Sonnets of the Empire: Australia 1914
The Night is thick with storm and driving cloud,
Lurid at instants through the blackness break
Quick gleams of war across the perilous lake
From yonder isles that awe and magic shroud:
Far in the northland smite Thor’s hammers loud
On steel that warlocks for her spoilure make,
Till lo! from sleep Australia starts awake
And lifts the queenly head that sloth had bowed.
Not yet her eyes are clear: throughout her brain
Still swarm the antic creatures of her dream,
The idiot jests, the sports that kill the soul,
Yet shall not night lay hold on her again,
For through the rack she spies the morning gleam
Clear on the sword that lights her to her goal.
poem by Archibald Thomas Strong
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
How Do You Sleep At Night
(jim mcbride/jerry salley)
I havent had a good nights sleep
In weeks now thanks to you
The ghost of broken promises you made
Haunts every room
A hurtin heart cant get no rest round here
I lie awake and wonder how
Your conscience could be clear
How do you sleep at night
Do you toss and turn till the morning light
Does the darkness help
When you lie down with the truth?
How do you sleep at night?
Are you all alone or do you hold someone tight
Do you see me
When you close your eyes?
How do you sleep at night?
Now your side of the beds as cold
As the lies that I believed
Im at the point when I cant even
Trust you in my dreams
Did the way you left me leave you feelin proud?
Or does the loneliness come callin
When the sun goes down?
How do you sleep at night
Do you toss and turn till the morning light
Does the darkness help
When you lie down with the truth
How do you sleep at night
Are you all alone or do you hold someone tight
Do you see me
When you close your eyes
How do you sleep at night
song performed by by Wade Hayes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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How Do You Sleep At Night
(jim mcbride/jerry salley)
I havent had a good nights sleep
In weeks now thanks to you
The ghost of broken promises you made
Haunts every room
A hurtin heart cant get no rest round here
I lie awake and wonder how
Your conscience could be clear
How do you sleep at night
Do you toss and turn till the morning light
Does the darkness help
When you lie down with the truth?
How do you sleep at night?
Are you all alone or do you hold someone tight
Do you see me
When you close your eyes?
How do you sleep at night?
Now your side of the beds as cold
As the lies that I believed
Im at the point when I cant even
Trust you in my dreams
Did the way you left me leave you feelin proud?
Or does the loneliness come callin
When the sun goes down?
How do you sleep at night
Do you toss and turn till the morning light
Does the darkness help
When you lie down with the truth
How do you sleep at night
Are you all alone or do you hold someone tight
Do you see me
When you close your eyes
How do you sleep at night
song performed by by Wade Hayes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Cant Sleep
(kathy louvin/mark collie)
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
When youre gone
Theres nothing I can do
But lie awake alone
And dream the whole night through
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
I close my weary eyes
And see your face
I hold my pillow tight
And dream of your embrace
I know that I could use the rest
But my lonely heart cries out for your caress
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
When youre gone
Theres nothing I can do
But lie awake alone
And dream the whole night through
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
They say that absence makes a love grow stronger
But I dont believe my empty arms can hold out any longer
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
When youre gone
Theres nothing I can do
But lie awake alone
And dream the whole night through
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
I cant sleep
For dreaming about you
song performed by by Martina Mcbride
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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He Does Not Sleep That Well At Night
He does not sleep that well at night though his troubles are small
The possums walking on his roof the rats squeak in the wall,
The boobook owl is crying mopoke on the trees across the way
He used to sleep without once waking till after break of day.
He does not sleep that well at night his wife beside him snore
He lay beside her wide awake for three hours sometimes more
The moon shines through the window pane he hear the plover cry
And the hunting fox is barking in the old paddock nearby.
He does not sleep that well at night he lay in bed awake
And the voices of the nocturnal creatures he cannot mistake
The frogs are singing in the ponds to tell that rain is near
And occasionally the barking of the neighbourhood dogs he hear.
He goes to bed at ten o clock but he doesn't get to sleep till around two
Although he must get up to go to work at seven still his worries seem so few
Compared to some who do sleep well with him it used not to be this way
He often slept for ten hours straight till after break of day.
poem by Francis Duggan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Dream Police
Words and music by rick nielsen
The dream police, they live inside of my head.
The dream police, they come to me in my bed.
The dream police, theyre coming to arrest me, oh no.
You know that talk is cheap, and those rumors aint nice.
And when I fall asleep I dont think Ill survive the night, the night.
cause theyre waiting for me.
Theyre looking for me.
Evry single night theyre driving me insane.
Those men inside my brain.
The dream police, they live inside of my head.
(live inside of my head.)
The dream police, they come to me in my bed.
(come to me in my bed.)
The dream police, theyre coming to arrest me, oh no.
