Sonnets of the Empire: Australia 1905
Careless she lies along the Southern Main,
The lovely maiden, wanton with the spell
Of sun and vastness and the ocean swell:
Northward the great gnomes watch her beauty, fain
To snatch her wealth of gold and fleece and grain,
And bend her being to their purpose fell:
But she lies lazy, and the passing bell
Of older glory stirs her sense in vain.
Nor shall she wake and know her danger near
Till some high heart and true, her fated lord,
Shall kiss her lips, and all her will control,
And fill her wayward heart with holy fear,
And cross her forehead with his iron sword,
And bring her strength, and armour, and a soul.
poem by Archibald Thomas Strong
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Pax Britannica
Behind her rolling ramparts England lay,
Impregnable, and girt by cliff-built towers,
Weaving to peace and plenty, day by day,
The long-drawn hours.
In peace Spring freed her flocks and showered her grain,
Summer sate smiling under peaceful leaves,
And Autumn piled on the unwarlike wain
Her sickled sheaves.
And white-winged keels flew fluttering to her shore,
Laden with Eastern bale or Southern fleece,
And from the fields of far-off labour bore
The spoils of Peace.
Then, seeing Her within her waves so blest,
The jealous nations, panoplied alike,
Said, ``Look, She wears no armour on her breast:
What if we strike?''
But She, of their base greed and armed array
Haughtily heedless, moated by her main,
Still across ocean ploughed her peaceful way
In strong disdain.
Then each to other muttered, ``Now at last
Her splendour shall be ours, and we shall slake
Our envy. She is pillowed on her Past,
And will not wake.''
Slowly as stirs a lion from his bed,
Lengthens his limbs, and crisps his mane, She rose,
Then shook out all her strength, and, flashing, said,
``Where are my foes?''
Thus to herself She did herself reveal,
Swiftly yet calmly put her armour on,
And, round her Empire sentinelled in steel,
Like morning shone!
From field and forge there thronged embattled hosts,
And that one struck the anvil, this the lyre,
And from the furnaces of war her coasts
Were fringed with fire.
Dazed and dismayed, they veiled their futile vow;
Some fain would be her friend, and some would nurse
Their hate till they could curb the might that now
They could but curse.
But they who watch from where the west wind blows,
Since great themselves, proud that their kith are great,
Said, ``See what comes when England with her foes
Speaks at the gate!''
Then back to loom and share her people poured,
Chanting peace-paeans as they reaped and gleaned,
While, gazing worldward, on her undrawn sword
Watchful She leaned.
poem by Alfred Austin
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Sonnet: God, Imprint Thy Holy Cross
Imprint Thy Holy Cross on my forehead!
And let my face look ugly to the world;
And let my life become a thorny-bed;
And let me pass my days thus God, till old.
Imprint Thy Holy Cross onto my heart!
And let my thoughts be free of sinful shade;
And let their earthly tones from them depart;
And let me spend my life thus God and fade!
Imprint Thy holy Cross onto my soul!
And let its sanctity fill up its space;
And let Thy grace guide me onto my goal;
And let me have always a Heav’nly gaze!
Imprint Thy Holy Cross all through my life!
And let me not forget it ev’n in strife.
poem by John Celes
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Evermore
Lost for words with all to say
Lord you take my breath away
Still my soul, my soul cries out
For you are holy
And as I look upon your name
Circumstances fade away
Now your glory steals my heart
You are holy
You are holy Lord
Evermore my heart, my heart will say
Above all, I live for your glory
Even if my world falls I will say
Above all, I live for your glory
With all my heart I'll say
I'm living for your name
With all to give you praise
We're living for your glory Lord
song performed by by Hillsong
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Angels VS. Demons
there is a battle raging within me
that i can't control.
of angels VS demons for my earthly soul.
i found that the demon can enter your mind
and at times control your thoughts
and try to get you to do things
you normally don't do..
if you are depressed
that's when he's at his best.
he fuels up the anger that
has built up inside
and gets you to believe all his lies.
he wants you to believe that
everything in life, is owed to you.
and tells you that
'this is what you have to do'.
take everything that you want in life
and no one will put up a fight.
for angels and humanity are weak as can be.
and he's here to set you free.
these are just a few of the lies
he will tell to you
to get you to do what he wants you to do.
then i have the angel with all its might
telling me that
'everything is going to be alright'
to believe and feel all that's in your heart
for that's how mankind got its start.
for the heart is the center of your soul
and is something the demon can't control.
so follow your heart like you do your deams
and don't let the demon get in between.
so in reality, i can say to you
the LORD gave you the power
to your heart be true.
poem by Louis Rams
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Only One Spirit To Follow
Peace, says the young Believer, while there is no peace in his heart,
And when he's in a throng of True Believers, he only wants to depart.
