She gave up beauty in her tender youth, gave all her hope and joy and pleasant ways; she covered up her eyes lest they should gaze on vanity, and chose the bitter truth.
quote by Christina Rossetti
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
A Portrait
I
She gave up beauty in her tender youth,
Gave all her hope and joy and pleasant ways;
She covered up her eyes lest they should gaze
On vanity, and chose the bitter truth.
Harsh towards herself, towards others full of ruth,
Servant of servants, little known to praise,
Long prayers and fasts trenched on her nights and days:
She schooled herself to sights and sounds uncouth
That with the poor and stricken she might make
A home, until the least of all sufficed
Her wants; her own self learned she to forsake,
Counting all earthly gain but hurt and loss.
So with calm will she chose and bore the cross
And hated all for love of Jesus Christ.
II
They knelt in silent anguish by her bed,
And could not weep; but calmly there she lay.
All pain had left her; and the sun's last ray
Shone through upon her, warming into red
The shady curtains. In her heart she said:
'Heaven opens; I leave these and go away;
The Bridegroom calls,—shall the Bride seek to stay?'
Then low upon her breast she bowed her head.
O lily flower, O gem of priceless worth,
O dove with patient voice and patient eyes,
O fruitful vine amid a land of dearth,
O maid replete with loving purities,
Thou bowedst down thy head with friends on earth
To raise it with the saints in Paradise.
poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Sonnet: Why God Gave Special Senses?
God gave me eyes to see his wondrous work
Of creation that none can ev’r surpass;
God gave me hands to do good things, not shirk,
And help the downtrodden and poorer class.
God gave me ears to hear what Nature says,
Through birds that sing in pleasant notes and songs;
And spend in useful ways, my earthly days,
Listening to good advice, avoiding wrongs.
God gave me skin to feel sun’s warmth/wind’s breeze,
And live a useful life in many climes;
God gave me tongue to taste/ swallow with ease,
Enjoying food that Nature gives all times.
God gave me all these things not to misuse,
But glorify Him by optimum use.
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
God Gave Me...
God gave me eyes so I could see,
God gave me legs so I could walk,
God gave me hands so I could feel,
God gave me ears so I could hear,
God gave me a nose so I could smell,
God gave me a heart so I could love,
God gave me a brain so I could think,
I’m still trying to figure out why God gave me you.
poem by Rebeckah Schroeder
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Your Gone
God gave me one heart
but its broken
god gave me two eyes
but i wish i couldnt see
god gave me to feet
i wish i could just leave
god gave me two hands
but i wish i couldnt feel
god gave me one brain
but i wish i couldnt think
god gave me my memories
but i wish i couldnt remeber
god gave me you
but i wish i never wouldve lost you
god took you away
and i wish you were still here
god gave me life
when i wish i didnt have it
god gave me all these things but the only one i wanted
he took away
poem by Stephanie Beasley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Awesome Beauty
When the golden sunset
Sets over the amber hills
And when the moon shines bright
And all the world stands still
There is beauty, awesome beauty
God took the dust and formed a man
He paints each sunrise with His hand
He took all the love within His heart
And gave us beauty from the start
There's beauty, awesome beauty
When the storm clouds come
And thunder rolls
When skies are dark
And it hardens the soul
There's beauty, awesome beauty
God took all the love within His heart
And gave us beauty from the start
There's beauty, awesome beauty
Through every age
There is a call
To admire the creation
He gave us all
It is beauty, awesome beauty
See the beauty, hear the call
Enjoy the life He gave us all
God took the love in His heart
And gave us beauty from the start
There's beauty, awesome beauty
((May 17th,2000))
poem by Danny Speicher
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Thanks To You
You gave me life,
Gave me your heart
Your shoulder when I needed to cry
You gave me hope when all my hope was gone
Wings so my dreams can fly
And I havent told you enough
Havent been good enough, making you see
Chorus:
My love for you will live in my heart
Until eternitys through
I see your smile in the eyes of my child
I am who I am, mama, thanks to you
You gave me your world,
Gave me your voice
Gave me your everything
Each breath of your life
You believe when I can never have
You teach my faith to survive
And I can never do enough
Never thank you enough, for all that you are
(repeat chorus)
I know the treasure, Im filled with grace
Whenever I see your face
(...music....)
