Invisible Work
Because no one could ever praise me enough,
because I don't mean these poems only
but the unseen
unbelievable effort it takes to live
the life that goes on between them,
I think all the time about invisible work.
About the young mother on Welfare
I interviewed years ago,
who said, "It's hard.
You bring him to the park,
run rings around yourself keeping him safe,
cut hot dogs into bite-sized pieces fro dinner,
and there's no one
to say what a good job you're doing,
how you were patient and loving
for the thousandth time even though you had a headache."
And I, who am used to feeling sorry for myself
because I am lonely,
when all the while,
as the Chippewa poem says, I am being carried
by great winds across the sky,
thought of the invisible work that stitches up the world day and night,
the slow, unglamorous work of healing,
the way worms in the garden
tunnel ceaselessly so the earth can breathe
and bees ransack this world into being,
while owls and poets stalk shadows,
our loneliest labors under the moon.
There are mothers
for everything, and the sea
is a mother too,
whispering and whispering to us
long after we have stopped listening.
I stopped and let myself lean
a moment, against the blue
shoulder of the air. The work
of my heart
is the work of the world's heart.
There is no other art.
poem by Alison Luterman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Frogs in chorus
The chorus frogs in the big lagoon
Would sing their songs to the silvery moon.
Tenor singers were out of place,
For every frog was a double bass.
But never a human chorus yet
Could beat the accurate time they set.
The solo singer began the joke;
He sang, "As long as I live I'll croak,
Croak, I'll croak,"
And the chorus followed him: "Croak, croak, croak!"
The poet frog, in his plaintive tone,
Sang of a sorrow was all his own;
"How shall I win to my heart's desire?
How shall I feel my spirit's fire?"
And the solo frog in his deepest croak,
"To fire your spirit," he sang, "eat coke,
Coke, eat coke,"
And the chorus followed him: "Coke, coke, coke!"
The green frog sat in a swampy spot
And he sang the song of he knew not what.
"The world is rotten, oh cursed plight,
That I am the frog that must set it right.
How shall I scatter the shades that lurk?"
And the old man bullfrog sang, "Get work,
Work, get work,"
And the chorus followed him: "Work, work, work!"
The soaring spirits that fain would fly
On wings of hope to the starry sky
Must face the snarls of the jealous dogs,
For the world is ruled by its chorus frogs.
poem by Andrew Barton Paterson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Four Letter 'Work' Song
Work me up, work me out, work me flip side down.
Work me here, work me there, work me with renown.
Work me hot, work me greedy,
work me through and through.
Work me to the very marrow,
work me just like I'd work you.
Work me proud, work me late,
work me do not hesitate.
Won't you let me work for you?
Work me til I'm black and blue.
Work me steady, work me needy, work me to a lather.
Work me til my backbone breaks, and the buzzards gather.
Work me in, work me under, work me til I bleed,
Work me over red hot coals, work me like a boss in need.
Work me nasty, work me silly, work me through the clover.
Up down, 'n' in between, into a slipknot sweet Jehovah.
Work me, work me, go ahead.
Work me, work me, til I'm dead.
Buddy Bee Anthony
poem by Buddy Bee Anthony
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Goin To Work
(bill lloyd/pam tillis)
The alarm went off but I wasnt asleep
After tossin and turnin all night what a relief
To go to work, get up and go to work
So I get onto the highway and I head into town
Theres one part of my life I wont let you tear down
Yeah and thats my work-right now Im goin to work
When the whistle blows, Ill be there
Life goes on even when its not fair
And whos got time to hurt, right now
I got to go to work
Now I remember what it is I do
For a while I thought my life was just loving you
But now its back to work
Oh thank God for my work
So from nine to five I take a break from an empty
Bed and a heart that aches, Im good at my work
Oh Im good at my work
When the whistle blows, Ill be there
Life goes on even when its not fair
And whos got time to hurt, right now
I got to go to work
Oh I got to stay busy thats the only way
Throw myself into my business and collect my pay
Watch me keep it together while I fall apart
cause a world wont stop for a broken heart
Oh no, no
When the whistle blows, Ill be there
Life goes on even when its not fair
And whos got time to hurt, right now
I got to go to work
Watch me Im goin to work
Oh yeah you know Im good at my work
Right now Im goin to work
Goin to work
song performed by by Martina Mcbride
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Work
Let me but do my work from day to day,
In field or forest, at the desk or loom,
In roaring market-place or tranquil room;
Let me but find it in my heart to say,
When vagrant wishes beckon me astray,
"This is my work; my blessing, not my doom;
"Of all who live, I am the one by whom
"This work can best be done in the right way."