If you're walking with The Lord, peace and joy will fill your heart,
But Satan attacks a half-hearted Christian and tears his peace apart.
Satan like a hungry lion, stalks Christians who question why believe,
He fills them with questions and doubts as he continues to deceive.
God sends only one Spirit that will fill you with security and peace,
But Satan uses many spirits to fill you with uncertainty and deceit.
God starts by sending The Holy Spirit to lead one to truly believe,
Satan follows to snatch The Truth with taunting spirits to deceive.
God then sends The Holy Spirit with submission to help you to abide,
Satan quickly whispers independence, to begin filling you with pride.
God sends The Holy Spirit with contentment to say I know your need,
Satan quickly sows some discontentment to fill your heart with greed.
God sends The Holy Spirit with gentleness to show you how to be meek,
Satan quickly lies and says The Truth will simply make you look weak.
Satan turns you from The Lord to fill you with the world's mystique.
This deception will continue until its The Lord you desire to seek,
God sent His Son Jesus to fill you with peace throughout your days,
But my dear friend a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,
(Copyright © 03/2003)
I Forgive You
(Shut up)
For all the anguish,
And degradation
For every time I needed truth
And you were faithless
But disappointment, self-deprecation
But living a lie for fantasize and you could save me
I need my cross like a blanket
And misery is comfort
I can hardly stand to blame myself for filling prophecy on you
And in the end I decided
I guess I felt I deserved it
I should kiss your dirty lips for bringing me my clarity
And how did you just make me see?
How your lies have buried me
But I forgive you
Lord I must forgive you
So I
I feel so high
Just let it go we would
I forgive you
Lord I must forgive you
So I
(Shut up)
For all the torment
Loss of independence
For disrespect, carelessness with my emotions
For all the screams I swallow
How a soul is hollow
For giving into temptation
For making me feel like a cheap replacement
And how did you just make me see
How your lies have buried me
But I forgive you
Lord I must forgive you
Cos I
I feel so high
Just let it go we would
I forgive you
Lord I must forgive you
Cos I
All the lies that I believed
And all the guilt you make me feel
Cos I forgive you
Lord I must forgive you
Cos I
Ohh I feel so good just letting go
You know I feel good now you're gone
Getting stronger, letting go
Getting stronger, I'm moving on
Getting stronger, I'm letting go
Getting stronger, I'm getting stronger
No
This time
I forgive you
Lord I
And how the truth does make me see
And how your lies have buried me
I forgive you
Lord I
I must forgive you
Lord I
All the lies that I believed
And all the guilt you make me feel
I forgive you
Cos I forgive you
Lord I must forgive you
Cos I
And how the truth does make me see
How your lies have buried me
I forgive you
Cos I forgive you
Lord I
I must forgive you
(This time)
All the lies that I believed
Guilt you make me feel
This time
I must forgive you
I feel so high
I feel so high
Cos it feels so good just letting go
You know I feel good now you go
song performed by by Darren Hayes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Feed the soul...
As we contemplate our life's true goal,
How can we make a happy soul.
We each of us work toward untold bliss,
From our earliest days we crave love's kiss.
We seek the harmony of love's embrace,
So we all can find our happy place.
But love can reveal her hidden thorns,
That pierce the heart like demons horns.
Some think true joy lies in great wealth,
Blinded they forsake the souls true health.
These fools are soon obsessed by need,
They become reviled for all their greed.
Some believe true love is family and friends,
To another plateau of joy they send.
But treachery by those can scar the soul,
And leave in the heart a terrible hole.
Others think the church will fill a need,
So they pray to god their soul to feed.
My heart does pity those baffled fools,
For in the church deception rules.
True happiness I think is different for all,
To feed a soul the differences are small.
When the heart is pure and the soul is kind,
Then peace and love we all shall find...
Spread the love... The peace will follow...
poem by Cosmic Dreamer
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Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision, oh lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that thy art
Thou my best thought in the day and the night
Waking or sleeping, thou presence my light
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word
I ever with thee and thou with me lord
Thou my great father and I thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight
Be thou my armour and be thou my might
Thou my soul shelter, and thy my high tower
Raise thou me heavenwards, oh power of my power
Riches I need not, nor mans empty praise
Thou mine inheritance through all of my days
Thou and thou only though first in my heart
High king of heaven my treasure thou art
Oh high king of heaven, when battle is done
Grant heavens joy to me, bright heaven sun
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, though ruler of all
Da, da, da, da, da, etc.
song performed by by Van Morrison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Stand Up and Bless the Lord
Stand up and bless the Lord
Ye people of His choice;
Stand up and bless the Lord your God
With heart and soul and voice.
