Child Development
As sure as prehistoric fish grew legs
and sauntered off the beaches into forests
working up some irregular verbs for their
first conversation, so three-year-old children
enter the phase of name-calling.
Every day a new one arrives and is added
to the repertoire. You Dumb Goopyhead,
You Big Sewerface, You Poop-on-the-Floor
(a kind of Navaho ring to that one)
they yell from knee level, their little mugs
flushed with challenge.
Nothing Samuel Johnson would bother tossing out
in a pub, but then the toddlers are not trying
to devastate some fatuous Enlightenment hack.
They are just tormenting their fellow squirts
or going after the attention of the giants
way up there with their cocktails and bad breath
talking baritone nonsense to other giants,
waiting to call them names after thanking
them for the lovely party and hearing the door close.
The mature save their hothead invective
for things: an errant hammer, tire chains,
or receding trains missed by seconds,
though they know in their adult hearts,
even as they threaten to banish Timmy to bed
for his appalling behavior,
that their bosses are Big Fatty Stupids,
their wives are Dopey Dopeheads
and that they themselves are Mr. Sillypants.
poem by Billy Collins
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
They Might Be Giants
Hang on
Hang on tight
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants
They might be rain
They might be heat
They might be frying up a stalk of wheat
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants
They might be brain
They might be washed
They might be dr. spocks back-up band
To make the merry-go-round go faster
So that everyone needs to hang on tighter
Just to keep from being thrown to the wolves
Tabloid footprints in your hair
Tabloid footprints everywhere
We cant be silent
cause they might be giants
And what are we going to do unless they are
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants
They might be bald
They might be snow
They might be something else in the snow
Hang on tight
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants
They might be fake
They might be lies
They might be big, big, fake, fake lies
Tabloid footprints in your hair
Tabloid footprints everywhere
We cant be silent
cause they might be giants
And what are we going to do unless they are
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
They might be giants (boy)
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Killer Of Giants
If none of us believe in war
Then can you tell me what the weapons for
Listen to me everyone
If the button is pushed
Therell be nowhere to run
Giants sleeping giants winning wars
Within their dreams
Till they wake when its too late
And in gods name blaspheme
Killer of giants threatens us all
Mountains of madness standing so tall
Marches of protest not stopping the war
Or the killer of giants
The killer of giants
Mother nature people state your case without its worth
Your seas run dry your sleepless eyes are turning red alert
Killer of giants threatens us all
Mountains of madness standing so tall
Rising so proudly it has nowhere to fall
This killer of giants
This killer of giants
Killer of giants threatens us all
Mountains of madness standing so tall
Marches of protest not stopping the war
Oh the killer of giants
Oh the killer of giants
Killer of giants
Killer of giants
song performed by by Ozzy Osbourne
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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One
Every time I get a little pressure from you
Stressin 'bout the things that you wanna do
Talking like we could have been should have been
Here there everywhere
You gotta realise I'm not the kind of girl
Who wanna be alone in this crazy world
But I'm not a'looking for the kind of man
Who doesn't understand
All I need is somebody
Someone who can come and dance at my party
All I really want is someone who's got it
Cause I'm not looking for the one
All I need is somebody
Someone who'll be getting down at my party
All I really want is someone who's got it
Cause I'm not looking for the one
I'm not lookin' for the one
If you think I'm gonna get serious
I'm talking 'bout a ring for the two of us
Better give it up don't be ridiculous
Cause you've missed the bus
You gotta realise I'm not the kind of guy
Giving you my promises to qualify
Baby even though you got it going on
Don't mean that you're the one
We got it going on
Not looking for the one
We got it going on
Not looking for the one
We got it going on
Not looking for the one
Cause I'm not lookin' for the one
We got it going on
Not lookin' for the one
All I need is somebody
Someone who can come and dance at my party
All I really want is someone who's got it
Cause I'm not looking for the one
All I need is somebody
Someone who'll be getting down at my party
All I really want is someone who's got it
Cause I'm not looking for the one
All I need is somebody
Someone who can come and dance at my party
All I really want is someone who's got it
Cause I'm not looking for the one
All I need is somebody
Someone who'll be getting down at my party
All I really want is someone who's got it
Cause I'm not looking for the one
song performed by by Hear'Say from Popstars
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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[ Untitled]
What do you think--what do you make out of that recording?
I dont know, gloria, I just--
Some kind of singing. they sound like all kinds of people, right?