Well, I cant tell lies, cause theyre listening to me.
And when I fall asleep, bet theyre spying on me tonight, tonight.
cause theyre waiting for me.
Theyre looking for me.
Evry single night theyre driving me insane.
Those men inside my brain.
I try to sleep, theyre wide awake, they wont leave me alone.
They dont get paid to take vacations, or let me alone.
They spy on me, I try to hide, they wont let me alone.
They persecute me, theyre the judge and jury all in one.
cause theyre waiting for me.
Theyre looking for me.
Evry single night theyre driving me insane.
Those men inside my brain.
The dream police, they live inside of my head.
The dream police, they come to me in my bed.
The dream police, theyre coming to arrest me.
song performed by by Cheap Trick
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Tales Of A Wayside Inn : Part 1. The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf X. -- Raud The Strong
'All the old gods are dead,
All the wild warlocks fled;
But the White Christ lives and reigns,
And throughout my wide domains
His Gospel shall be spread!'
On the Evangelists
Thus swore King Olaf.
But still in dreams of the night
Beheld he the crimson light,
And heard the voice that defied
Him who was crucified,
And challenged him to the fight.
To Sigurd the Bishop
King Olaf confessed it.
And Sigurd the Bishop said,
'The old gods are not dead,
For the great Thor still reigns,
And among the Jarls and Thanes
The old witchcraft still is spread.'
Thus to King Olaf
Said Sigurd the Bishop.
'Far north in the Salten Fiord,
By rapine, fire, and sword,
Lives the Viking, Raud the Strong;
All the Godoe Isles belong
To him and his heathen horde.'
Thus went on speaking
Sigurd the Bishop.
'A warlock, a wizard is he,
And lord of the wind and the sea;
And whichever way he sails,
He has ever favoring gales,
By his craft in sorcery.'
Here the sign of the cross
Made devoutly King Olaf.
'With rites that we both abhor,
He worships Odin and Thor;
So it cannot yet be said,
That all the old gods are dead,
And the warlocks are no more,'
Flushing with anger
Said Sigurd the Bishop.
Then King Olaf cried aloud:
'I will talk with this mighty Raud,
And along the Salten Fiord
Preach the Gospel with my sword,
Or be brought back in my shroud!'
So northward from Drontheim
Sailed King Olaf!
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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While You Were Sleeping
Last Night while you were sleeping,
Did you know that I was wide awake,
On my side, at your side
Waiting for morning to break.
I watched as you slept,
As the dreams enter in your soul
Then through my eyes, I realized
That truly, I love you so.
Last night, while you were sleeping.
Last Night while you were asleep
Did you know too, that I was there
On your bed, also laid my head
Along with my soul and prayer.
Lying quietly at your side
As I have done the nights before
To be with you, my love so true
Could any man ask for any more.
Last Night while you were asleep.
Last night while you slept,
As waiting for morning to come,
While at your side, I laid that night
While dreading the coming of the sun.
As always with you I was there
Even when morning began to arise
But then again it came, as so did the pain
As I said goodbye to another night.
Last night while you slept.
Last night while you did sleep
You never knew that you weren't alone,
As when you awoke not one word did I spoke
As on the couch I slept from which I never roamed.
Upon my side there I solemnly laid
Being so still, and quite as a mouse
Not to make a sound that might give my secret away,
I wandered; did you too feel lonely in this house.
Last night while you had slept.
Randy L. McClave
poem by Randy McClave
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Nightwalker
I sleep at night
On a cloud high on the horizon
And when I close my eyes
My soul is struck by lightning
Then I sleep at night
Like a storm
Oh, I walk the night
cause your head is gone from my pillow
And when the twilight shines
My eyes crash through the windows
cause I sleep at night without you
When its dark and the night lays me down
When the moon shines the light on the ground
I just run where my thoughts take me to
cause I cant live in this world
Without love without you
I walk the night
I walk the night
Oh, I dream at night
It must be a madmans rainbow that Im chasing
cause when I close my eyes
I feel your sweet sensation
cause I dream at night about you
When its dark and the night lays me down
When the moon shines the light on my ground
I just run where my thoughts take me to
cause I cant live in this world
Without love without you
I walk the night
I walk the night
I just run where my thoughts take me to
cause I cant live in this world
Without love without you
I walk the night
I walk the night
song performed by by Gino Vanelli
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Middle Of The Night
By: jimmy buffett, michael utley, will jennings, art neville
1983
Middle of the night
Hold on till morning
We will see the light
Love is spawning
Middle of the night
Hold on forever
Well know when its right
All together
When will we listen
When will we ever learn
Read all about it
This tide has got to turn
Middle of the night
Hold on till morning
We will see the light
Love is spawning
Middle of the night
Hold on forever
Well know when its right
All together
Old folks and babys
Theyre crying in the storm
I tried to tell them
Soon theyll be safe and warm
Middle of the night
Hold on till morning
We will see the light
Love is spawning
Middle of the night
Hold on forever
Well know when its right
All together
Lord let us out of this hall full of mirrors
Make it all clearer
Dont let us fall
In the middle of the night
Middle of the night
New voices calling
Saying its alright
Im not falling
Middle of the night
Halfway till morning
Middle of my life
New days dawning
Middle of the night
Hold on till morning
We will see the light
Love is spawning
Middle of the night
Hold on forever
Well know when its right
All together
Middle of the night
New voices calling
Saying its alright
Im not falling
Middle of the night
Halfway till morning
Middle of my life
New days dawning
Middle of the night
Hold on till morning
We will see the light
Love is spawning
Middle of the night
Hold on forever
Well no when its right
All together
song performed by by Jimmy Buffett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Fearful Traveller In The Haunted Castle
Oft do I hear those windows ope
And shut with dread surprise,
And spirits murmur as they grope,
But break not on the eyes.
