To a Painting of Echo
Foolish artist, why must you sketch my face
And hound a goddess eyes cannot detect?
I am the daughter born of Speech and Space,
Babble's mother, a voiceless intellect.
I snatch a word before it disappears
Then mimic mindlessly what I have found.
I am Echo--I live within your ears.
If you believe you can paint me, paint sound.
poem by A.M. Juster
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Related quotes
Ausonius
AUSONIUS.
Vane, quid affectas faciem mihi ponere, pictor,
Ignotamque oculis solicitare manu?
Aeris et venti sum filia, mater inanis
Indicii, vocemque sine mente gero.
Auribus in vestris habito penetrabilis echo;
Si mihi vis similem pingere, pinge sonos.
IN ENGLISH.
Vain painter, why dost strive my face to draw
With busy hands? a goddesse eyes nere saw.
Daughter of air and wind, I do rejoyce
In empty shouts; (without a mind) a voice.
Within your ears shrill echo I rebound,
And, if you'l paint me like, then paint a sound.
poem by Richard Lovelace
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Paint Me Down
Paint me down
Paint me down
Paint me down
Im walking into studio
Consider strange appeal
Paint me in the home
Im brushing up on sketchbook
Designs for love unreal
Paint me in the home
Oil and skin youll need to buy it
Consider what I mean
She sinks beneath thr moving pictures
Prepare the brush for me
Im craving with this need
Paint me down
Paint me down
Paint me down
Im soaking up the surface
Conceaiving new idea
Paint me in the home
Shes oiling up her subject
But all still life is here
Paint me in the home
All the boys with framed dimension
A cover up on lust
Hell take his pain and paint it over
Prepare the brush for me
Im craving with this need
Paint me down
Paint me down
Paint me down
song performed by by Spandau Ballet
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Signboard
I will paint you a sign, rumseller,
And hang it above your door;
A truer and better signboard
Than ever you had before.
I will paint with the skill of a master,
And many shall pause to see
This wonderful piece of painting,
So like the reality.
I will paint yourself, rumseller,
As you wait for that fair young boy,
Just in the morning of manhood,
A mother’s pride and joy.
He has no thought of stopping,
But you greet him with a smile
And you seem so blithe and friendly,
That he pauses a chat awhile.
I will paint you again, rumseller,
I will paint you as you stand,
With a foaming glass of liquor
Extended in your hand.
He wavers, but you urge him –
Drink, pledge me just this one!
And he takes the glass and drains it,
And the hellish work is done.
And next I will paint a drunkard –
Only a year has flown,
But into that loathesome creature
The fair young boy has grown.
The work was sure and rapid.
I will paint him as he lies
In a torpid, drunken slumber,
Under the wintry skies.
I will paint the form of the mother
As she kneels at her darling’s side,
Her beautiful boy that was dearer
Than all the world beside.
I will paint the shape of a coffin
Labelled with one word – ‘Lost’
I will paint all this, rumseller,
And will paint it free of cost.
The sin and the shame and the sorrow,
The crime and the want and the woe
That are born there in your workshop,
No hand can paint, you know
But I’ll paint you a sign, rumseller,
And many shall pause to view
This wonderful swinging signboard,
So terribly, fearfully true.
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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Sign-Board
I will paint you a sign, rumseller,
And hang it above your door;
A truer and better signboard
Than ever you had before.
I will paint with the skill of a master,
And many shall pause to see
This wonderful piece of painting,
So like the reality.
I will paint yourself, rumseller,
As you wait for that fair young boy,
Just in the morning of manhood,
A mother's pride and joy.
He has no thought of stopping,
But you greet him with a smile,
And you seem so blithe and friendly,
That he pauses to chat awhile.
I will paint you again, rumseller,
I will paint you as you stand,
With a foaming glass of liquor
Extended in your hand.
He wavers, but you urge him-
Drink, pledge me just this one!