Yeah.
And then it says another child is born in india every time you call this number, right?
Yeah, right.
Does that make any sense to you?
No, it doesnt make no sense to me.
And the guy that spoke--i dont know who he is.
Yeah.
But that--it doesnt sound like no answering machine, right?
No, it aint an answering machine because theyre not saying anything, theyre just--
But what does he get--how does he make money on this? whatever hes advertising in the paper, thats the part that dont make no sense.
Oh, hes advertising this in the paper you saw it.
In the village voice, yeah. they got--thats where the kiss clinic, but they give you another number if you wanna join it. and I got intellectuals meet with other intellectuals.
Yeah.
Speak another language.
Yeah. oh.
They meet at la mai--la maisonette restaurant. they give you the price. then they give you another number to call if youre interested. this guy, all you get is this here recording, but I dont
Ow he makes money.
Yeah, yeah.
You know what Im saying? its just--they got the craziest things in that paper.
Yeah.
They come over with all--they got the craziest things. but this one here-- there must be giants, its called. and it says, call machine, and they got the phone number.
Yeah.
But what kind of money does he make? it dont make no sense. well, he dont make any money, right?
No.
But, then--then hes a nut, right? do you see--do you see any sense to that? there may be giants? that re--that recording I have on. the new one. did you hear it? I changed it. I too
The intellectuals. I put on there may be giants.
What?
Whos they may be giants?
What are you talking about?
Thats whats on my--the phone, there may be--argh, well I cant explain it. cause I dont know what it is. look in the paper, dont blame me if the guys a nut.
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Own Place Of The City
Kevin was born in his own place of the city,
The predators engaged in conversation.
This haunted land was joined with him,
An early enemy concerned him, wanting, waiting.
In this ruined city there lived a boy called Kevin,
Once his life gained momentum they engaged
In conversation, forcing him to concede his secret.
Those merchants of evil concealed their evil
And wandered into the city forming bands of evil.
Wanting, waiting, the vagabonds learnt what fresh news arose,
Learning yet again, the giants rode their fight to conversation.
Kevin was in a place of safety, as the giants rose
Like plants of goodness, roots strong,
And always like trees of old.
Kevin never gaped at their weapons and words,
For gigantic help forced him to recite the world.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Some Of My Best Friends Are Trains
Flashmans in the belfry shouting as loud as he can
Samsons up all night again talking about himself
What a wonderful man
And Im just wild about ronnie
And ronnies just wild about me
I saw him selling winter coats on the portobello road
I thought I bet he wishes he was really working for the nme
When the gang came down here again
And theyre phoning up australia and they call each other names
And they all just wanna look like richard hell and tom verlaine
Some of my best friends are trains
Now stevens in a sweat, he just cant read kerouac books
And robins all excuses, says he cant find much but he does look
He goes up to the playfair
He goes down with the stars
He goes wild all the weekend in a girlfriends car
And he calls me from chelsea and he says its such a thrill
And though I dont believe a word but he keeps me talking
Til the gang come down here again
And theyre phoning up australia and they call each other names
And they all just wanna look like richard hell and tom verlaine
Some of my best friends are trains
And did you ever have
One of those days
Where the worlds wide open
And you can do anything
And you can go anywhere
And you dont have to think
About who youll offend
Every time that you even blink
Im going to the station where a big red train
Is waiting to take me to the country again
Then youll come from yonkers but why should I care
Itll rain and rain for days and days and you know I wont be there
When the gang come down here again
And theyre phoning up australia and they call each other names
And they all just wanna look like richard hell and tom verlaine
Some of my best friends
Yeah the gang come down here again
And theyre calling up australia and theyre scaring all my friends
And they all just wanna look like hell and verlaine
Some of my best friends are trains
song performed by by Waterboys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hammer Of Justice
You see me but I'm not there
Like the calm before the storm
You hear me, I'm everywhere
In the wind and in the rain
Feel me in every breeze
I'm the chill inside your spine
I'm burning you start to freeze
As you slowly turn around
And down in your hole
Solitary darkness rule
You are forlorn
Cause justice will be mine
Prowling the night
Justice calling - We'll track you down
Justice calling - Ready to strike
Justice calling - Breaking the chains
Hammer of Justice seeking his revenge
Dead man walking by
There's a void inside his eyes
Judgement, a final sigh
Here the screams electrified
As the mirror turns blank
And your essence fades away
Your chapter's closed
Sealed with thunderbolts
Prowling the night
Justice calling - We'll track you down
Justice calling - Ready to strike
Justice calling - Breaking the chains
Strike with the Hammer of Justice
Justice calling - We'll track you down
Justice calling - Ready to strike
Justice calling - Breaking the chains
Hammer of Justice seeking his revenge
I see the injustice everywhere I go
I search for tomorrow and I know you will be there
The hammer of justice holds the key to the future
The bringer of sorrow is the last you'll see
Justice calling - We'll track you down
Justice calling - Ready to strike
Justice calling - Breaking the chains
Strike with the Hammer of Justice
Justice calling - We'll track you down
Justice calling - Ready to strike
Justice calling - Breaking the chains
Hammer of Justice seeking his revenge
song performed by by Hammerfall
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Elevator
I was on the ground floor
and I wanted level five.
