Peripetia, or Flowers for Everyone
How difficult it is to love the stupid
in ourselves, not to mention the shortcomings
of others. Each time I stumble from
a pair of platform shoes, how clumsiness
surprises! I'm astonished - even worse,
appalled - every time a shiny SUV
insists on jumping out in front of me.
How slow I am to understand the obvious!
I'm going outside now to gather calla lilies.
How strange it might be if I still had the brains
of a twenty-something Ph.D.-in-training.
The red ones I've been growing. And memory,
what a laugh, stuck between experience
and precognition - middle of a road
where no one wants to be. What a load
of magic beans that is. I mean, that is, disdain
for the middle of the road, not the precognition.
I know I won't remember what I said tomorrow.
Now I'm up a tree, climbed it with thorough
joie de vivre. Tell me, did you ever get the lilies?
Related quotes
River Lilies
Saw a boy three lilies white,
Lilies in the river,
Half heart-open to the light,
Full of golden arrows bright,
Each a silver quiver.
Lilies, lilies, lilies white,
Lilies in the river.
Said the boy, “I’ll pluck you there,
Lilies in the river!”
Said the lilies, “If you dare
You shall drown, or homeward fare
Dripping and a-shiver!”
Lilies, lilies, lilies white,
Lilies in the river.
Wilful still the boy would clasp
Lilies in the river;
Tumbled in ere he could grasp,
Scrambled out with puff and gasp,
Plucked no lilies ever.
Lilies, lilies, lilies white,
Lilies in the river.
poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A Stone In The Middle Of The Road
a stone in the middle of the road
will always be a stone in the middle of the road
despite
the fact that you are reading
a comic book
whatever content you have in there
a stone will always be a stone in the middle of the road
today, tomorrow
and thereafter.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Done Without Instructions
There are those having the most difficult time,
They have ever had to experience in their lives.
And adjusting for them,
Has to be done without instructions.
To awaken and to realize,
A road stubbornly followed...
Has a dead end that surprises,
Is quite traumatic.
Especially when it becomes consciously accepted,
Those who have been denied participation...
For a host of reasons thought to be unethical,
And foolish.
Have them now exposed as fools.
With nothing but walss they have constructed,
To hit their heads against.
To awaken and to realize,
A road stubbornly followed...
Has a dead end that surprises,
Is quite traumatic.
There are those having the most difficult time,
They have ever had to experience in their lives.
And adjusting for them,
Has to be done without instructions.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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R N R
Dont put that thing too close to my head
It took this long just to get ahead, he says
He knows for sure, but that he cant decide
Between his decency and this matter of pride
So hes growing up on time, hes growing up in the middle...
And it burns, and it burns, the sun burns
Oh, now I can really feel it. how could you ever stand it?
Weve got the same ideas, we got the same old fears;
Different colors sometimes, but hey, who cares?
Its just years that shears our lives apart, like the
Time you tried to teach your nephew to fart, he couldnt do it. push!
So hes growing up on time, Im growing up in the middle...
Oh, now I can really feel it. how could you ever stand it?
Im not the kind of person who would say it, if it wasnt the truth
And then you go and tell a friend that her hearts on fire
And it has no meaning.
Now and only now I know the difference when you tell me
There is no difference.
So shes growing up on time, shes growing up in the middle...
Nows the time to evaluate between the love you give
And the love that you take.
Its not a matter of opinion, when it comes down to it,
Its just a difference of opinion, that much I can take.
So Im growing up on time, Im growing up in the middle...
And it burns
song performed by by Faith No More

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Meet In The Middle
(chaplin hartford/jim foster/don pfrimmer)
It was seven hundred fenceposts from your place to ours
Neither one of us was old enough to drive a car
Sometimes it was raining, sometimes it would shine
We wore out that gravel road between your house and mine
Id start walking your way
Youd start walking mine
Wed meet in the middle
neath that old georgia pine
Wed gain a lot of ground
cause wed both give a little
And their aint no road to long
When you meet in the middle
Its been seven years tomorrow since we said our vows
Under that old pine tree, you ought to see it now
Standing in the back yard reminding me and you
That if we dont see eye to eye theres something we can do
Id start walking your way
Youd start walking mine
Wed meet in the middle
neath that old georgia pine
Wed gain a lot of ground
cause wed both give a little
And their aint no road to long
When you meet in the middle
Babe I love the way we work it out
Thats what loves about
Id start walking your way
Youd start walking mine
Wed meet in the middle
neath that old georgia pine
Wed gain a lot of ground
cause wed both give a little
And their aint no road to long
When you meet in the middle
Id start walking your way
Youd start walking mine
Wed meet in the middle
neath that old georgia pine
Wed gain a lot of ground
cause wed both give a little
And their aint no road to long
When you meet in the middle
Id start walking your way
Youd start walking mine
Wed meet in the middle
neath that old georgia pine
Wed gain a lot of ground
cause wed both give a little
And their aint no road to long
When you meet in the middle
song performed by by Diamond Rio

