Sarabande On Attaining The Age Of Seventy-Seven
The harbingers are come. See, see their mark;
White is their colour; and behold my head.
-- George Herbert
Long gone the smoke-and-pepper childhood smell
Of the smoldering immolation of the year,
Leaf-strewn in scattered grandeur where it fell,
Golden and poxed with frost, tarnished and sere.
And I myself have whitened in the weathers
Of heaped-up Januaries as they bequeath
The annual rings and wrongs that wring my withers,
Sober my thoughts, and undermine my teeth.
The dramatis personae of our lives
Dwindle and wizen; familiar boyhood shames,
The tribulations one somehow survives,
Rise smokily from propitiatory flames
Of our forgetfulness until we find
It becomes strangely easy to forgive
Even ourselves with this clouding of the mind,
This cinerous blur and smudge in which we live.
A turn, a glide, a quarter turn and bow,
The stately dance advances; these are airs
Bone-deep and numbing as I should know by now,
Diminishing the cast, like musical chairs.
poem by Anthony Evan Hecht
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Brother and Sister
The shorn moon trembling indistinct on her path,
Frail as a scar upon the pale blue sky,
Draws towards the downward slope: some sorrow hath
Worn her down to the quick, so she faintly fares
Along her foot-searched way without knowing why
She creeps persistent down the sky’s long stairs.
Some day they see, though I have never seen,
The dead moon heaped within the new moon’s arms;
For surely the fragile, fine young thing had been
Too heavily burdened to mount the heavens so.
But my heart stands still, as a new, strong dread alarms
Me; might a young girl be heaped with such shadow of woe?
Since Death from the mother moon has pared us down to the quick,
And cast us forth like shorn, thin moons, to travel
An uncharted way among the myriad thick
Strewn stars of silent people, and luminous litter
Of lives which sorrows like mischievous dark mice chavel
To nought, diminishing each star’s glitter,
Since Death has delivered us utterly, naked and white,
Since the month of childhood is over, and we stand alone,
Since the beloved, faded moon that set us alight
Is delivered from us and pays no heed though we moan
In sorrow, since we stand in bewilderment, strange
And fearful to sally forth down the sky’s long range.
We may not cry to her still to sustain us here,
We may not hold her shadow back from the dark.
Oh, let us here forget, let us take the sheer
Unknown that lies before us, bearing the ark
Of the covenant onwards where she cannot go.
Let us rise and leave her now, she will never know.
poem by David Herbert Lawrence
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Smoldering
I sat beside the sappy smoldering straw,
Thick grey smoke rose from the substance,
With the undulating curvy dancing motion,
When the winter wind blew form the west;
And dissipated far above into the dusky air,
Like an apparition of a despised phantom.
Then the gushing blows spurted the flames,
That altered the heaped pile into dark ashes,
While the heap burnt I listened to the blistering,
Sounds conveying: smoldering either extincts,
Or spurts, it does not go on for the long time.
poem by Muhammad Shanazar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Never could you hide from...
1. Never could you hide from
Years, passed in turn.
Childhood is left for
Adult's life by all.
R.: But the school desk
I'm dreaming,
And the school books
I'm reading,
I remember all the teachers
One by one.
And the freckled girl is crying
From my childhood, when I'm
Trying to recall in mind the old time.
2. If you know, the childs
Try to grow fast,
Being in hurry
Turn to man, at last.
R.
3. We feel being tighted
In the golden age,
But we long for childhood,
When it comes to end.
R.
song, translated by Lyudmila Purgina
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Thoughts Mind Soul Echoes
thoughts like children
scatter from our mind
thoughts were part of us?
thoughts came from us?
thoughts live beyond us?
thoughts outlive our lives?
thoughts mind soul echoes
haunting fragments of mind
light shines through prisms
separates into colour bands
thought trails sunset colours
spectrum ribbons thoughts
spiral into keen conceptions
meaning insight discriminates
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Found You- (for my best friend)
Alone in this world,
Not meant for me to live in, I never knew
Why the sun rose and set, why it rained so hard-
My tears, my tears-That fell upon the edge of time-
The three quarter moon last night
I could almost reach with arms outstretched-
So it seemed, so I wondered where in this universe
Is there a place for me? Every morning, every night
Walking the same path hoping to find,
At the end of my journey-
Although only the same valley,
The same trees and the same creek- and
Then I found you.