I pressed the call button
and waited for it to arrive.
It arrived with no one in it,
so I entered and closed the door.
It took its time to get going,
then slowed for the next floor.
The doors hesitated then opened,
but no one was there,
but I definitely felt a presence
and a disturbance in the air.
I was standing still and anxious
when the lift shook from side to side.
The doors closed and up it went to three
where the doors opened wide.
Again no one was there waiting,
but I felt someone get in.
Movement in the air and floor
was most unsettling.
I was overwhelmed and nervous
as it approached level four.
It stopped, but no one was waiting,
just like the stops before.
The elevator paused for a second
and I swear someone got in.
I was certain that I heard whispering
as the elevator set off again.
The space felt uncomfortably eerie
cold, but very much alive.
The rotten egg smell made me sickly,
as we went passed level five.
The light suddenly turned to darkness,
and I could see forms and shapes.
They were pushing each other violently,
as we approached level eight.
I pressed the emergency button,
but we still passed eight, nine, and ten.
At level eleven the elevator stopped…
then began to go down again.
At eight the elevator came to a halt
and everyone but me got out.
The darkness became light again,
so relieved, I gave out a shout.
The elevator continued downwards
and stopped at the ground floor.
An old lady and her dog waiting to enter,
but I couldn’t exit the elevator door.
poem by Orlando Belo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Creation Of Giants.
The creation of giants. You made me. You saved me. A destiny set in stone. Just remember your never alone. Ups and down, but still around. Its hard work in the making. Its just breath taking. All I've been through and I still haven't unglued. On the ins and outs no doubt. Brought down by being a little too proud. But still I clear shroud of darkness. I know friends when I see them. They don't prey upon me, yet their always there for me. Tripping over my own feet from time to time. But still i know the roads i must find. Their my stars align. A charted map i can see it now. It glows every night, and i know its right like a premonition. Some so great. Its the creation of giants.
poem by Ace Of Black Hearts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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My Spooky Life
At times, my life borders on the paranormal,
witnessing things and hearing things
I cannot readily explain.
Ghosts enter and exit my life on a regular basis.
I’ve witnessed a ball of light fall from the night sky
and then return back to the heavens.
I’ve seen a house burn down until there was nothing left
and a year later I witnessed it do it again
on the anniversary of the first time.
I’ve seen a woman open a door and enter a room,
but when I went to find her moments later,
there was no one there.
I had a conversation with myself to a friend
and a week later, that conversation
took place word for word for real.
It may sound spooky,
but it brings me no fear
as not of it can hurt me
and only I can do that with fear.
(28 June 2011)
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Racoon
Racoon wakes up every night,
with its black soft mask and painted paws,
its quiet and still and white,
The sparkling snow mountain is where all the bundles of food is kept,
It walked up the frosted moutains,
just like the giants that came once a year,
up on the mountain there is a big wooden den, where the giants snore,
but Racoon has not come for watching the giants,
he has come for the big shining silvery can,
like the lonely stars that shone above,
Inside there is enough food to last for moons,
the sun rises and Racoon runs home,
For when the sun sets Racoon will climb snow mountain again.