And he takes the glass and drains it,
And the hellish work is done.
And next I will paint a drunkard-
Only a year has flown,
But into that loathsome creature
The fair young boy has grown.
The work was sure and rapid.
I will paint him as he lies
In a torpid, drunken slumber,
Under the wintry skies.
I will paint the form of the mother
As she kneels at her darling's side,
Her beautiful boy that was dearer
Than all the world beside.
I will paint the shape of a coffin,
Labeled with one word-'lost,'
I will paint all this, rumseller,
And will paint it free of cost.
The sin and the shame and the sorrow,
The crime and the want and the woe
That are born there in your workshop,
No hand can paint, you know.
But I'll paint you a sign, rumseller,
And many shall pause to view
This wonderful swinging signboard,
So terribly, fearfully true.
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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A Bull For Me
I think, Sirs, and most inimitable Ladies
I think I prefer to look at a bull
The sketch of a bull, the head of a bull perhaps
even if but a study by an artist
rather than some fancy prophet in glorious paint
or in grand chapel or some miracle recounted
in paint and colors and with consummate skill
or even God descending
ah, all these do not take my fancy
they smack too much of the Elevated;
there’s too much
of the grandstanding in these
Grand Divine Themes
but the face of a bull, ah give me a sketch
of the face of a bull
just the bull, all marks of nature in it
and just itself
no symbolism, no conceit, no artifice
no High sounding theology, no Revelation
but just animal nature in its nudity
being a bull
just animal, its eyes and mouth and horns
just all coming together to form one creature
a portrait of a bull anytime for me
Sirs and most inimitable Ladies
none of the Holy Ones and the Great Prophets
and the Mighty and the Divine
and the Grand-Looking:
no bull for me, please;
just the plain head of a bull, as it is
poem by Raj Arumugam
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My Real Goddess
Today my mother
Came to my house
With lots of blessing
And full of good wishing
To live long
Happy and healthy
Progressive and wealthy
My mother
My sweet mother
My beautiful mother
My loving mother
My real goddess
My ever goodness
My first lady I loved
My life my mother
My soul my mother
My God-gift my mother
My pride my mother
My aim my mother
My teacher my mother
My friend my mother
My preacher my mother
My daughter's face look-like my mother
My daughter my little mother
O the Absolute Almighty
Give me my mother
Again and again
And again and again
My mother
Only my mother.
poem by Dr. P. K. Verma
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Layers Of Wet Paint Applied
wet on wet paint on paint
layers of wet paint applied
to previous layered layers
technique requires rapid working
fevered fast compulsive genius painting
art in realms born in new mind expressions
art in realms born in space time multiversity visions
art work fever finished before first layers have dried
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Sonnet: Whither Thy Art, Man?
Yes, men and women, paint their eyelashes,
And dye their hair in hues and paint their nails;
And wear head-bands, multi-colored sashes,
And paint the tortoises and shells of snails.
Some paint their bodies fully or one-half;
Some paint their country’s flag over their face;
Some look like leopards, lions, clowns that laugh;
Some tattoo pictures or paint words so base.
Some paint their naked bodies as if dressed
Or apply stickers of men, Gods or beast;
Their art on human skins looks to them best
And dance in ritual for a sumptuous feast.
The art of man has gone so crazy now,
For men paint Dogs, cats, cattle, also cow.
poem by John Celes
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Paint my eyes in flowers
paint my hands in dragons
paint my back in windings
paint my arms in lightening
paint my neck in anks
my forehead intricate lines
paint my shoulder butterflies
paint my heart in henna
in henna of red in henna of black
body paint my heart
poem by Miroslava Odalovic
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Images Birth Wet Paint Born
wet on wet paint on paint
layers of wet paint applied
to previous layered layers
images birth wet paint born
images born in liquid imagination
images born in landscape infinity
images born in individual creativity
images born in artistic genius ability
images born in limitless multiplicity
Copyright © Terence George Craddock
See also the poems ‘Layers Of Wet Paint Applied’ and ‘Interactions Invoke Imagination Entrances’.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Painting Jealousy
Her lips spell his name...
her cheeks, his smile.
