I grew up in Danville, Illinois, right in the middle of the state.
quote by Dick Van Dyke
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Angel and the Clown
I saw wild domes and bowers
And smoking incense towers
And mad exotic flowers
In Illinois.
Where ragged ditches ran
Now springs of Heaven began
Celestial drink for man
In Illinois.
There stood beside the town
Beneath its incense-crown
An angel and a clown
In Illinois.
He was as Clowns are:
She was snow and star
With eyes that looked afar
In Illinois.
I asked, "How came this place
Of antique Asian grace
Amid our callow race
In Illinois?"
Said Clown and Angel fair:
"By laughter and by prayer,
By casting off all care
In Illinois."
poem by Vachel Lindsay
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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You Make My Heart Happy
When you walk through the door
Every morning at eight
With a smile on your face,
You can make the day great.
You make my heart happy.
When I have your attention
And you do what I ask;
When you try your hardest
At every task.
You make my heart happy.
Every school day
You answer my prayer
When you help each other
And show that you care.
You make my heart happy.
When I have a conference
With your mom and dad;
Tell them how hard you've worked
And what fun we've had,
You make my heart happy.
Our few years together
Are finally through.
I gave you my best
And you gave me yours, too.
You made my heart happy.
On an evening in June,
A most important date;
While I watch with pride
As you graduate,
You make my heart happy.
When I meet you downtown
With your kids and your wife,
And you tell me how much
I've meant to your life,
YOU MAKE MY HEART HAPPY!
(Dedicated to Mrs. Cindy Womer, Life Skills Class,
Danville Middle School; Danville, PA)
poem by Rich Reitz
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I am committed to working with Speaker Hastert and the other members of the Illinois congressional delegation to do all that I can to ensure that Illinois' funding needs are adequately met.
quote by Bill Lipinski
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our party is a diverse one, as is my home state of Illinois.
quote by Dick Durbin
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We in Illinois are very fortunate to have a number of historic structures that have added immeasurably to the cultural life of the state, to the tourism industry of the state which by the way is our number one industry.
quote by James R. Thompson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Amtrak is extremely important to the economy of Southern Illinois and I will continue to work with state and local leaders and my colleagues in Congress to secure the necessary funding to maintain full service.
quote by Jerry Costello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Growth reverses
He was in advanced age
When he secured her company.
She was in middle age,
To which he grew down,
With passage of days.
Both grew down to teenage
In shameless pursuit of love,
In the form of hide and seek.
00.11.99
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I think the state has some serious problems. Just look at the layoffs going on across the state, not just in Chicago. It affects the middle class. It pushes people down.
quote by Richard M. Daley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I grew up under Thatcher. I grew up believing that I was fundamentally powerless. Then gradually over the years it occurred to me that this was actually a very convenient myth for the state.
quote by Thom Yorke
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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State Of Confusion
Woke up in a panic,
Like somebody fired a gun
I wish I could be dreaming,
But the nightmares just begun.
Theres flooding in the basement,
Theres water all around.
Theres woodworm in the attic
And the ceiling just fell down.
Im in a state (state)
Of confusion (whooooh).
Im in a state (state)
Of confusion (whooooh).
All the dirty dishes
Are still in the kitchen sink.
The tumble dryers broken,
Now the tellys on the blink.
My girlfriends packed her bags
And moved out to another town.
She couldnt stand the boredom
When the video broke down.
Dont know why I feel so bad.
Is it the weather, or am I going mad?
Dont know why I feel this way.
I dont know whether Im coming or Im going,
Cant cover up cause its obviously showing.
Its a state (state)
Of confusion (whooooh).
Were in a state (state)
Of confusion (whooooh).
I dont know whether Im coming or Im going.
Should feel happy, should feel glad.
Im alive and it cant be bad,
But back on planet earth they shatter the illusion,
The worlds going round in a state of confusion.
Standing on an island
In the middle of the road.
Traffic either side of me,
Which way will I go?
I shouldve stayed at home,
I should have never come outside.