poem by Sora Yoshimatsu
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Tryin To Get To Heaven
The air is getting hotter
Theres a rumbling in the skies
Ive been wading through the high muddy water
With the heat rising in my eyes
Every day your memory grows dimmer
It doesnt haunt me like it did before
Ive been walking through the middle of nowhere
Trying to get to heaven before they close the door
When I was in missouri
They would not let me be
I had to leave there in a hurry
I only saw what they let me see
You broke a heart that loved you
Now you can seal up the book and not write anymore
Ive been walking that lonesome valley
Trying to get to heaven before they close the door
People on the platforms
Waiting for the trains
I can hear their hearts a-beatin
Like pendulums swinging on chains
When you think that you lost everything
You find out you can always lose a little more
Im just going down the road feeling bad
Trying to get to heaven before they close the door
Im going down the river
Down to new orleans
They tell me everything is gonna be all right
But I dont know what all right even means
I was riding in a buggy with miss mary-jane
Miss mary-jane got a house in baltimore
I been all around the world, boys
Now Im trying to get to heaven before they close the door
Gonna sleep down in the parlor
And relive my dreams
Ill close my eyes and I wonder
If everything is as hollow as it seems
Some trains dont pull no gamblers
No midnight ramblers, like they did before
I been to sugar town, I shook the sugar down
Now Im trying to get to heaven before they close the door
song performed by by Bob Dylan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We May Be Little
We may be little, not to tall,
but the love we share is above all.
To be little is just fine,
if I were tall I'd run, and hide.
Short people are here to stay,
so giants get out of our way.
Trampled in life by big people's laughs, because they think we are so small,
they think they are so smart, just because they are tall.
Ha! ! I say to these giants, for short is all right,
and if they don't like us because of our height,
We won't go down without a fight.
(I wrote this back when I was a teenager, and living in Chicago.
poem by Velmar Pewee Hale Johnson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Save A Prayer
Dear lord, jesus, buddah, allah or can I just call you joe
Ive got a lot of things to tell you and some things I gotta know
Im tired of hearing talk about this worlds about to end
If we can die together then cant we all be friends
I gotta know
Hey, I gotta know
So mister can you tell me, gotta know
Baby can you tell me, gotta know
Whoa oh oh I gotta know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotta know
Baby can you help me, gotta know
I gotta know
Did you ever feel like you were drowning,
Did you ever feel betrayed by a kiss?
Did you ever feel like you needed somebody,
Would you feel alone in a world like this?
Did you ever feel like you needed shelter,
Did you ever laugh when you wanted to cry?
Did you ever dream about evolution,
Dont you ever feel like your living a lie?
Oh, whoa, too many children grow up blind to the truth.
I say, oh oh, oh, oh,
Say a prayer for me,
Ill save a prayer for you.
Did you ever feel like you were helpless,
Did you ever feel like an open wound?
Did you ever feel that there aint no forgiveness,
Did you ever feel that close to the.truth.
Oh whoa, the world closed their eyes on the blinding truth.
I say, oh, oh, oh, oh , say a prayer for me,
And Ill save a prayer for you
Ill save a prayer for you, Ill save a prayer for you,
Ill save a prayer.... for you, for you, for you.
Ill save a prayer.
Did you ever feel like you need shelter,
Did you ever feel like you lived through the flood?
Did you ever feel a lust for survival, did you ever feel, feel, feel?
The world keeps turning.
Rooms still burning.
Theres too many hearts that havent found a home.
This trains on the tracks and the worlds on my back,
Save a prayer for me and Ill save one for you.
No one to blame , but its hard to explain,
Why too many souls are feeling so alone.
Youve got to hold on if its all you can do.
Save a prayer for me, Ill save a prayer for you.
Ill save a prayer for you, Ill save a prayer for you,
Ill save a prayer....
For you, for you, for you.
song performed by by Bon Jovi
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Verbs v. nouns
Nouns…
they’re dead things; names
you give to things to render them
immobile; to make them yours, your very own; fit for nothing
except scrapheaps, museums, dictionaries, armchairs;
but they make you feel good;
you have control over their world;
you don’t have to think about them any more;
they’re all locked up safe in your collecting-box,
the noun for which is head:
you can sound important with nouns:
this government’s raft of measures
for fiscal stimulation of the economy
but verbs… ah, verbs!
you can’t own them, push them about,
collect them, be important about them;
they own themselves;
they’re outdoor words: going about their
lawful business, doing what they're best at,
measuring their own life as they work;
adapting themselves to what needs to be done
which nouns can’t do without a committee
and then it’s too late; happy
to be themselves, being; even
being while they’re doing.. don't you wish
you were a verb?
