I started in London, as a kid. My mother knew I had sort of an inbred talent. She was an actress, so I inherited it from her. But I think I got a lot of it from my grandfather, who was a great politician.
quote by Angela Lansbury
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
If You Only Knew
By my grandfather's bed, my mother is reading,
Psalm 62, God is our refuge,
My grandfather stirs, could it be,
he is waking, one final time,
he has something to say,
If you only knew what lies awaiting
If you could only see what I can see
If you could only hear the music playing
The angels singing sweet victory
Oh, if you only knew, if you only knew,
How much he loves you
By my grandfather's bed, my mother is broken,
Psalm 17, O God I call on you,
She doesn't want to hear
Any words about leaving
My grandfather says
song performed by by Randy Travis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
When my grandfather died, I started adopting some of his accents, to sort of remind myself of him. A homage. He was a war hero, and he was really great with his hands.
quote by Gavin DeGraw
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Actress
She uses her innocence as a shield
Hoping no one will ever see past it
See inside her story, once upon a time
For girl-next-door-beautifuls everywhere
She asked him
To her surprise, he refused
It broke her heart like a mirror
with her real face on the other side feeling pain
All I can say is
She's an actress
A great actress
She asks them how their day was
And gives them a grin
She teaches her "philosophy"- Think Win-Win
Yeah, right
But beyond that cheer is something called fear
of being on the outside of life
Beyond that joy is something that boy
left when he walked away
Leaving her in the dark
If she's an actress, she's the best
Or is she being real? Maybe she's happy that it
Happened, but if she's happy,
He's the one that's heartbroken
Walking away cause he saw it was a dare
A dare for herself, but he's wrong
She's an actress
A great actress
She revolves her life around him
When he refused, he broke her heart
Her real girl-next-door life
She failed girl-next-door-beautifuls
Thanks to him
She's an actress
He started a new life for her by refusing
If her philosophy was Think Win-Win,
he would have said yes
He would have said yes
She's an actress
A great actress
An Old Man With His Hat
There Little Robbie found him in an old yellow album
A blurred picture of a half old man with his hat
Standing in front of the coffin
He smiles shy but wide with his teeth gone making a hole like Little Robbie when he lose his baby teeth
Little Robbie doesn’t recognize him and he wonder where he is now
Maybe he is one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
So he asks to his big sister
But his sister doesn’t recognize him and she wonder who he is
Maybe he is one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
So he asks to his mother
But his mother doesn’t recognize him and she wonder how he was there
Maybe he is one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
So he asks to his father
But his father doesn’t recognize him and he wonder what he did there
Maybe he is one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
So he asks to his uncle
But his uncle doesn’t recognize him and he wonder when the picture taken
Maybe he is one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
So he asks hopelessly to his grandfather
His grandfather takes a deep look to that picture and wonders why Little Robbie asks
Little Robbie says, “I want to meet him! I want to know about him! I want to play with him! ”
Maybe he is one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
But his grandfather shakes his head, “No, he is not.”
He is not one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
He is just an old man with his hat
“He accompanied your great grandfather when he sick until his death. This picture is taken in a burial of your great grandfather.”
His grandfather stares at little Robbie
“Now, are you disappointed? ”
He is not one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
He is just an old man with his hat
Little Robbie shakes his head, “No, I am not.”
Though he is not one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
Though he is just an old man with his hat
“But I still want to meet him, I want to know about him, and I want to play with him! ”
And then he could be one of his grandfathers, one of his great uncles, one of his old families
poem by Maria Sudibyo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, in memoriam
Bigger than life, so beautiful and violet-eyed,
For being the movie’s most legendary star,
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was really portrayed,
With her dramatic spark, as an actress so far.
She knew from her mother that this art is awesome,
In aeternum keeping her shining star so tight,
Wanting to be all or nothing and to become
Bigger than life, so beautiful and violet-eyed.
During filming National Velvet, she was hurt,
But her heart vibrated like a string of guitar.
Instead of leaving, she tried her role to exert
For being the movie’s most legendary star.