Now I wish I never tried
To cross the other side.
Im in a state (state)
State of confusion (whooooh).
Its a state (state)
Of confusion (whooooh).
Lyin awake in a cold, cold sweat,
Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get.
No escape from the state of confusion Im in.
State of confusion Im in.
Whooooh
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Back To The Middle
She is, twenty five, spent over half of her life
So afraid to speak her mind, its such a shame
cause what a brilliant mind she has
Chorus
And now shes been introduced to confidence
She doesnt see, that she is bordering on arrogance
When will she learn, to come back to the middle
He is, a young black man, grew up without his father
And now it falls into his hands, to protect his mother
cause if he doesnt, well then who will, his older brother lives in fear
Of everything, especially, trying to fill his fathers shoes
Chorus
Respectively, they go to extremes, of masculine and feminine
Chasing dreams, but they keep on falling
cause they dont know no balance
When will they learn, to come back to the middle
Bridge
You must take the good with the bad, and you might hit the wall
Sometimes youll fly and sometimes youll fall
There isnt any way, to avoid the pain
But its getting burned, thats how you will learn
To come back to the middle
Instrumental break
Chorus
Needing to protect your self now that is just a part of life
If you let your fears keep you from flying, you will never reach your height
To get to the top you must come back to the middle
When will we learn, to come back to the middle
Come back to the middle, come back to the middle
Dont make no mind about falling down
cause its when youre in that valley
You can see both sides more clearly
Come back to the middle
song performed by by India Arie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To the United States Senate
And must the Senator from Illinois
Be this squat thing, with blinking, half-closed eyes?
This brazen gutter idol, reared to power
Upon a leering pyramid of lies?
And must the Senator from Illinois
Be the world's proverb of successful shame,
Dazzling all State house flies that steal and steal,
Who, when the sad State spares them, count it fame?
If once or twice within his new won hall
His vote had counted for the broken men;
If in his early days he wrought some good —
We might a great soul's sins forgive him then.
But must the Senator from Illinois
Be vindicated by fat kings of gold?
And must he be belauded by the smirched,
The sleek, uncanny chiefs in lies grown old?
Be warned, O wanton ones, who shielded him —
Black wrath awaits. You all shall eat the dust.
You dare not say: "To-morrow will bring peace;
Let us make merry, and go forth in lust."
What will you trading frogs do on a day
When Armageddon thunders thro' the land;
When each sad patriot rises, mad with shame,
His ballot or his musket in his hand?
In the distracted states from which you came
The day is big with war hopes fierce and strange;
Our iron Chicagos and our grimy mines
Rumble with hate and love and solemn change.
Too many weary men shed honest tears,
Ground by machines that give the Senate ease.
Too many little babes with bleeding hands
Have heaped the fruits of empire on your knees.
And swine within the Senate in this day,
When all the smothering by-streets weep and wail;
When wisdom breaks the hearts of her best sons;
When kingly men, voting for truth, may fail: —
These are a portent and a call to arms.
Our protest turns into a battle cry:
"Our shame must end, our States be free and clean;
And in this war we choose to live and die."
poem by Vachel Lindsay
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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In The Middle
IN THE MIDDLE
In the middle of the unending darkness that stretches on beyond forever
In the middle of the vast nowhere whose name has no shadow and no space
In the middle of all the generations whose anonymous past will be complemented by their overextended futures,
In the middle of the mass of nameless mankind featureless
In the middle of all that is and ever has been
In the middle of what was and will be always forever not
In the middle
In one small moment whose end is unpredictable
While the light still shines on the green green world
And the love and joy in the faces and hearts we care for still breathe
In the middle of the moment before consciousness is lost forever
Somewhere nowhere who knows where how
In the middle of all we are and will never be now
In the now of this life
I write these lines for all of us
Passing dreams
Beautiful great souls
True human beings
Better than me and you
And only me and you
For all of us
In the middle
Before the lights go out
And the endless darkness
Is silence and breathlessness
And nothing whatever real
We can feel or be.