Though high above all praise,
Above all blessing high,
Who would not fear His holy Name,
And laud and magnify?
O for the living flame
From His own altar brought,
To touch our lips, our minds inspire,
And wing to heaven our thought!
There, with benign regard,
Our hymns He deigns to hear;
Though unrevealed to mortal sense,
Our spirits feel Him near.
God is our Strength and Song,
And His salvation ours;
Then be His love in Christ proclaimed
With all our ransomed powers.
Stand up and bless the Lord;
The Lord your God adore;
Stand up and bless His glorious Name;
Henceforth forevermore.
poem by James Montgomery
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Jesus’ Cross
The Holy Cross beckons
To follow Jesus Christ;
The source of strength and joy
To souls, for Lord athirst!
The Holy Cross guides us
To walk upon His steps;
The Son of God had died
To save mankind from sins.
The Holy Cross reminds
To place our trust in God;
Jesus resurrected
To annul man from rod.
The Holy Cross signals
That life has crosses, woes;
Yet, we must tread fearless;
Engages God, our foes!
The Holy Cross goads us
To carry each one’s cross;
Our war with satan’s won,
By Jesus, without loss!
The Holy Cross renews
Our ties with Jesus Lord;
He will come in glory
To judge mankind by Word!
poem by John Celes
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Psalm 50 part 3
v.1,5,8,16,21,22
C. M.
The judgment of hypocrites.
When Christ to judgment shall descend,
And saints surround their Lord,
He calls the nations to attend,
And hear his awful word.
"Not for the want of bullocks slain
Will I the world reprove;
Altars, and rites, and forms are vain,
Without the fire of love.
"And what have hypocrites to do
To bring their sacrifice?
They call my statutes just and true,
But deal in theft and lies.
"Could you expect to 'scape my sight,
And sin without control?
But I shall bring your crimes to light,
With anguish in your soul."
Consider, ye that slight the Lord,
Before his wrath appear,
If once you fall beneath his sword,
There's no deliv'rer there.
poem by Isaac Watts
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Psalm 145 part 3
v.14,17ff
C. M.
Mercy to sufferers; or, God hearing prayer.
Let every tongue thy goodness speak,
Thou sovereign Lord of all;
Thy strength'ning hands uphold the weak,
And raise the poor that fall.
When sorrow bows the spirit down,
Or virtue lies distressed
Beneath some proud oppressor's frown,
Thou giv'st the mourners rest.
The Lord supports our tott'ring days,
And guides our giddy youth;
Holy and just are all his ways,
And all his words are truth.
He knows the pains his servants feel,
He hears his children cry,
And their best wishes to fulfil,
His grace is ever nigh.
His mercy never shall remove
From men of heart sincere;
He saves the souls whose humble love
Is joined with holy fear.
[His stubborn foes his sword shall slay,
And pierce their hearts with pain
But none that serve the Lord shall say,
"They sought his aid in vain."]
[My lips shall dwell upon his praise,
And spread his fame abroad;
Let all the sons of Adam raise
The honors of their God.]
poem by Isaac Watts
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Vain And Careless
Lady, lovely lady,
Careless and gay!
Once when a beggar called
She gave her child away.
The beggar took the baby,
Wrapped it in a shawl,
'Bring her back,' the lady said,
'Next time you call.'
Hard by lived a vain man,
So vain and so proud,
He walked on stilts
To be seen by the crowd.
Up above the chimney pots,
Tall as a mast,
And all the people ran about
Shouting till he passed.
'A splendid match surely,'
Neighbours saw it plain,
'Although she is so careless,
Although he is so vain.'
But the lady played bobcherry,
Did not see or care,
As the vain man went by her
Aloft in the air.
This gentle-born couple
Lived and died apart.
Water will not mix with oil,
Nor vain with careless heart.
poem by Robert Graves
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The Largest Life
I
I lie upon my bed and hear and see.
The moon is rising through the glistening trees;
And momently a great and sombre breeze,
With a vast voice returning fitfully,
Comes like a deep-toned grief, and stirs in me,
Somehow, by some inexplicable art,
A sense of my soul's strangeness, and its part
In the dark march of human destiny.