You, with the sparkling eyes of green,
You with the hair, reddish gold as the sun
That rose and set and
That welcoming, winning smile and
Then I could see that outstretched arms
Could belong to someone else and
How these arms were reaching out to me?
Instantly you became a blossoming daffodil
In the same familiar valley, standing stately
Beneath that same familiar tree, wading in that nearby creek-
Alone as I, you were and we connected as
Two shooting stars meeting in the universe so vast and
The rain stopped, as we circle danced with the
Elegance and mysticism as the rings of Saturn?
As with the wave of the hand of a sorcerer, we became one-
Sharing our delusions of the meaning of life,
Together we found a world of our own- one meant for the
Two of us alone- where the sun rose and set-
Just for you and I, and I know now that no matter how hard it rains and
Even if I never saw the sun rise and set again
My tears- my tears have disappeared because I have found you-
My own sun- that shooting star that has given me light and
I can see to walk down any path and no matter which path I walk-
I shall find you near and shall never be alone, again-
And when we reach the end of any path- we shall circle dance together
Surrounded by the light emitted from our laughter,
Beneath the light of the three quarter moon-
Upon the edge of time, everlasting…
poem by Claudia Krizay
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Forerunners
The harbingers are come. See, see their mark;
White is their colour, and behold my head.
But must they have my brain? must they dispark
Those sparkling notions, which therein were bred?
Must dulnesse turn me to a clod?
Yet have they left me, Thou art still my God.
Good men ye be, to leave me my best room,
Ev'n all my heart, and what is lodged there:
I passe not, I, what of the rest become,
So Thou art still my God, be out of fear.
He will be pleased with that dittie;
And if I please him, I write fine and wittie.
Farewell sweet phrases, lovely metaphors.
But will ye leave me thus? when ye before
Of stews and brothels onely knew the doores,
Then did I wash you with my tears, and more,
Brought you to Church well drest and clad;
My God must have my best, ev'n all I had.
Louely enchanting language, sugar-cane,
Hony of roses, whither wilt thou flie?
Hath some fond lover tic'd thee to thy bane?
And wilt thou leave the Church, and love a stie?
Fie, thou wilt soil thy broider'd coat,
And hurt thy self, and him that sings the note.
Let foolish lovers, if they will love dung,
With canvas, not with arras clothe their shame:
Let follie speak in her own native tongue.
True beautie dwells on high: ours is a flame
But borrow'd thence to light us thither.
Beautie and beauteous words should go together.
Yet if you go, I passe not; take your way:
For, Thou art still my God, is all that ye
Perhaps with more embellishment can say,
Go birds of spring: let winter have his fee,
Let a bleak palenesse chalk the doore,
So all within be livelier then before.
poem by George Herbert
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Like The Sun
In light of my present mess
In light of my mental weathers turn
In light of all the crash and burn
Ill open my mind as wide as ever
The line behind the lesson
Soul in the open well
It might have been fate
It might have been fortune
It might have been wine and a mellow head
Im finding my way
Finding the words
One body breaking
Someone come and rise up
Rise like the sun
Youll find the world
Somebody save me
Someone come and rise up
Rise up and hold me now
I know that at times life kinda hurts
I know that I will live and learn
So more than survive
I will endeavour
The mind behind the message
Alone on an ocean swell
It might have been great
It might have gorgeous
It might have been why Ive settled in
Im finding my way
Finding the words
One body breaking
Someone come and rise up
Rise like the sun
Youll find the world
Somebody save me
Someone come and rise up
Rise and show
A helpless man
A held out hand
Defining images
That flow through my hope
Surrender the broken moments
And pointing fingers
The closing of open minds
I might have been delayed
I might have been delirious
I might have been otherwise
Taking hammer blows
Like an animal
For others
So heavy was my way
Im finding my way
Finding the words
One body breaking
Someone come and rise up
Rise like the sun
Youll find the world
Somebody save me
Someone come and rise up
Im finding my way
Im finding my words
Im one body breaking
Someone come and rise up
Rise like the sun
Youll find the world
Somebody save me
Someone come and rise up
Rise and show
Show us
Something
song performed by by I Mother Earth
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Sea Lullaby
The old moon is tarnished
With smoke of the flood,
The dead leaves are varnished
With colour like blood.