And I see your smile in the eyes of my child
I am who I am, mama, thanks to you
To you......
song performed by by Richard Marx
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Weary body
She gave him her dreams,
he made them nightmares.
She gave him her love, he
turned it to hatred, she gave
him her warm kisses, he
turned them into regrets.
She gave him her enthusiasm;
he turned it into distress.
She gave him her sweet hymns;
he turned them into howling wolves.
She gave him the flavor of her
craves, he turned it into bitterness,
She gave him the nectars of her
fruits, he made them go bad.
She gave him her time, he took
it for granted. All she gave, became
in vain; a weary body and broken
lies, are the only truth she has to
confront. Her heart was still alive
she gave it to him, he took it in
warm blood, and let it bleed to death.
poem by Elenushka Toledo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Chose Hope
I chose to hope again today
To believe in beauty,
In sunsets,
In the rain
I chose to laugh again
To dream,
To dance
And to sing with abandonment
I chose joy instead of despair
Smiles instead of many tears
Colors replaced the dull
And a rainbow filled my vision
When all around me I could not see
And when the coffee was toxin in my blood
When the world was full of trouble and nothing else
I chose hope
Hope discovered,
For a while undecided
Hope now declared
Hope
I chose to dream of a better day
To wish for things unseen
To search for the unimaginable
I chose to place my hope above
Hope not in mans strength or ability
Not in political systems,
in racial tribalisms,
in ethnic loyalties
Birthed out of a love that endures all things,
I chose hope that never fails
Hope for today and hope for tomorrow
I chose hope
poem by Jessica Nobubele Frame
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Piori Love
In dreams / I formed you
In sweat / I gave you life
In tears / I gave you passion
In the heat / I gave you molten eyes
In the night / I gave you raven hair
In the morning / I gave you dawn’s smile
In the tremor / I gave you love
With the spark of infinity / I brought you forth
poem by Guillermo Veloso
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Lover To The Dawn
And as the sparrow sings
Dawn chorus for
Someone else to hear
The thinker sits alone growing older
And so bitter
She gave them life,
She gave them all
They drained her very soul dry...dry
Hey hey hey bitter girl
Were out to sitting here digging you
We flew done here just to figure you
Its easy
Dont be so bitter
Oh oh oh crazy girl
You gave too much and you got nothing
Too many problems and not one thing
In return
Left high and dry
Door
And as the sun rise stream
Flickers on
She finds lavender
To fight the beckoning
song performed by by David Bowie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Why
Why?
My human eyes gaze at the sky,
The Beauty imprisoned by the lie,
My tormented soul wishes to fly,
My body aching, begging to die.
Why?
Beauty sleeps in the heart,
True infinity in everyone's hope,
Reality and serenity so far apart,
Oblivion promised at the top of the slope.
Why?
Constrained by man's domination,
Twisted by vanity and frustration,
Fearful of the only solution,
Absolute peace in emancipation.
Why?
The dreamer refuses to live a lie,
Impossibility no matter how hard he may try,
His broken wings, the final sigh,
Again Beauty slumbers, humanity's cry.
Why?
God is dead, humanity crumbles,
Goodness has fled, Beauty stumbles,
The truth is red, away life tumbles,
Cruelty is lead, wickedness rumbles.
Why?
We are blind, we can't see,
Our kind is extinct, we must flee,
Hope we cannot find, so let us be,
No solace of mind, never again peace.
poem by Jeremy Cahoon
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
In a Year
I
Never any more,
While I live,
Need I hope to see his face
As before.
Once his love grown chill,
Mine may strive:
Bitterly we re-embrace,
Single still.
II
Was it something said,
Something done,
Vexed him? was it touch of hand,
Turn of head?