She was a ray of incircumscriptableness,
An immaculate, unique talent she remained.
As being thawed by her genial consciousness,
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was really portrayed.
She was a great wrenching ‘’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’’,
Ad astra per aspera Taylor-megastar,
Playing in “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ”
With her dramatic spark, as an actress so far.
Being the best actress, she received her Oscar.
In “Butterfield” her image was elevated,
Dreaming to have ‘’ A Place in the Sun’’as a star.
In memoriam, her name is serenaded.
poem by Marieta Maglas
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Seven Sages
The First. My great-grandfather spoke to Edmund Burke
In Grattan's house.
The Second. My great-grandfather shared
A pot-house bench with Oliver Goldsmith once.
The Third. My great-grandfather's father talked of music,
Drank tar-water with the Bishop of Cloyne.
The Fourth. But mine saw Stella once.
The Fifth. Whence came our thought?
The Sixth. From four great minds that hated Whiggery.
The Fifth. Burke was a Whig.
The Sixth. Whether they knew or not,
Goldsmith and Burke, Swift and the Bishop of Cloyne
All hated Whiggery; but what is Whiggery?
A levelling, rancorous, rational sort of mind
That never looked out of the eye of a saint
Or out of drunkard's eye.
The Seventh. All's Whiggery now,
But we old men are massed against the world.
The First. American colonies, Ireland, France and India
Harried, and Burke's great melody against it.
The Second. Oliver Goldsmith sang what he had seen,
Roads full of beggars, cattle in the fields,
But never saw the trefoil stained with blood,
The avenging leaf those fields raised up against it.
The Fourth. The tomb of Swift wears it away.
The Third. A voice
Soft as the rustle of a reed from Cloyne
That gathers volume; now a thunder-clap.
The Sixtb. What schooling had these four?
The Seventh. They walked the roads
Mimicking what they heard, as children mimic;
They understood that wisdom comes of beggary.
poem by William Butler Yeats
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
London
We came from the far North
summered in Crimea
deserted the armed forces
had to disappear
made it to the free West
on a chartered flight
so we could see what
we trained to fight
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
Tell it like it is
Looking for hard work
or credit card fraud
What do you expect from us?
We come from abroad
to get ourselves a new job
on a building-site
They work you so hard
but we trained to fight
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
My father fought in Afghanistan
His widow's pension ain't worth a damn
My mother works and goes home to cry
I want to live before I die
We were in London
"Let's do it - let's break the law!"
We were in London
Tell it like it is
We were in London
Tell it like it is
song performed by by Pet Shop Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I guess one of the funniest memories of my grandfather was the time I was at his house and that tied-up man with the gag in his mouth came hopping out of the closet and started yelling that HE was really my grandfather and the other guy was an imposter and to run for help. Who was that guy Oh, well, never saw HIM again.
Jack Handey in Deep Thoughts
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
This is not to say that the Scots are not fine people, but they were all sort of... well, my grandfather was a minister and sort of Protestant, and this was rather depressing to me.
quote by Alan Hovhaness
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Old Family Picture
In the old
black-and-white
family picture,
I see
great grandfather
dead drunk
with his hat
slightly skewed.
In the same old
black-and-white
family picture,
I see
grandfather
as drunk as
his father is
with his hat
also slightly skewed.
Father fools
great grandfather
and grandfather
with his rice-washed-water
as the good old home-made
Makoli.
They all believe him.
1996
poem by Sangnam Nam
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Not My Trait
My mother, whose courage was like a rock
always mystified me.
She took that grit and bravery
that was always she.
And I who idolized that treasure
always and ever knew
that I had not inherited that trait
no matter what I do.
I shrink from the smallest trouble.
I cringe from the tiniest fear.
Oh mother, why did you not leave to me
a little bravery here?
poem by Edwina Reizer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Improbable wishes
No remembrance of my great
grandfather,
Who bequeathed us a mansion.
No gratitude to my grandfather,
Who fed us with sweets and coins.
No goodwill to my grandmother,
Who left us with cash and vessels.