A treacherous smiler
With teeth white as milk,
A savage beguiler
In sheathings of silk
The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey;
A child of the village
Was murdered today.
She came up to meet him
In a smooth golden cloak,
She choked him and beat him
to death, for a joke.
Her bright locks were tangled,
She shouted for joy
With one hand she strangled
A strong little boy.
Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night
To wash her long fingers
In silvery light.
poem by Elinor Morton Wylie
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Turn Everything Over
Monday found me on my knees
again
Breathing You in
To blur the lines that mark where I
begin
And where You end
No use in trying to pretend
Come take me again
'Cause rumor has it I'm not who
I've been
Come define me
Chorus:
What can we do
If these rumors are true?
I turn everything over
I turn myself in
I turn everything over
I turn myself in
There's nothing left to me to
defend
I turn everything over
I turn myself in, yeah
The evidence convicts the hollow
men
After looking inside
To my dismay I find I'm just one of
them
'Cause I'm already but not yet
resurrected fallen man
Come break this limbo
And I know You know just who
I've been
Come define me
Chorus
Rumor has it you love me
Rumor has it the world spins
upside down
Rumor has it my only hope is in You
And the rumors are true
I turn everything over
Chorus (2x)
song performed by by Switchfoot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Beware
A shadow lies upon the ground,
a blackness that is so profound.
Against the marble cool and white
reflecting back the bright sunlight.
My eyes are fooled and cant be sure
and see it as an aperture.
A deep dark trench that’s cut into
the marble. This is something new.
My mind denies that this can be
rejects this view immediately.
The brain interprets what is seen
applies cold logic to the scene.
Decides it’s just a shadow cast
by the bright sun and will not last.
Then as the sun moves in the sky
the shadow alters rapidly.
Diminishing and growing small
until it is not there at all.
The sun directly overhead
the shadow has been banished.
Upon the pavement burnished white
a slender column stands upright
Something I did not see before
a new addition perhaps more
Although my eyes were truly fooled
and that my mind has overruled,
The false impression stays with me
I wonder if impossibly.
My mind was wrong and my eyes right
the trench I saw as black as night
might have been reality
that’s only visible to me.
Perhaps those less fortunate.
Realised the truth but far too late
to save themselves before they fell
into that dark and lonely hell.
The toll of folks who disappear
from public view, grows year by year.
Maybe this odd phenomenon
might well explain where they have gone.
As they live trapped in agony
between the worlds that we can see
and other worlds that we cannot.
To gnash their teeth bemoan their lot.
Beware of shadows in the sun
its all too easy having fun
to forget danger can lie
beneath a friendly summer sky.
You too could vanish from men’s sight
and none would ever know your plight.
Held fast between realities
the other worlds that no one sees.
Take care my friends heed what I say
and may you never rue the day
that you dismissed to easily
the danger that you did not see.
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Tracing Me Out...
I find a new fire burning
With colourful flames hitherto unseen.
I find that it is burning
With fumes souring to skies hitherto unreached.
And my joy knows no bounds.
I find the thing burning
My mind is it!
I find the crowd cheering
My people are it!
And a gloom embraces me.
The flames flicker,
The smoke withers,
And the souls creep back into the holes,
I feel a stench of my mind
And a heap of ash remains.
I won`t see new things burning,
Nor will I search for flames thereof.