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Did It Happen When I Stopped Complaining?
Somewhere along my journey,
I grew up.
I became both accountable
And took responsibility for my actions.
There were many along the way,
Who could not keep up the pace.
Somehow as I aged...
I held onto my faith,
With a painful self assessment I learned to face.
Saw my flaws and accepted them.
And not an excuse do I make.
It's too late for that now anyway.
That's why I am pleased to be the me I am.
I know the meaning of forgiveness and sacrifice.
And those realities have led me to my growth!
Somewhere along my journey,
I grew up.
I knew I would become a victim of confusion and stress.
I'm even impressed!
When did I wisen up...
To take my life with such seriousness?
Somewhere along my journey,
I grew up.
Did it happen when I stopped complaining?
Did I refuse to change the rules in the middle of the game?
Or did the violation of those rules,
I simply refused to change.
Knowing how to better play the game?
Either way...
Somewhere along my journey,
I grew up.
And pleased to be the me I am.
Still a work in process!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Nha Trang, Viet Nam Catholic Bishop’s Family
I do not love you with any of my heart
I see you & your family are part of the devil’s cart
Bishop Pierre I trusted & believed he taught you all
Honestly, Truth, God & not lying, stealing and abusing a human that causes him/her to fall
In time I learned when Bishop Pierre died the devil took 100% control
You and your family stole my money, my life, my love, my heart and my soul
Medically disabled does not matter to Nguyen Thi Dieu Tran, Pham Chi Tai, your family is true
Both of you and Nguyen Elizabeth & others in your family know it is wrong to do
Losing my life would have been easier with Ho Chi Minh
Now I identify the Catholic Bishop Pierre’s family in the USA and Viet Nam as VC who find it easy to sin
Live & die in peace is hard to find
Due to medical and financial pain caused by the Bishop’s family members who have the Devil’s mind
The stress from the expenses to take care of the house, the car and my life causes my heart to cry
Due Tai Chi Pham the Trustee of my Irrevocable Trust Fund illegally caused it be dry
With the Catholic Vietnamese family I learned what you can feel and see
Even with Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nho in the family can still act like the VC
I ask all of you who read this poem to give your response about this zone
It would help me understand if I am all alone
You can see a public copy of the signed and stamped TEMPORARY ORDER OF PROHIBITION against Tai Chi Pham by the State of Illinois Secretary of State Securities Department in July 2009 at: http: //www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/securiti es/administrative_actions/2009/july/taipham_top.p df
And you can see a public copy of the signed and stamped FINAL ORDER OF PROHIBITION against Mr. Tai Chi Pham at the State of Illinois Secretary of State Securities Department Internet Site August 2009 at:
http: //www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/securiti es/administrative_actions/2009/august/taipham_op. pdf
poem by Michael Appleman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Man In The Middle
Did you see that man in the limousine
With a pretty blond, he is fifty and the girls only seventeen
But she doesnt care, and she never will
If hes ninety-five she dont give a damn
Just as long as he pays the bill
Did you see that man with a fat cigar
He just left his lunch with a belly full of lobster and caviar
He can choose the wine from a vintage year
He can drink champagne in his limousine
While the rest of us drink a beer
cause hes the man in the middle, never second fiddle
Just like a spider in a cobweb
Hard as a hammer, not the kind of boss you double-cross
cause hes the man in the middle, knows the way to diddle
Hes never bothered by his conscience
Deals with the devil, cause he wants to be
Man in the middle, the middle, the middle
In the middle (in the middle, in the middle...)
But you see that man made a big mistake
Even though hes got all his servants and a mansion beside a lake
And the money too, all that he can spend
He can buy the most, nearly anything
But he cant buy an honest friend
cause hes the man in the middle, never second fiddle
Just like a spider in a cobweb
Hard as a hammer, not the kind of boss you double-cross
cause hes the man in the middle, knows the way to diddle
Hes never bothered by his conscience
Deals with the devil, cause he wants to be
Man in the middle, the middle, the middle
In the middle (in the middle, in the middle...)
song performed by by ABBA
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In The Middle Of Nowhere
(buddy kaye / bea verdi)
Where does our love lie?