Strange! that very way
Love begun:
I as little understand
Love's decay.
III
When I sewed or drew,
I recall
How he looked as if I sung,
—Sweetly too.
If I spoke a word,
First of all
Up his cheek the colour sprang,
Then he heard.
IV
Sitting by my side,
At my feet,
So he breathed but air I breathed,
Satisfied!
I, too, at love's brim
Touched the sweet:
I would die if death bequeathed
Sweet to him.
V
"Speak, I love thee best!"
He exclaimed:
"Let thy love my own foretell!"
I confessed:
"Clasp my heart on thine
"Now unblamed,
"Since upon thy soul as well
"Hangeth mine!"
VI
Was it wrong to own,
Being truth?
Why should all the giving prove
His alone?
I had wealth and ease,
Beauty, youth:
Since my lover gave me love,
I gave these.
VII
That was all I meant,
—To be just,
And the passion I had raised,
To content.
Since he chose to change
Gold for dust,
If I gave him what he praised
Was it strange?
VIII
Would he loved me yet,
On and on,
While I found some way undreamed
—Paid my debt!
Gave more life and more,
Till, all gone,
He should smile "She never seemed
"Mine before.
IX
"What, she felt the while,
"Must I think?
"Love's so different with us men!"
He should smile:
"Dying for my sake—
"White and pink!
"Can't we touch these bubbles then
"But they break?"
X
Dear, the pang is brief,
Do thy part,
Have thy pleasure! How perplexed
Grows belief!
Well, this cold clay clod
Was man's heart:
Crumble it, and what comes next?
Is it God?
poem by Robert Browning from Men and Women (1855)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!
If I Gave You My Heart
If I gave you my heart
Where would you be
Would it mean nothing
If not for me
If I gave you my eyes
What would they see
Would they see nothing
If not for me
But I gave you my hand and my sign and my soul on the earth
And I gave up on truth when I heard about the words
I lived out of love when I gave it away
And I sold off my soul when theres no one to pay
If I gave you my hand
What would it write
Would it say nothing
Or say its alright
If I gave you my arms
Would they hold you tight
First blood (? ) in morning
Or bid you goodnight
And I gave you my strength and my worth and I gave you my gift
And I moved on the first and I left us to drift
And I reap from the soil and I build hopes from wood
Its a new better life and we have to ensure
And I gave you my dream of the world and you stole the key
You sang to the wind in the whole ? ? ? sea
And I feel my weight and I guard my soul
And I found my beliefs when I found my control
I gave you my hand and my soul on the earth
And I gave up on the truth when I heard about the words
So I lived out of love when I gave it away
And I sold off my soul when theres no one to pay
Another version
---------------------------------------------------------
If I gave you my heart where would you be,
Would it mean nothing if not for me?
If I gave you my eyes what would they see,
Would they see nothing if not for me?
But I gave you my hand and my sign,
And my soul on the earth,
And I gave up on truth,
When I heard about the worst
So I lived out of love
When I gave it away
And I sold off my soul
When there was no-one to pay
If I gave you my hand what would it write
Would it say nothing or say its alright
If I gave you my arms would they hold you tight
First light of morning or bid you goodnight
And I gave you my strength and my worth
And I gave you my gift
And I moved on the first
And I left us to drift
And Ill reap from the soil
And Ill build home from wood
Its a new better life
And we have 2 and should
And I gave you my dream of the world
And we stood on the quay
And we sang to the wind
And the whole darkening sea
And I feel my weight
And I guard my soul
And I found my beliefs
When I found my control
I gave you my hand
And my soul on the earth
And I gave up on truth
When I heard about the worst
So I lived out of love
When I gave it away
And I sold off my soul
When there was no-one to pay
song performed by by Ocean Colour Scene
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
A Poem In Memory Of Shimrit Ginot
A POEM IN MEMORY OF SHIMRIT GINOT
I thought of you,
And could not understand-
Why
Someone who gave so much
Hope and Light to others
Suddenly taken.