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Road Block
Yeah!, all right!
Oh, ain't no problem
Carry no heavy load
Lord, no!
Why can't i love you, baby ?
You try to block my road.
You try to block my road. hey!
Oh, better off to hand you
Everything i own, ha ha ha ha!
Strange to see you waiting for me,
You try to block my road, yeah yeah,
Try to block my road
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block daddy daddy daddy
Road block
Road block
Alright on the road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Yeah! road block
Road block, alright, alright, alright!
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Whoa road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Yeah!
Try to block my road, daddy daddy daddy
I said now every time i turn around
Why, try to block my road
Why did you try to hurt me try to block my road
I said all i ever wanted to do was try to block my road
N-now all i ever wanted to do was to love you try to block my road
Tell me, tell me, tell me try to block my road
Tell me, tell me, tell me now try to block my road
Waaah try to block my road
Waaah try to block my road
Try to block my road.
Ha ha!
Oh, ain't no problem
Carry no heavy load
Oh no, no!
Why can't i love you, baby ?
You try to block my road.
Hey hey, try to block my road,
Now now, try to block my road
Right, right, honey right now!
song performed by by Janis Joplin

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Strange Magic
Youre sailing softly through the sun
In a broken stone age dawn.
You fly so high.
I get a strange magic,
Oh, what a strange magic,
Oh, its a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.
Youre walking meadows in my mind,
Making waves across my time,
Oh no, oh no.
I get a strange magic,
Oh, what a strange magic,
Oh, its a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.
Oh, Im never gonna be the same again,
Now Ive seen the way its got to end,
Sweet dream, sweet dream.
Strange magic,
Oh, what a strange magic,
Oh, its a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.
Its magic, its magic, its magic.
Strange magic,
Oh, what a strange magic,
Oh, its a strange magic.
Got a strange magic.
Strange magic strange magic
Oh, what a strange magic strange magic
Oh, its a strange magic.
Got a strange magic.
Strange magic strange magic
Oh, what a strange magic strange magic
Oh, its a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic,
You know I got a strange magic,
Yeah, I got a strange magic,
Oo-o-o-oo, strange magic. (fade)
song performed by by Electric Light Orchestra

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Magic of Numbers
The Magic of Numbers—1
How strange it was to hear the furniture being moved around in the apartment upstairs!
I was twenty-six, and you were twenty-two.
The Magic of Numbers—2
You asked me if I wanted to run, but I said no and walked on.
I was nineteen, and you were seven.
The Magic of Numbers—3
Yes, but does X really like us?
We were both twenty-seven.
The Magic of Numbers—4
You look like Jerry Lewis (1950).
The Magic of Numbers—5
Grandfather and grandmother want you to go over to their house for dinner.
They were sixty-nine, and I was two and a half.
The Magic of Numbers—6
One day when I was twenty-nine years old I met you and nothing happened.
The Magic of Numbers—7
No, of course it wasn’t I who came to the library!
Brown eyes, flushed cheeks, brown hair. I was twenty-nine, and you were sixteen.
The Magic of Numbers—8
After we made love one night in Rockport I went outside and kissed the road
I felt so carried away. I was twenty-three, and you were nineteen.
The Magic of Numbers—9
I was twenty-nine, and so were you. We had a very passionate time.
Everything I read turned into a story about you and me, and everything I did was turned into a poem.
“The Magic of Numbers” from The Collected Poems of Kenneth Koch, published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Copyright © 2006 by Kenneth Koch.
poem by Kenneth Koch

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Down This Road
(Michael Dulaney/Michael Lunn)
Down this road there's an old brick house
My mama cried the day that I moved out
And my first summer job was pumpin' gas and fixin' flats
But at Henry Walker's Texaco
Down this road, down this road
Down this road there's a maple tree
In a cotton field where Jenny first kissed me
And I can still remember the night she said good-bye
I stood there like a fool and watched her go
Down this road, down this road
And it goes on forever
And it goes by too fast
It'll take you anywhere you want to go
And every memory will bring you back
Down this road there's a small white church
Daddy lived his life by the preacher's word
He raised me right, I could always feel his love
Even when the angels called him home
Down this road
And it goes on forever
And it goes by too fast
It'll take you anywhere you want to go
And every memory will bring you back
Down this road
Down this road
Down this road
song performed by by Alabama

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ease On Down The Road #1
(charlie smalls)
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Come on dorothy,
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
There it is!
Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down, down the road
Pick your left foot up
When your right foots down
Come on legs keep movin
Dont you lose no ground
You just keep on keepin
On the road that you choose
Dont you give up walkin
cause you gave up shoes, no
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
cause there maybe times
When you think you lost your mind
And the steps youre takin
Leave you three, four steps behind
But the road youre walking
Might be long sometimes
You just keep on steppin
And youll be just fine, yeah
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the
Oh, there maybe times
When you wish you wasnt born
And you wake one morning
Just to find that your courages gone
But just know that feeling
Only last a little while
You just stick with us
And well show you how to smile, yeah
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, get em up, ease on down the road
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, get em up, ease on down the road
song performed by by Diana Ross