What am I, then, and what are they that pass
Yonder, and love and laugh, and mourn and weep?
What shall they know of me, or I, alas!
Of them? Little. At times, as if from sleep,
We waken to this yearning passionate mood,
And tremble at our spiritual solitude.
II
Nay, never once to feel we are alone,
While the great human heart around us lies:
To make the smile on other lips our own,
To live upon the light in others' eyes:
To breathe without a doubt the limped air
Of that most perfect love that knows no pain:
To say–I love you–only, and not care
Whether the love come back to us again:
Divinest self-forgetfulness, at first
A task, and then a tonic, then a need;
To greet with open hands the best and worst,
And only for another's wound to bleed:
This is to see the beauty that God meant,
Wrapped round with life, ineffably content.
III
There is a beauty at the goal of life,
A beauty growing since the world began,
Through every age and race, through lapse and strife
Till the great human soul complete her span.
Beneath the waves of storm that lash and burn,
The currents of blind passion that appall,
To listen and keep watch till we discern
The tide of sovereign truth that guides it all;
So to address our spirits to the height,
And so attune them to the valiant whole,
That the great light be clearer for our light,
And the great soul the stronger for our soul:
To have done this is to have lived, though fame
Remember us with no familiar name.
poem by Archibald Lampman
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Lament for Atlantis
Mighty gods, O rulers of all beneath ye,
hear this lamentation I bear, that speaks of
fair Atlantis, place of my birthplace, lost now,
drowned by the ocean.
Lonely lies the land of Atlantis, lost now
under ocean. Once it was full of wonders,
once it was full of people and temples, drowned now
under the deep waves.
Drowned, she lies, lost under the ocean's broad reach;
once a queen, now draped in a corpse's wound sheet,
fair Atlantis lay as a pearl above all pearls,
above all known lands.
Once an empress over all lands, she lies drowned;
deep beneath the ocean she lies, she lies low
under endless waves while the years and the ages
pass like a swift wind.
No-one comes to comfort her, ease her sorrow.
All her friends have left her alone in sorrow,
all the lands have dealt with her treacherously,
left her unmourned, lorn.
Fair Atlantis lies in the ocean's deep breast
while the nations come no more, under dyed sails,
bring no gifts of gold or else costly cargoes
under the dyed sails.
All her temples lie in the ocean's deep breast,
all her festivals and sacred statues,
all her sacred slaves and her holy virgins
lie in its deep breast.
All her sacred groves, and her many fair fields
lie beneath the ocean; and all her cities
lie beneath the waves that ye caused to rise up,
drown it in one day.
All her enemies have become as great kings,
saying: 'Fair Atlantis is lost for all time,
let us rule the Earth while she lies destroyed, dead
under the deep waves.'
Fair Atlantis calls to her former fair friends:
'High I raised you, gave you the gifts of great lore,
yet you all exult in my sudden downfall,
strut like a vain cock.'
How the countries envy her glories, lost now
while beneath the ocean she lies, forlorn, lost,
when her people lived as do heroes god-blessed,
basking in glory.
When her people fell to the ocean waves,
how the countries mocked at her fall to harsh fate,
how the countries mocked at her, lost to deep waves
rolling above her.
Is her fate naught to the mighty nations?
Fair she rose and ruled, but now desolate, drowned
deep beneath waves, fallen from pride that whelms all,
which will befall them.
For my land, I weep with my bitter, bleak eyes,
for my birthplace, lost for all time, and drowned now.
Nothing heals my heart in its endless sorrow,
mourning my lost land.
See: her enemies have prevailed, are puffed proud;
see: her children wander the world, are scattered
over many lands, for her enemies rule
over all known lands.
Let the lands' pride lead to their needed downfall,
let them drown so deep in their insolent pride,
till the world is free from the taint of humans
lost to redemption.
poem by Phillip Ellis
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Luv Lies
ahh when you cross that line that you know you cant erase
to fall in lust not love aint no sin at all
and tell me when your with your bestfriends friend do you still feel out of place
no thanks I took that ride
God only knows I tried believing
I imagine everyone sometimes would cross their heart and hope to die
to tell I love you lies
I imagine everyone survives for giving up all that you got to tell I love you lies
the first time you look for love you find you dont know jack
yeah so much for mind games you play to win
cause first you lose your hearts desire then you get it back
but in the same place theres so much more behind the kiss I'm feeling
I imagine everyone sometimes will cross their heart and hope to die to tell I love you lies
I imagine everyone survives for giving up all that you got to tell I love
you lies
When lonliness and paranoia feeds me
god help the person who needs me
If ignorance is bliss than take me off the list I'm leaving
I imagine everyone sometimes will cross their heart and hope to die to tell I love you lies
I imagine everyone survives for giving up all that you got to tell I love you lies
song performed by by Aerosmith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Turn O' The Year
This is the time when bit by bit
The days begin to lengthen sweet
And every minute gained is joy -
And love stirs in the heart of a boy.