Her tender glance reflects his soul,
as though his shadow made her whole.
I tried to paint her silent lips
till it clamored out his name.
And when I tried to sketch her cheeks...
I saw his smile, it's all the same.
Yet when I tried to paint her eyes,
in my canvas it's his face.
And so I stopped painting her,
and stopped loving her as well.
poem by Jessel Jane Tevar
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And There is...an Echo
And there is an echo
A voice without voice
Floats and repeats
The real sound of voice
That is echo
Praised by the mute
Who shouts in the sea of mist
Without someone to know
That is echo
Swing by the name
But it ignores and says
Steals the sound of real voice
But let the echo
Takes the voice and echoes
Before the power is gone
And disappears word by word
poem by Maria Sudibyo
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Paint body art beautiful
her majesty the hand
with nail graffiti polish
pain in henna red
paint in henna black
paint paint my heart
paint body art faithful
faithful to the strokes
paint in strokes divine
paint in strokes of red
paint in strokes of black
paint paint my heart
poem by Miroslava Odalovic
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Songs that are not sung
DO not praise: a smile is payment more than meet for what is done;
Who shall paint the mote's glad raiment floating in the molten sun?
Nay, nor smile, for blind is eyesight, ears may hear not, lips are dumb;
From the silence, from the twilight, wordless but complete they come.
Songs were born before the singer : like white souls awaiting birth,
They abide the chosen bringer of their melody to earth.
Deep the pain of our demerit: strings so rude or rudely strung,
Dull to every pleading spirit seeking speech but sent unsung;
Round our hearts with gentle breathing still the plaintive silence plays,
But we brush away its wreathing, filled with cares of common days.
Ever thinking of the morrow, burdened down with cares and needs,
Once or twice, mayhap, in sorrow, we may hear the song that pleads;
Once or twice, a dreaming poet sees the beauty as it flies,
But his vision who shall know it, who shall read it from his eyes?
Voiceless he,—his necromancy fails to cage the wondrous bird;
Lure and snare are vain when fancy flies like echo from a word.
Only sometime he may sing it, using speech as 'twere a bell,
Not to read the song but ring it, like the sea-tone from a shell.
Sometimes, too, it comes and lingers round the strings all still and mute,
Till some lover's trembling fingers draw it living from the lute.
Still, our best is but a vision which a lightning-flash illumes,
Just a gleam of life elysian flung across the voiceless glooms.
Why should gleams perplex and move us? Must the soul still upward grow
To the beauty far above us and the songs no sense may know?
poem by John Boyle O'Reilly
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Painted Smile
Paint a smile on my face
Try to hide the pain
The smile never meets my eyes
My heart is full of shame
Paint a smile on my face
Try to forget the lies
The smile never meets my eyes
My heart is filled with pain
Paint a smile on my face
Try to forget I'm alone
The smile never meets my eyes
My heart begins to break
I feel a tender touch upon
The smile painted on
He wipes the smile off my face
Tells my heart to not be fake
He replaces the paint with a smile so true
I know I can't be alone
He takes the pain out of my heart
And fills me up again
For My God
poem by Lacey UnKnown
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Paint
Don't paint me red,
Red is for bold women that use cheap scent
Don't paint me blue
Blue is for sadness and regret
Don't paint me green
Green is for envy and not to be seen
Don't paint me black
black is for the night and I love the light
Don't paint me white
White is for virgins and me, I love a flirtin'
Don't paint me orange
Orange is vile and I have some style
Don't paint me brown or grey or cream
these colours are boring and really not me.
Paint me in silver, platinum or gold
so I remain precious as I grow old.
poem by Ruth Walters
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Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is, think about it.
Woman is the nigger of the world,
Think about it, do something about it.