In the middle of nowhere
Will it soon pass me by?
In the middle of nowhere
Baby, wont you tell me
What am I to do?
Im in the middle of nowhere
Getting nowhere with you
Mmm, where did my heart land?
In the middle of nowhere
Where are the dreams I planned?
In the middle of nowhere
Listen to me baby
Listen to my plea
Im in the middle of nowhere
And its worrying me
Over and over again
You tell me you need my love
If what you say is true
Why cant we be together?
Over and over you tell me
Im all that youre thinking of
Baby you know that I love you
But I cant wait forever
Where does our love lie?
In the middle of nowhere
How can you let it die?
In the middle of nowhere
Are you gonna leave me?
Leave my heart astray
Im in the middle of nowhere
Come and show me the way
Over and over again
You tell me you need my love
Baby you know that I love you
But I cant wait forever
Where does our love lie?
In the middle of nowhere
How can you let it die?
In the middle of nowhere
Are you gonna leave me
And leave my heart astray
Im in the middle of nowhere
Come and show me the way
Hey, where does out love lie?
Come on now
Where does our love lie?
Right slap in the middle of nowhere
Right slap in the middle of nowhere
Right slap in the middle of nowhere
song performed by by Dusty Springfield
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ballad Of The Illinois Opry
Found myself heading down toward springfield
The last sign said it was twelve miles west
Its gettin hard to see through the salt on my windshield
But it looks like Im gonna make it before the sun sets
The morning I arrived was lincolns birthday
So I walked through his house and saw his tomb
I decided that a tour through the civil war memorial museum would be a drag
I was tired of seeing monuments about other mens doom
Now I dont want you people to think that all there is around springfield illinois
Are landmarks telling 'bout the good old lincoln years
Cus just north of town I saw a sign that said the illinois opry is open tonight
And the sweet sound of country music filled my ears
And I want to be a star in the illinois opry now
The people in the country certainly know how to play
It may be a while before Im ready
But Im gonna be up on that stage someday
I could easily write a whole song about the licks that guitar man was pickin
I could go on for hours 'bout the old boy on pedal steel
But Im not singing 'bout people who were just playin music
Im singing about how fine their music made me feel
Theres a lot of people who have taken years of lessons
Trying to learn how to make their music fit the trend
But the simple folks at the opry have got somethin special
And I think that we all could use a lesson or two from them
And I want to be a star in the illinois opry now
The people in the country certainly know how to play
It maybe a while before Im ready
But Im gonna be up on that stage someday
song performed by by Reo Speedwagon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Grew Up Fast
We grew up fast
And no one seemed to notice
We grew up fast
And we grew up alone
Mom and dad
Were never what we wanted
We grew up fast
And we grew up alone
We grew up along
Well you know who I am
So dont treat me like Im someone else
Well you know what I am
So dont treat me like Im someone else
You never act like that with no one else
We grew up fast
When lies were just a fact of life
We grew up mad
Cause we never had a home
We faced the past
And forgave the revolution
We grew up smashed
And we grew up alone
We grew up alone
Hey my brother
I got no fight with you
I just cant lie down
Hey my brother
I got no fight with you
I just cant lie down
No, I just cant ride down
I just cant ride down
Well you know who I am
So dont treat me like Im someone else
Well you know what I am
So dont act like Im something else
Well you know who I am
So dont treat me like Im someone else
You know where I am
So dont act like Im somwhere else
You never talk like that to no one else
You never scream like that for no one else
You never suck like that for no one else
song performed by by Tom Petty
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Far From Normal
I’m agonizing between smiles,
Still here but found across miles.
In the middle of laughter I’m crying,
In the middle of songs I’m mourning.
In the middle of the day I’m darkening,
In the light of tomorrow I’m fading.
In the way of survival I’m falling,
In the middle of life I’m dying!
poem by Aida Erkihun
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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