Nature – (that’s a verb, by the way,
not a noun) – is all verbs; evolution
is a verb (not a theory):
DNA’s a verb – you can’t own it
like a noun…it doesn’t even
want to own you…
so, be a child – put your boots on,
run, splash, shout look at all those verbs;
how bright the world, what fun,
nothing to put in your pocket to take home
(or if you do, it’ll change to a noun, your noun,
in your pocket, in your drawer, gathering dust:
verbs don’t have the time to gather dust…)
verbs are for observing; verbs are for
seeing for the first time; wow! Verbs are for
inventors, explorers, tree-climbing,
coming home after a day of verb-watching
tired and looking forward to tomorrow
and sleeping soundly, maybe even
thanking, laughing, giving, living;
God is a verb.
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Never Believe
Is anybody here?
Is everybody here?
The service is about to begin!
I make my servant by fires insidious
Instead of the laughter, theres the last of the separated jewels
Ill make dust of the whole damned wall
Ill make hovels for all the worms
I left off my hands to save these idiot bastards
Bastards!
Me and cellmate have lost again for ever
The sun shines and I breathe my father...
I want so much to remove your past
And deliver your neurotic flesh from evil
Grab this giants hand
Grab this giants hand
Grab this giants hand
Grab this giants hand
But Im only allowed to touch what I know
And all that I know are hypocrites
Liars and witches who burned in the name of human fear
You will never believe
Never believe
We havent much time left
Evening will come
And with it the equivalent
Of the devils animals
With fear to come
They ask of us favors we cannot fulfill
They ask, curse at us, and we smile
Caught in conviction
A crowd of senseless individuals
Will go further than both love and greed
As the clear salvation -- the future is here!
You will never believe
Never believe
song performed by by Ministry
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hammer To Fall
Words and music by brian may
Here we stand or here we fall
History wont care at all
Make the bed light the light
Lady mercy wont be home tonight yeah
You dont waste no time at all
Dont hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Were just waiting
For the hammer to fall
Oh evry night and every day
A little piece of you is falling away
But lift your face the western way
Build your muscles as your body decays yeah
Toe your line and play their game yeah
Let the anaesthetic cover it all
Till one day they call your name
You know its time for the hammer to fall
Rich or poor or famous
For your truth its all the same (oh no oh no)
Lock your door the rain is pouring
Through your window pane (oh no)
Baby now your struggles all in vain
For we who grew up tall and proud
In the shadow of the mushroom cloud
Convinced our voices cant be heard
We just wanna scream it louder and louder louder
What the hell we fighting for?
Just surrender and it wont hurt at all
You just got time to say your prayers
While your waiting for the hammer to hammer to fall
Its gonna fall
Hammer..you know..hammer to fall
Waiting for the hammer to fall now baby
While youre waiting for the hammer to fall
Give it to me one more time
song performed by by Queen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I just took the idea that King Kong was too big for everything and reversed it and put George in a land of giants, which is basically what every kid goes through anyway - that, you know, the world is made for grownups, for tall people, for the giants.
quote by William Joyce
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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King Of Birds
A thumbnail sketch, a jewelers stone
A mean idea to call my own
Old man dont lay so still youre not yet young
Theres time to teach, point to point,
Point observation, children carry reservations
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold, leaves me cold.
A mean idea to call my own, a hundred million birds fly
Singer sing me a given, singer sing me a song
Standing on the shoulders of giants everybodys looking on
(old dont lay so still youre not yet young,
Theres time to teach, point to point,
Point observation, children carry reservations).
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold
A mean idea to call my own, a hundred million birds fly away, away.
I am king of all I see, my kingdom for a voice
Old man dont lay so still, youre not yet young
Theres time to teach, point to point
Point observation, children carry reservations
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold
A mean idea to call my own, a hundred million birds fly away
Everybody hit the ground. everybody hit the ground.
song performed by by REM
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My Poopasaurus
Have you seen my Poopasaurus?
Oh she poops in great big piles.
She’s a prehistoric creature,
And her poop goes on for miles!
Can you help me to locate her?
Though your nose won’t like it much,
If you see her please remember,
You can look but do not touch!
Do not touch my Poopasaurus,
Or she may just poop on you.
She escaped me just this morning,
When I took her out to poo.
Have you seen my Poopasaurus?
She’s the only pet I’ve got.
She’s cute and kind, but keep in mind…
She poops an awful lot!
poem by ToddMichael St. Pierre
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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