Still fancy spies the winding sheet,
The phantom and the shroud,
And bids the pulse of horror beat
Throughout my ears aloud.
Some unknown finger thumps the door,
From one of faltering voice,
Till some one seems to walk the floor
With an alarming noise.
The drum of horror holds her sound,
Which will not let me sleep,
When ghastly breezes float around,
And hidden goblins creep.
Methinks I hear some constant groan,
The din of all the dead,
While trembling thus I lie alone,
Upon this restless bed.
At length the blaze of morning broke
On my impatient view,
And truth or fancy told the joke,
And bade the night adieu.
'Twas but the noise of prowling rats,
Which ran with all their speed,
Pursued in haste by hungry cats,
Which on the vermin feed.
Those creatures crumbling off the cheese
Which on the table lay;
Some cats, too quick the rogues to seize,
With rumbling lost their prey.
Thus man is often his own elf,
Who makes the night his ghost,
And shrinks with horror from himself,
Which is to fear the most.
The cat growl'd as she held her prey,
Which shriek'd with all its might,
And drove she balm of sleep away
Throughout the live-long night.
poem by George Moses Horton
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Lonely is the Night without a Pillow
dear dream please forgive my eyes
if the night closely peep the
morning sunlight, for nothing leaves the crickets
awake of sweet melody until everybody will greet
the morning glory of the stars asleep
twig the ray of every tree for the wind, gallops to
lay, snore the thundering rugged stream down
to the river flow as it
sing, and looks the night as it wait the morning sky,
wondering how it goes in the tick tock of the clock
oh! ladder of every dream, a pillow comes closer my
dear pillow,
for I will make you stay in my bed with a kiss
in your head, do what the eyes and the lips say and
make my day happy as you'll be
sleep my wonderful buddy the night comes in like a
flake of snow cool as it touches your body.....
poem by Antonio Liao
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Rest-less criminals
REST-LESS CRIMINALS
Coping with the lights
They never turn off
Keeping me up all night
No sleep at all
They talk and shout
They party all night
I want to knock them out
It’s just not right
Trying to ignore these sounds and lights
To get some sleep
Would be a delight
Whether I like it or not
Forced to stay up all night
I hate this fact
That I can’t sleep at will
But it’s all my fault I guess
I put myself here
During the day when I should be awake
It’s when I sleep
It’s something I hate
To many things here to steel my rest
When I get out of here
I’ll sleep for days
Mike Farris Jr.
6/06/08
poem by Mike Farris Jr.
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Just A Man
Sky is clear tonight
Sky is clear tomorrow
A star is out
I reach for one to sparkle in my hand
A star is out
I will not touch you, I am just a man
Sky is clear tonight
Sky is clear tomorrow
And every night I shut my eyes
So I dont have to see the light
Shining so bright
Ill dream about a cloudy sky,
A cloudy sky
Ill dream about a cloudy sky, a cloudy
Man was born to love-
Though often he has sought
Like icarus, to fly too high-
And far too lonely than he ought
To kiss the sun of east and west
And hold the world at his behest-
To hold the terrible power
To whom only gods are blessed-
But me, I am just a man
And every night I shut my eyes
So I dont have to see the light
Shining so bright
Ill dream about a cloudy sky, a cloudy sky
And every night I shut my eyes
But now Ive got them open wide
Youve fallen into my hands
And now youre burning me
Youre burning me
song performed by by Faith No More
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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About May
One night Nurse Sleep held out her hand
To tired little May.
'Come, go with me to Wonderland,'
She said, 'I know the way.
Just rock-a-by-hum-m-m,
And lo! we come
To the place where the dream-girls play.'