We make her paint her face and dance,
If she wont be a slave and say that she dont love us.
If shes real, we say shes tryin to be a man,
While puttin her down we pretend that shes above us.
Woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is,
If you dont believe me, take a look at the one youre with.
Woman is the slave of the slaves,
Oh yeah, better scream about it, yeah!
We make her bear and raise our children,
And then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen.
We tell her home is the only place she should be,
Then we complain that shes too unworldly to be our friend.
Oh, woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is,
If you dont believe me, take a look at the one youre with.
Oh, woman is the slave to the slave,
Yeah, all right.
Hit it!
We insult her evry day on tv,
And wonder why she has no guts or confidence.
When shes young, we kill her will to be free,
While tellin her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb.
Oh well, woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is,
If you dont believe me, take a look at the one youre with.
Woman is the slave to the slaves,
Yes, she is,
If you believe, wed better scream about it!
Uh, uh, uh, hey, hey.
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance.
song performed by by Yoko Ono
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is, think about it.
Woman is the nigger of the world,
Think about it, do something about it.
We make her paint her face and dance,
If she wont be a slave and say that she dont love us.
If shes real, we say shes tryin to be a man,
While puttin her down we pretend that shes above us.
Woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is,
If you dont believe me, take a look at the one youre with.
Woman is the slave of the slaves,
Oh yeah, better scream about it, yeah!
We make her bear and raise our children,
And then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen.
We tell her home is the only place she should be,
Then we complain that shes too unworldly to be our friend.
Oh, woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is,
If you dont believe me, take a look at the one youre with.
Oh, woman is the slave to the slave,
Yeah, all right.
Hit it!
We insult her evry day on tv,
And wonder why she has no guts or confidence.
When shes young, we kill her will to be free,
While tellin her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb.
Oh well, woman is the nigger of the world,
Yes, she is,
If you dont believe me, take a look at the one youre with.
Woman is the slave to the slaves,
Yes, she is,
If you believe, wed better scream about it!
Uh, uh, uh, hey, hey.
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance,
We make her paint her face and dance.
song performed by by Yoko Ono
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Deformed Angel
Sometimes life gives us severe shock,
Undermines the plans and does block,
The ways of wisdom leading ahead,
Reveals the hands that secretly mock.
An artist thought to paint an angel,
To use the brush for the masterpiece,
But could not conceptualize the image,
Beauty combining innocence, purity.
One morn, at last, he luckily found,
A child playing on the grassy ground,
Having angelic countenance and grace,
Incarnation he was of sublime serenity.
Painted he the angel with skill utmost,
And earned he the world wide fame.
And he after three full fleeting decades,
Thought for the second master-sketch,
Now not of an angel, but of a devil.
He sought for the image far and wide,
But could not find corresponding one,
Fate then led him amid the prison walls,
There inside met he a young wretch man,
With a devilish nature, face and frame.
The master revealed his intent to paint,
Tears came in eyes of the devil formed,
Said he, “Oh! Master it is a matter of woe,
You sketched me an angel thirty years ago.”
poem by Muhammad Shanazar
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Peace, Little Girl, Peace.
The poor young girl
with beach blonde hair
and pale white skin
stands in the middle of the street,
in the middle of a war.
Her face shows pain,
her face shows she wants help.
She goes to the hardware store
and steals a can of purple paint.
She doesn't know better,
so it doesn't matter.
The pale girl opens the can of purple paint
and uses her hands to write a message on the
big brick building wall.
She uses what knowledge she has of spelling,
and traces her purple paint covered fingers
over the wall.
First she draws a P
than an E
than she dips her hand back in the paint.
When she is done with the word,
the purple paint has run down the wall,
but you could still see the word very clearly.
It spelled PEACE.
The young girl takes her hand and presses it to the wall
leaving a very small purple handprint.
Then she runs.
A soldier calls after her,
'Peace little girl, Peace! '