In your garden
Your neighbors still care for,
You gave us the beauty
of flowers
we had never
seen before.
.
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Kohelet Again It Is Not Just The Vanity Of Vanities
It is not just the vanity of vanities
It is not just the truth of the contradictions
It is not just ‘a time for this and a time for that'
It is not just ‘Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth before the evil days grow nigh'
It is not just ‘Better a living dog than a dead lion'
It is not just ‘Enjoy your days with the wife of your youth'
It is not just the eternal truths
And the poem of the long home-
And the turning again and again of the wind and the water
And the sun and the sound-
It is not just the sheer beauty of the thing and its words
Despite an occasional archaic ugliness
It is not just the truth that cannot be gone beyond
Because this is what life is and what the grave is and what we are
It is not just too ‘that the making of many books much less the making of many poems is a weariness of the flesh-
It is that after all the years I have arrived at the time
Where the golden bowl may be broken and the voice of the grinders made low
And man return to his eternal home-
As in youth I in old age read and reread the words of the Preacher
And know myself and all of us in them-
Oh the greatest Literature is here
And part of it I repeat in my fragmented self
While the long distance of life goes beyond
In words which will be heard for the first time -
For this too is not everything
And what we do not know yet
Kohelet too does not know-
And for all of us as God permits
Who knows what will come
After the Vanity-
If it is after all Vanity
And the end of it all?
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
You Wanted, I Gave
You wanted candy
I held your hand
You wanted roses
I gave you tender kisses
You wanted diamonds
I gave you my heart
You wanted finer things in life
I gave you my time, attention, and love
You wanted me dead
I gave you my life
poem by C.P. Holder
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Being, here, now
First, I gave up asking, Why?
for I was never told the truth;
now I live in whylessness;
then I gave up asking, How?
for they said, best find out for yourself;
now I live in howlessness;
then I gave up asking, When?
for they said, who can be sure?
now I live in whenlessness;
then I gave up asking, Where?
for they said, where is it not?
now I live in wherelessness;
then I gave up asking, Who?
for they said, first know yourself;
now I live in wholessness;
and now I live without these questions,
the answers run toward me;
now I am more here and now, and
elsewhereness near gone;
for elsewhere’s here and now, I find;
and Other’s really One.
*
[leaning on Rumi]
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Pause Of Thought
I looked for that which is not, nor can be,
And hope deferred made my heart sick in truth:
But years must pass before a hope of youth
Is resigned utterly.
I watched and waited with a steadfast will:
And though the object seemed to flee away
That I so longed for, ever day by day
I watched and waited still.
Sometimes I said: This thing shall be no more;
My expectation wearies and shall cease;
I will resign it now and be at peace:
Yet never gave it o'er.
Sometimes I said: It is an empty name
I long for; to a name why should I give
The peace of all the days I have to live?—
Yet gave it all the same.
Alas, thou foolish one! alike unfit
For healthy joy and salutary pain:
Thou knowest the chase useless, and again
Turnest to follow it.
poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Truth Is.....
Truth is that when you left me,
I finally was happy.
Truth is that the day you showed me the truth,
I knew everything you have ever said was a lie.
Truth is that when I cried after we broke up,
I was crying tears of joy.
Truth is that the scares on my wrists and sheans,
I did because you caused me to be in pure darkness
Truth is that our first kiss,
I never felt the spark.
Truth is that what you wanted,
you never revised.
Truth is that when it came to the break up of you and me,
that was the day I felt like a queen.
Truth is that I still want to thank you,
for showing me the truth about you.
Truth is that you gave me a man,
who loves me for who I am.
Truth is that the day you left me,
I became alive.
Truth is that you never broke me,
you just gave me something greater fight for.
Truth is you lead me to him,
and how he's the one for me.
Truth is that I'm happy as can be,
all because you're the one who lose me.
poem by Alice Spakrs
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Grook About Faith, Love, etc.
She gave me hope
she gave me love,
with bounty unalloyed.
But what she had of faith,
alas,
she gave to Freud.