But naughty May, she wriggled away
From Sleep's soft arms, and said:
'I must stay awake till I eat my cake,
And then I will go to bed;
With a by-lo, away I will go.'
But the good nurse shook her head.
She shook her head and away she sped,
While May sat munching her crumb.
But after the cake there came an ache,
Though May cried: 'Come, Sleep, come,
And it's oh! my! let us by-lo-by'-
All save the echoes were dumb.
She ran after Sleep toward Wonderland,
Ran till the morning light;
And just as she caught her and grasped her hand,
A nightmare gave her a fright.
And it's by-lo, I hope she'll know
Better another night.
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Heaven's Aspect, the Water's Colour
Heaven face water colour west lake good
Cloud creature all fresh
Gull egret idle sleep
Follow habit normal listen pipe string
Wind clear moon white incline proper night
One piece beautiful land
Who envy horse luan bird
Person in boat on then be immortal
Heaven's aspect, the water's colour- West Lake is good.
Creatures in the clouds all fresh,
Gulls and egrets idly sleep,
I follow my habit as of old, listen to pipes and strings.
The wind is clear, the moon is white, the night is almost perfect.
One piece of beautiful land,
Who would crave a steed or phoenix?
One man on his boat is just like an immortal.
poem by Ouyang Xiu
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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Desire
The sun
Blowing the moon away
Lights me up for
One more day
The streets are naked
In the morning sun
The night lifts behind me
I run and run
Morning heat
Puts a thin film of sweat on my face
A little man, his eyes half closed
Puts chairs on tables
Admires his work
And collects a quarter from the floor
I head over to broadway
Where I watch myself
Having a slow breakfast
Trying to impress the barman with a fresh voice
When I ask for the bill
The sun
Blowing the moon away
Lights me up for
One more day
The streets are naked
In the morning sun
The night lifts behind me
I run and run
Desire
Desire for the unknown eyes
Desire for the unknown name
Im burning in the morning sun, I want to run
Desire for the unknown name
Desire for the unknown love
Im burning in the morning sun
song performed by by Yello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Desire
The sun
Blowing the moon away
Lights me up for
One more day
The streets are naked
In the morning sun
The night lifts behind me
I run and run
Morning heat
Puts a thin film of sweat on my face
A little man, his eyes half closed
Puts chairs on tables
Admires his work
And collects a quarter from the floor
I head over to broadway
Where I watch myself
Having a slow breakfast
Trying to impress the barman with a fresh voice
When I ask for the bill
The sun
Blowing the moon away
Lights me up for
One more day
The streets are naked
In the morning sun
The night lifts behind me
I run and run
Desire
Desire for the unknown eyes
Desire for the unknown name
Im burning in the morning sun, I want to run
Desire for the unknown name
Desire for the unknown love
Im burning in the morning sun
song performed by by Yello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Cocaine Blues
Everytime my baby and me go up town
police come and they knock me down
Cocaine all around my brain
Hey baby, better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Yonder comes by baby, she's dressed in red
She's got a shot-gun, says she's gonna kill me dead.
Cocaine all around my brain
Hey baby, better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Early one morning, half past four
cocaine came knockin' on my door.
Cocaine all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Cocaine's for horses and it's not for men
Doctor said it kill you, but he don't say when.
Cocaine all around my brain.
Hey baby, you better come here quick.
This old cocaine is making me sick.
Cocaine all around my brain.
song performed by by Bob Dylan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dance
(j. spinks)
Growing up ain't easy
Especially when you?re young
And everyone you know is older than their years
And growing up ain't easy
When the only girl you want
Looks at you like you just disappeared
But you keep holding on
To every little thing that she's done
And if you?re chance came along
You'd make it clear
Hold me close close your eyes
Dance the night away
Growing up ain't easy
When time is on your side
And you?re wishing that these times would pass you by
Everytime a door is opened
There?s nothing on the other side
Just another door for you to try and find
But you keep holding on
And hoping that you're times gonna come
And she can do nothing wrong
You make it clear
Hold me close close your eyes
Dance the night away
But you keep holding on
To every little thing that she's done
And if you're chance came along
You'd make it clear
Hold me close close your eyes
Dance the night away
Hold me close close your eyes
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
song performed by by Outfield
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Symphony for the night
Close your eyes
let me sing you a song of the night
When the sky is dark,
And sweet cold winds blows,
Dream it for me,
let your heart sleep,
To wander in magic,
Flying trough sea of stars that shimmering
Let the moon smiles,
Greeting you trough the sky,
Let the clouds go with you,
Let us sail trough the night!
Let them,
Let the stars, blanketing your night sleep
Let the wind, blowing for your dreams
Let the symphony in, filling your heart,
Putting you, a good sleep trough the night,
Lei it be,
Dream, oh dream it for me,
Till the dawn, let you sleep.