Then shall I see it not too great, nor small,
To suit my spirit and to prove my powers;
Then shall I cheerful greet the labouring hours,
And cheerful turn, when the long shadows fall
At eventide, to play and love and rest,
Because I know for me my work is best.
poem by Henry Van Dyke
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Work To Make It Work
(r palmer)
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve it
Push it along
It's all there for you to feel it
Help your self to one that you can't deal with
Ain't no way that you could steal it
You misunderstand if you get greedy
Ah push
Work work work to make it work push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
Don't confine your dreams to bed
You'll get scared if you get lazy
If you can't take enough to satisfy yourself
Then you'll go crazy
Wont do no good thinking
You got to do it
So it don't come easy the first time
Practice makes perfect, you know that i'll try hard
Use it or lose it
You got to put your heart and soul into it
Yeaheheh
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to move it
Push it along
Work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
It's all there for you to feel it
Help your self to one that you can't deal with
Ain't no way that you could steal it
You misunderstand if you get greedy forget wishful thinking
You can do it
You just need a push to make a start
If you don't succeed the first time
Try and try again
Use it or lose it
You got to put your back into it
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to move it
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to move it
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
song performed by by Robert Palmer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Why Work Ourselves Hard
Hard workers are long lived that does seem a lie
For the harder you work the sooner you may die
You drive a car hard though it's engine and body is strong
It quickly wears out it does not last that long
Hard work on the ageing body does take it's toll
Relaxation is good for the muscles and the soul
A time to recover when you are feeling tired
A balance in life is the thing most desired
By sensible people who know how to relax
Too much of hard work on your health a huge tax
In a World where many are driven by greed
The more money we have the more we think we do need
Why work ourselves hard when we can live on less
The heart it lives longer without strain and stress.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Payment
A tortuous path of neurons arced a call: ‘Awake! ’
I did; in rising, peering, stretching, bearing,
Pained anticipation saw it all:
Foretold, another filthy day.
I drew the drape: diluvian lay the ground
Beneath a lazy leaden cloud – apissing out
The puddles; irksome on the roof –
The drumming drops of bitter glee
Were hounding out a hapless me –
Reinforcing doubt that I am sound.
I left the house
to go to work
to earn a crust
without a perk
then on to bust
another straining vessel.
Trudging on thro’ mud and clay, I pondered:
‘Why a drought of happy times?
Auspicious climes were
Old and fusty books
Atop a dusty shelf
Inside a morgue-of-a-room,
Somewhere in a long-forgotten library
Down a lane without a way.’
I thought again: ‘And still I pay.’
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2010
O how I
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Lovingly Do The Work
Work is
Life...
Life is work...
Any work is not
Wrong...
Without work is
Worng...
Human every budy works
Wny way too work...s
Work is making you...
Work is given good life
For you...and your's...
So...
Understand too work
Earn money too work...
Live life with your work...
Love too work...
Learn to do the work...
Lovingely do the work...
poem by Otteri Selvakumar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Work To Make It Work 99
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve it
Push it along
Its all there for you to feel it
Help your self to one that you cant deal with
Aint no way that you could steal it
You misunderstand if you get greedy
Ah push
Work work work to make it work push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
Dont confine your dreams to bed
Youll get scared if you get lazy
If you cant take enough to satisfy yourself
Then youll go crazy
Wont do no good thinking
You got to do it
So it dont come easy the first time
Practice makes perfect, you know that Ill try hard
Use it or lose it
You got to put your heart and soul into it
Yeaheheh
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to move it
Push it along
Work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
Its all there for you to feel it
Help your self to one that you cant deal with
Aint no way that you could steal it
You misunderstand if you get greedy forget wishful thinking
You can do it
You just need a push to make a start
If you dont succeed the first time
Try and try again
Use it or lose it
You got to put your back into it
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to move it
Push it along
Work work work to make it work
Push it along
Work work work if you want to improve
Work work work to m
song performed by by Robert Palmer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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He want to be married
My youngest brother want to be married,
we his older brother all confused.