This is the time the sun, of late
Content to lie abed till eight,
Lifts up betimes his sleepy head -
And love stirs in the heart of a maid.
This is the time we dock the night
Of a whole hour of candlelight;
When song of linnet and thrush is heard -
And love stirs in the heart of a bird.
This is the time when sword-blades green,
With gold and purple damascene,
Pierce the brown crocus-bed a-row -
And love stirs in a heart I know.
poem by Katharine Tynan
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When I Saw A Beautiful Lady
I.
Near the fountain close to the river,
I saw a gentle lady
Picking wild fruit and flower,
Her dress was as radiate as a dove's skin.
She stirred and I quivered
She redrew her gaze as that of a cat on a moony light,
Like the fairy I have never seen before,
She continued with her toil, with those hands I crave for comfort
On this early morning her beauty lavishes
And the sun reflect on those glittering eyes,
Like the vampires on a ceremonial night
They would sing and dance till they dropp dead
Wishing hopelessly to save her from the jealous sun up there
Though indeed fear grip my hand unintentionally
As I walk down to the estuary, fear obtrude me,
That she might the fair goddess,
Who flows and flavourish the bitter fountain
Flowing up from above the lazy mountain
But lo she is an angel
Sent by the creator up above
To harvest with prickles
The utmost lazy flower
That grows uncontrollably
Along the coarse river
II.
On this very early sand stone beach
Beauty lies with the bird
Weary and tired from the duty she must perform
Singing that melodious song, all heaven stood to applaud
Though my ears may be deafen
From which I do not know why
I need to utter these sad words
And hence sing along with her
Oh maiden whom my heart crave for
Heaven may despise you though I doubt that
My throat lust for the very fountain you spit out with delight
Oh my sweet, sweet maiden
My legs may be weak to walk up and by
In endless thought I go mad
On your very lips the rain would never fall,
But glory you shall share with the goddess
For idleness is beauties sweetest dress,
As some other poet may say
I cannot see you and blink more than none
Though heaven and hell I would never fear
Your beauty cannot match the great nymphet
Whose jealousy would grow till she explode
But lo do not stop! Sing
And let all the birds chorus with you
Like the choir on a sacred night
Whose conductor, dressed in a beautiful blue suit.
poem by Samuel Donkor
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Seeking
Bright eyes, sweet lips, with sudden fevers fill
My strong blood, running wildly, as it must;
But lips and eyes too soon beget distrust.
A soft touch sends a momentary thrill
Through sense unsubservient to the will;
But warm caresses leave a dim disgust;
Like Dead- Sea apples, kisses turn to dust.
I kiss; I feast; but I am hungry still.
O, where is She — that straight and upright soul —
True friend, true mate, true woman — where is She?
True heart — as true as needle to the pole —
True to the truth, not only true to me —
Worth all I have to give — the best — the whole.
When shall these eyes Her unknown beauty see?
poem by Ada Cambridge
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To Mary, On Receiving Her Picture
This faint resemblance of thy charms,
(Though strong as mortal art could give,)
My constant heart of fear disarms,
Revives my hopes, and bids me live.
Here, I can trace the locks of gold
Which round thy snowy forehead wave;
The cheeks which sprung from Beauty's mould,
The lips, which made me Beauty's slave.
Here I can trace---ah, no! that eye,
Whose azure floats in liquid fire,
Must all the painter's art defy,
And bid him from the task retire.
Here, I behold its beauteous hue;
But where's the beam so sweetly straying,
Which gave a lustre to its blue,
Like Luna o'er the ocean playing?
Sweet copy! far more dear to me,
Lifeless, unfeeling as thou art,
Than all the living forms could be,
Save her who plac'd thee next my heart.
She plac'd it, sad, with needless fear,
Lest time might shake my wavering soul,
Unconscious that her image there
Held every sense in fast control.
Thro' hours, thro' years, thro' time, 'twill cheer---
My hope, in gloomy moments, raise;
In life's last conflict 'twill appear,
And meet my fond, expiring gaze.