sliding in the shiv
Want to be a hero situations zero
Inside the heights upon the fantasies
Let me introduce you now Im gonna let you see the other side of me
Chorus
As I lie me down to sleep, with the lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake, will the lord my soul to take
This life has no distance, between the line and another day
Instrumental
The hunger in the night moves me completely
Hunger in the night, bleeds so sweetly
Hunger in the night, damned if you see me
Hunger in the night, come and see me
song performed by by Ufo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Struggle with Darkness
The sun set and it was being dark,
A pitch dark night had fallen,
No light was there nor any spark,
A star shone at all of sudden,
And found all his friends sleeping,
He went and tried them awake,
One of them got up from his sleeping,
And asked why he made him awake.
Asked him making the earth light,
Cause there had fallen a dark night,
But, his reply was then shown,
'What can be done, O friend! Alone?
Without the moon we are what?
Against the darkness can't be fought,
Let's go to awake our moon
The earth may it light up soon.'
They both reached the moon and found,
The moon was lying on the ground,
And appeared, she was not fine,
Cause she had drunk the evil wine,
Unfair gifts had she been given,
For shining not in dark night,
Forgot she, her duty at all of sudden,
And let the inhabitents of earth fight.
The moon ordered them to go and sleep,
'What's the use for them weep?
We'll be given gifts for this deed,
And on duty we find nothing indeed.
'Second' of both agreed with the moon,
He went and slept very soon,
'First' was worried, but nothing spake,
And he put himself at stake.
He went respectively to each stars and;
Requested them to get up and shine,
Initially they were afraid being mixed in sand,
At last they all accepted his wine,
All of them when began to shine,
Like the ornaments of the sky,
The moon felt a tasteless wine,
On herself she was shy.
Getting up, the moon begged sorry to all,
And she shone at full of her might,
Lighten up was every mount, forest and wall,
And became silver the whole sight.
This revolution if on the earth befall,
No country would be worried but delight,
Be alive, no of your leaders can thee enthrall,
But know the deference between Black and White.
25/02/07
poem by Mohammad Muzzammil
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Patience Rules
I am told that idea rules the world
The real ruler is patience
Patience owns the plannet
The child of patience is idea
Without patience idea is aborted
Patience rules the world
Patience is gradual and steady
Yet it always leads to victory
Although the snail has neither hand nor leg
Patiently its destinations are reached
Nothing can be attained without patience
It is with patience
That snake climbs coconut trees
An ant invested firewood
Is fetched vide patience
Patience is profitable
Whatever you desire in life
Let patience be your watchword
Only the patient can milk lionness
Kingship is attained through patience
Royal crown is perfectly fitted by it
Hurray! patience is the champion
Patience is it!
poem by Babatunde Aremu
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Song: Night And Day
Any day and any night,
By astral planes or sattelite,
With psychic means, you fly my kite;
In ways I can't discern.
Any night or any day,
I'll see the light, if you let me stay.
Any night or any day,
Just as the planet turns.
Any night and any day,
I shoot the stars, with feet of clay,
And take a chance, come what may,
Any night and day.
Any day and any night,
And in between, the dim twilight,
In lusting spark, my wick ignites,
Any day and night.
Any night and any day,
I'm on my knees, but not to pray.
The rites of spring, an easy lay.
Any night and day.
Any day and any night,
I summon demon, imp and sprite,
Who gather like, wild neophytes.
Any day and night.
Any night and any day.
Shall we hit the heights, in passion's play?
For dawn excites, as senses splay;
Any night and day.
Any day and any night,
My missiles arc, in flawless flight.
Any day and any night,
Will I crash and burn?
Any night and any day,
Such sweet imaginings display.
You pluck my strings; I'm in your sway.
Any day and night.
Any day and any night,
No less the hero, than shining knight,
Would storm your ramparts of delight,
And ram advantage home.
Any day and any night,
This toxic spawn of funk and fright,
Would ask his lover, in respite,
'Just when will you return? '
Any day and any night:
Intriging wings of plot and sleight,
Would frame the world, within my sight.
When will I ever learn?
poem by Dave SmithWhite
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The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.