He was not yet the work.
From long before he more liked chating
with his friends in the village
that in general also not the work.
If the night arrived they gathered in our house,
stayed up all night long til the morning,
chatted did not have the special focus.
The habit had been carried out
for years since the mother was still living,
to currently, three years after the mother died,
the habit continued to be carried out.
Was not thought about by them
from where they received the source of life.
they still believed on the good day and the bad day.
In fact the Lord created all the good days,
depended his humankind,
the work of humankind for the peer.
poem by Prasetya Utama
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Work Hard, Play Harder
Work seems to be mandatory,
For people like me,
Slaving over books at school,
Just to get the grades,
We don’t have much money,
So after school I work,
Cleaning, babysitting, retail,
It’s tiring after awhile,
Homework and coursework,
Two more pains of teenage life,
It seems to me that I,
Work all night and work all day,
In the future for many years to come,
I know I’ll have to work,
Uni work and training,
I’ll need a part time job too,
But then I see, between it all,
I do get a rest and have fun,
I have great times, out with friends,
Addicted to CSI,
So now I work faster,
To get it over with,
Cus my philosophy is,
Work hard now, play harder later.
poem by Cathryn Martin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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You have to work?
Work work work
Work work work
Work work work
The life clock ticks!
Work work work
Heart beat gives the same rhythm?
You breath
You walk
You eat
You sleep
To the same annoying tune!
If you work
You get that shiny colored paper notes
with the portrait of bygone handsome Presidents!
and if you don't work, fired black & white certificate receive by ordinary mail.
No money,
No Honey?
[Ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory headaches and rectal complaints are capitalism's accumulated debt of exhausted human tissue.]-A dog's life(quoted from Sheila Rowbotham's 'Woman's consciousness, Man's World)
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
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Life Is Uncertain/ I Am Already At The Age
“LIFE IS UNCERTAIN/ I AM ALREADY AT THE AGE..
“Life is uncertain
I am already at the age
That it my work ability may end any moment
If I have work to do
I should do it as soon as I can
With all my heart and soul and might”.
I wasted today
And I will have no time tomorrow
And I waste time all the time now
I am old
And I should do better.
But I do not work
And so almost all my work will be left
Half – done uncorrected- worse than it could be.
Is there anything in the world
That can move me to a bit of courage?
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Work, Sleep, Work, Sleep, Work
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work:
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work.
Oh free me please with gentle ease
From work, sleep, work, sleep, work!
This odium, pounding tedium
Of my work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
Just whisk me off to lands afar
From work, sleep, work, sleep, work -
That grinding train of rhythmic pain
Called ‘Work, sleep, work, sleep, work.’
Poor neural circuits fizzle and pop
In work, sleep, work, sleep, work,
In trying to make some sense of all this
Work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
But Hark! I see a golden gleam -
A saving spirit of hope:
‘You’re fired! ’ He screams. What news to bear,
This wondrous hangman’s rope!
So now I’m free, released from all this
Work, sleep, work, sleep, work -
Eternal peace and rest for me, no
Work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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All Day
Well Im hiding my eyes from the morning sun
And I keep on working till the work is all done
But a voice in my head keeps ticking away
As the sweats hosed down from yet another day
Well he works hard
And he lives hard
And he breaks his back without nothing to gain
While the boss man sits around and drinks champagne
All day (you work and you work and you work and)
In life, theres just one transition
All day (you work and you work and you work and)
In life, theres just one decision
Well Im peeling the blisters off my working hand
Is that what it takes to make you understand?
That its something you read, not something you meant
To be slaving away without a shred of integrity
He worked hard
And he lived hard
And he broke his back without nothing to say
While the man in control was just laughing away
All day (you work and you work and you work and)
In life, theres just one transition
All day (you work and you work and you work and)
In life, theres just one decision
Was it something you read?
Was it something you meant?
Was it something you said?
Or was it heaven sent?