With what little is left over in me since
I have to trace a form of mine
To speak certain brutal truths to you.
poem by M.d Dinesh Nair
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Turn To Me
If you gave up major vices
Youre between a hard place and a wall
And your car breaks down in traffic
On the street
Remember, Im the one who loves you
You can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me
Baby, turn to me
If your father is free basing
And your mother turning tricks
Thats still no reason
You should have a rip
Remember, Im the one who loves you
You can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me
Turn to me
When your teeth are ground down to the bone
And theres nothing between your legs
And some friend died of something
That you cant pronounce, ah
Remember, Im the one who loves you
Hey baby, you can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me
Turn to me
You cant pay your rent, your boss is an idiot
And your apartment has no heat
And your wife says, maybe
Its time to have a child
Remember, Im the one who loves you
And you can always give me a call
Turn to me, turn to me
Turn to me
When its all too much you turn the tv set on
And light a cigarette
And then a public service announcement
Comes creeping on
And you see a lung corroding
Or a fatal heart attack
Turn to me, turn to me
Baby, turn to me, Im just a phone call away
Turn to me, turn to me
Hey, turn to me, one .... a dollar
Turn to me, baby
Turn to me
(turn to me, turn to me
Turn to me)
(turn to me, turn to me
Turn to me)
song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Autumn
white flowers
shadows 'gainst a white wall
all colour spent
here we hesitate
haven't the nerve
to bring to mind
that which we might find
behind a curtain in another room
traces of an old perfume
they turn away
we deflect thoughts
of what it is too late to say
poem by STEPHEN BRIAN Brady
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Tommy's Dead
YOU may give over plough, boys,
You may take the gear to the stead,
All the sweat o' your brow, boys,
Will never get beer and bread.
The seed's waste, I know, boys,
There's not a blade will grow, boys,
'Tis cropped out, I trow, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
Send the colt to fair, boys,
He's going blind, as I said,
My old eyes can't bear, boys,
To see him in the shed;
The cow's dry and spare, boys,
She's neither here nor there, boys,
I doubt she's badly bread;
Stop the mill to-morn, boys,
There'll be no more corn, boys,
Neither white nor red;
There's no sign of grass, boys,
You may sell the goat and the ass, boys,
The land's not what it was, boys,
And the beasts must be fed:
You may turn Peg away, boys,
You may pay off old Ned,
We've had a dull day, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
Move my chair on the floor, boys,
Let me turn my head:
She's standing there in the door, boys,
Your sister Winifred!
Take her away from me, boys,
Your sister Winifred!
Move me round in my place, boys,
Let me turn my head,
Take her away from me, boys,
As she lay on here death-bed,
The bones of her thin face, boys,
As she lay on her death-bed!
I don't know how it be, boys,
When all's done and said,
But I see her looking at me, boys,
Whenever I turn my head;
Out of the big oak tree, boys,
Out of the garden-bed,
And the lily as pale as she, boys,
And the rose that used to be red.
There's something not right, boys,
But I think it's not in my head,
I've kept my precious sight, boys, --
The Lord be hallowéd!
Outside and in
The ground is cold to my tread,
The hills are wizen and thin,
The sky is shrivelled and shred,
The hedges down by the loan
I can count them bone by bone,
The leaves are open and spread,
But I see the teeth of the land,
And hands like a dead man's hand,
And the eyes of a dead man's head.
There's nothing but cinders and sand,
The rat and the mouse have fed,
And the summer's empty and cold;
Over valley and wold
Wherever I turn my head
There's a mildew and a mould,
The sun's going out overhead,
And I'm very old,
And Tommy's dead.
What am I staying for, boys,
You're all born and bred,
'Tis fifty years and more, boys,
Since wife and I were wed,
And she'd gone before, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
She was always sweet, boys,
Upon his curly head,
She knew she'd never see't, boys,
And she stole off to bed;
I've been siting up alone, boys,
For he'd come home, he said,
But it's time I was gone boys,
For Tommy's dead.
Put the shutters up, boys,
Bring out the beer and bread,
Make haste and sup, boys,
For my eyes are heavy as lead:
There's something wrong i' the cup, boys,
There's something ill wi' the bread,
I don't care to sup, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
I'm not right, I doubt, boys,
I've such a sleepy head,
I shall nevermore be stout, boys,
You may carry me to bed.
What are you about, boys?
The prayers are all said,
The fire's raked out, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
The stairs are too steep, boys,
You may carry me to the head,
The night's dark and deep, boys,
Your mother's long in bed,
'Tis time to go to sleep, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
I'm not used to a kiss, boys,
You may shake my hand instead.