No gratefulness to my mother,
Whose jewels and things we shared.
No love and passion for my father
Who lives somewhere.
I would join their caravan
But with memories of
Being remembered by
My children and their children
For what I will have left.
31.05.2004
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A crooked politician I knew,
Took kickbacks as his rightful due.
But he fell in a sting,
And he started to sing,
He's in jail now with his entire crew.
quote by by Juan Olivarez
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I decided at age 9, but I was reinforced at age 13 when a teacher told me I had talent. I can't say she really motivated me because I already knew. I knew I had talent. I went to the Jewish community theater and got in plays there. Then I went for the movies.'
quote by Richard Dreyfuss
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
My grandfather was Catholic; my grandmother, Jewish. Crossing over from Bavaria, as immigrants to the United States, the ship started to sink. My grandmother jumped overboard. My grandfather followed, to save this girl he had never met.
quote by Emanuel Celler
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Actress
Some day I'm going to grow up
And be every man's dream
Some day I'm going to grow up
And forget this sad little me
I'm going to shine in the spotlight
Wear sexy clothes
Be somebody everybody wants to meet
And no one ever really knows
No one will ever know me
I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
Critics will adore me
At least they will at first
But you see I already know this
So it can't never really hurt
And if it does, I'm an actress
I'll play it nonchalant
In the total scheme of things it's insignificant
(sure I can take the knocks)
Cause I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
I may not be that pretty now
But who's the referee
Standards of beauty
Will be redefined because of me
And then they'll be the scandals
Everywhere my name
Men will jump from balconies
And I'll just shrug and take the blame
(yeah, they'll say I died for love)
Cause I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
Well, I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
My acceptance speech will be a milestone
Never will such a star
Have ever graced the microphone
And of course I'll thank my agent
The way they always do
Though I could have done it without him
And that goes for the Academy too
And the makeup people and the lighting designers and everybody else
Cause I'm an actress throughand through
And to my bones
I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
I'm an actress yeah, yeah, yeah
I'll be gracious to the lesser stars
And generous to the unknowns
And if another actress threatens
My position on the throne
Well, I don't know exactly what I'll do
I don't exactly know
But I know that it could turn into
One of my most poignant roles
Everyone will have their handkerchiefs out
And they'll have to leave the theater early
And then they'll go home
And what'll they do?
They'll have a big glass of alcohol
Cause I'm an actress through and through
And to my bones
And if I make it to the top I won't be overthrown
I'm an actress ah, yeah, yeah
song performed by by Carly Simon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Storyteller
My father had a talent
Of being a great storyteller
He was able to catch
Your attention were
Ever he went
He would sit for hours
And watch people in groups
Those he knew he knew what to say
Those he didn't he would
Observe for the rest of the day
Then when asked to speak
The room would fall in a hush
Waiting in anticipation
On his every word
Dad had a knack
To tell a good tale
He made us laugh
He made us cry
With a zest for life
He would tell us all
His views on life
With respect for him
I give to thee
The talent he shared
With our family
poem by Kaila George
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My grandfather on my mother's side was a professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; my other grandfather was a lawyer, and one time Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
quote by Kenneth G. Wilson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
An actress must never lose her ego - without it she has no talent.
quote by Tom Lehrer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Inbred Ambitions
I remember the days,
People took their creativity seriously.
And lived to fulfill their inbred ambitions.
Today people want to participate,
More as a whim to socialize and network.
And when they stroll in late,
With excuses to make...
I am not one to appreciate it,
With a subtle delivery of comments.
And coming in smacking on gum!
And carrying snacks?
My discipline within I keep,
Will not allow me to tolerate that!
And 'please'...
Do not hold up other people's time,
By a display of 'theatrics' that lie.
That kind of disrespect,
Will get a direct sign I am more than upset!
I am clinical when I sever connections.
I remember the days,
People took their creativity seriously.
And lived to fulfill their inbred ambitions.
Today...
People are living to get the attention.
And wanting to get paid to display,
Both lack of talent and a depth of feeling...
For the craft!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!