All day (you work and you work and you work and)
In life, theres just one transition
All day (you work and you work and you work and)
In life, theres just one decision
song performed by by Ministry
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Work To Work
Happy too
Work...
Un happy too
work...
Love too
Woork...
With out love too
Work...
Silentely work...
Tenson to work...
Peace too work...
Diperession to work...
Work with work...
Any time do any
Work...
Work is give for
Human...
Relax and releave...
Sad too work...
Woory too work...
Work too work...
Work is wondrfully
Changed your and your's life
Each every day
Don't take un wanted rest
With your's lazey...
Lazy making
Sad... dipression...
Tenson...
Useless thinking...
So...
Work is wonder fully
Chnage to change for your's...
Mind and thinking and your's life...
Woo
Work to work with you
And other's...
poem by Otteri Selvakumar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Out Of Work
8 a.m. Im up and my feet beating on the sidewalk
Down at the unemployment agency, all I get is talk
I check the want ads but there just aint nobody hiring
Whats a man supposed to do when hes down and hes
Out of work
I need a job, Im out of work
Im unemployed, Im out of work
I need a job, Im out of work
I go to pick my girl up
Her name is linda brown
Her dad invites me in
He tells me to sit down
The small talk that were making
Is going pretty smooth
But then he drops a bomb
Son, what dya do ?
Im out of work
I need a job, Im out of work
Im unemployed, Im out of work
I need a job, Im out of work
Hey mr president I know you got your plans
Youre doing all you can now to aid the little man
We got to do our best to whip that inflation down
Maybe you got a job for me just driving you around
Im out of work
These hard times, theyre enough
To make a man lose his mind
Im out of work
Up there you got a job but down here below
Im out of work
I need a job, Im out of work
Im unemployed, Im out of work
I need a job, Im out of work
Im out of work
Im out of work
Im out of work
Im out of work
Im out of work
Im out of work
Im out of work
song performed by by Bruce Springsteen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Office Work
Work, work, work..
sitting effort,
on a chair
empty screen,
emotive stare
Work, work, work...
slunched shoulders,
side by side
warming ocean,
stolen pride,
Work, work, work...
hey man,
you man,
ant-field flys
pergatory,
promotion,
pitch-fork eyes.
Work, work, work...
college loving,
take me back,
drunk lace orgy,
primrose sack
Work, work, work...
day dream,
day stare,
simple soul.
Drop your complexity
and know,
your,
role.
Copyright (c) David DeSantis
poem by David DeSantis
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The Illegitimate's
I work for a man who own's a farm.
I work for a man with a stable FULL of horses.
I work for a man who own's a resturant.
I work for a man who own's three Lexus's (one for him, one for her, one for HER horse) .
I work for a man who sails the caribean for HIS holiday's.
' Illegitimate's! ! ! ! ! ! '
The last time I was in this situation, there was two of them.
Luckily this time there is only one!
I work for a man who own's a bakery.
I work for a man who has an Olympic sized swimming pool (half inside and half outside of his house) .
Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc,
poem by Roger Costello
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Everything Works If You Let It (Full Length Version)
(alternate intro)
Everything'll work out if you let it
Everything'll work out if you let it
Everything'll work out if you let it
Let it in your heart
(chorus 1)
Everything works if you let it
If you let it in your heart
Yeah everything works if you let it
If you let it in your heart
She is the girl of his dreams
He wants her, he thinks 'forget it'
He's got a pain in his heart he feels like crying
So lonesome for love he feels like dying
But don't stop the dream
He can fix it, i know he can
He's the world's world's greatest
At the work that he does
When he moves on down the line
(chorus 1)
She is the girl of his dreams
He wants her, he thinks 'forget it'
He'd love to look inside her heart
And see if she agrees
But don't stop the dream
He can fix it, i know he can
He's good, he's great
At the work that he does
And there's magic in the air
(chorus 2)
Everything'll work out if you let it
Everything'll work out if you let it
Everything'll work out if you let it
Let it in your heart
Good times, bad times don't know what to do
Half the time and all the time
Don't know if it's true
Someday, somewhere know if it's true
She'll look inside her heart and decide
It's really you..... whoah
(chorus 2)
(chorus 1 to fade)
song performed by by Cheap Trick
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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