All things go amiss, boys,
You may lay me where she is, boys,
And I'll rest my old head:
'Tis a poor world, this, boys,
And Tommy's dead.
poem by Sydney Thompson Dobell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Thermostat
When the hands that operate the motor lose control of the lever
When the mind of its own in the wheel puts two and two together
When the indicator says youre out of oil should you continue driving anyway?
Theres a thermostat that regulates the temperature
That might not be reliable
That should be disconnected
Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up when the cold brings you down
When the heat bothers you turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down
As I was just saying
As I was just saying
As I was just telling you a minute ago
I was just talking and someone interrupted
Or was it a loud explosion?
Or is the thermostat engulfed in flames
Or is it just me?
Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up when the cold brings you down
When the heat bothers you turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down
As I was just saying
As I was just saying
As I was just saying
Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up when the cold brings you down
When the heat bothers you turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up when the cold brings you down
When the heat bothers you turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Sonnet: Do Utmost Good
God, wring my heart and drain my emotions,
And let me turn them into poetry!
But let me guide people with solutions;
What’s the use of growing a fruitless tree?
God, milk my veins and let out drops of blood,
Or let it turn into my forehead sweat!
But let me leave my poems ‘fore I’m dead;
Let me thus clear Thee off my parents’ debt.
God, wring my soul: bring out my good deeds all!
Remove all stains of sin and mistakes made;
Let it be pure and ready for Thy call;
But let me do things as Thou bade/ forbade.
God, wring my mind and leave it with thoughts good;
Let them become for good deeds/ acts, a food.
6-1-2001
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Turn Around
Want to cross
But I dont think I can
Its too weak here
Even where I stand
Come here darling
Let me see you hold my hand
So we can mend your broken halo
All I want from you
Well all I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Wanted to damage
So I damaged it some
We used to have it all
Now I just got some
The silence, perfections, mysteries
All easy to fall from your lips
All the while lies were told to me
In shapeless secrets
When all I want from you
All I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Why cant you turn around?
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
song performed by by Whiskeytown
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Turn Around
Want to cross
But I dont think I can
Its too weak here
Even where I stand
Come here darling
Let me see you hold my hand
So we can mend your broken halo
All I want from you
Well all I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Wanted to damage
So I damaged it some
We used to have it all
Now I just got some
The silence, perfections, mysteries
All easy to fall from your lips
All the while lies were told to me
In shapeless secrets
When all I want from you
All I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Why cant you turn around?
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
song performed by by Whiskeytown
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Mission
I'm a man on a mission - if you please
Dressed up like James Bond - boots on skis
Going hell for leather - rocket to the moon
Everything's a blur - I'll be there soon
She rang this morning - I must have been asleep
Dropped the phone - now it's broken in a heap
Does she turn me on - yes she does
Does she turn me on - yes she does
Wheels lifting off the ground - feel the air
Looking for my heading - not sure where
Climb above the clouds - taking a long time
Got to keep going - things looking fine
Blue in front of me - can see the sun
Letting it roll and dive - having lots of fun
Does it turn me on - yes it does
Does it turn me on - yes it does
Above this place is heaven - I could stay
Now I must leave - disappear in the grey
Lost in a dark world - strange shadows cast
Mind between worlds - changing descending fast
Clouds above green below- buffet of a breeze
Looking for home - flying close to the trees
Does this turn me - yes it does
Does this turn me - yes it does
poem by JeanJacques Evendon
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Check To Check
They claimed they overpaid us a debt that we must pay.
Then they turn around, and our checks they take away.
We now exceed our income like so many people do.
How do we live? What can we do?
Workers as well as retirees live from check to check
And they say it will get better yet.
About 70% of the country live this way
And people dying every day.
We have to decide between food and health
So we tighten up our belts.
You don’t take food out of your children s mouths
To feed others, although they may be sisters and brothers.
You share all that you could possibly give
If that’s all there is.
The government has to do as Joseph told
the pharaoh to do: take 1/5 of all the goods
And stockpile it up as we should.
All our monies, our grains of wheat
For later on it’ll be a treat.
And whatever we have left- then help
The other nations, or do our best.
They spend millions of dollars to find out how
A loggerhead turtle lives and survives.
Then they turn around and tell us all these lies.
It’s easy for the well to do- to talk the talk
But let’s see if they can walk OUR walk.
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!