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Bound No’th Blues
Goin’ down the road, Lawd,
Goin’ down the road.
Down the road, Lawd,
Way,way down the road.
Got to find somebody
To help me carry this load.
Road’s in front o’ me,
Nothin’ to do but walk.
Road’s in front of me,
Walk…an’ walk…an’ walk.
I’d like to meet a good friend
To come along an’ talk.
Hates to be lonely,
Lawd, I hates to be sad.
Says I hates to be lonely,
Hates to be lonely an’ sad,
But ever friend you finds seems
Like they try to do you bad.
Road, road, road, O!
Road, road…road…road, road!
Road, road, road, O!
On the no’thern road.
These Mississippi towns ain’t
Fit fer a hoppin’ toad.
poem by Langston Hughes

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Ease On Down The Road
Come on and
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down, down the road
Pick your left foot up
When your right foots down
Come on legs keep movin
Dont you lose no ground
You just keep on keepin
On the road that you choose
Dont you give up walkin
cause you gave up shoes, no
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
cause there maybe times
When you think you lost your mind
And the steps youre takin
Leave you three, four steps behind
But the road youre walking
Might be long sometimes
You just keep on steppin
And youll just be fine, yeah
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Well there maybe times
When you wish you wasnt born
And you wake one morning
Just to find your courages gone
But just know that feeling
Only last a little while
You stick with us
And well show you how to smile, yeah
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, get em up ease on down
song performed by by Michael Jackson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Magic At My House
In the closet there is a pair of shoes
The stay in the box kind of shoes.
The gray leather open toed high heeled shoes.
The fancy night on the town shoes.
The make you taller shoes.
The makeup wearing time shoes.
The too big but a perfect fit shoes.
The magic make you grown up shoes.
In the jewelry box there is a necklace.
The aquamarine and pearl and gold necklace.
The this is older than you or I necklace.
The shiny rainbow making necklace.
The color and feel of the ocean necklace.
The mother’s mother necklace.
The too nice for any day necklace.
The magic make you an elegant lady necklace.
In the bathroom there is a bag.
The painting for ladies bag.
The filled with vials and potions bag.
The put your face on bag.
The make your lips redder bag.
The give you doe eyes bag.
The not in public until your 16 bag.
The magic make you look beautiful bag.
In the bed there is a woman.
The wears the magic shoes woman.
The keeps the magic necklace woman.
The use the magic bag woman.
The lets me put on the shoes woman.
The tells me the story of the necklace woman.
The wipes off the magic of the bag woman.
The magic I want to be just like her woman.
poem by Gabrielle Shutt

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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In The Middle Of...
You've got a LOT that's riding...
But it's not riding right.
Some things you've got there are riding,
Tilted to the side.
You've got a LOT that's riding.
But it's not riding right.
Some things you've got there are riding,
Tilted to the side.
You're in the middle of,
What you should let go.
You're in the middle of...
Grief and sorrow.
You're in the middle of,
What you should let go.
You're in the middle of...
Grief and sorrow.
Wanting to borrow time,
Now and not tomorrow.
You're in the middle of,
What you should let go.
You're in the middle of...
Grief and sorrow.
And wanting to borrow time,
Now and not tomorrow.
You're in the middle of,
Now and not tomorrow.
You're,
In the middle of...
Now and not tomorrow.
You're in the middle of,
Now and not tomorrow.
You're,
In the middle of...
Now and not tomorrow.
You're in the middle of,
Now and not tomorrow.
You're,
In the middle of...
Now and not tomorrow.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A Lake And Its Magic Grace
I open my eyes this morning,
In front of me a marvelous landscape open up,
I am so amazed and happy,
And so astonished i become and contemplate.
A lake enriched with white water lilies,
Is developing to my eyes delight,
Its blue peaceful water vibrates,
When a white swan is touching it with grace.
Sun is rising up and warm this greatness,
When its beams are caressing the lake in shinning lights,
All it's coming to life and i can feel the joy,
Of the nature around that makes me smile.
A butterfly is flying to the water lilies,
And stopped for a few moments to enjoy their great perfume,
A fish is jumping restless for a breathe of air,
The birds are happily singing and fly to deep blue sky.
Nature shared with me all its greatness,
And i am humble pleased for what i seen,
I am happy to be the pasionate admirer,
Of this lake and its magic grace.
poem by Cristina Teodor

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Lonely Road
Too much time thinking about all of my mistakes
My heart, my mind, my soul, my body ache
A hunger for, the loving arms of your embrace
I walk along the lonely road
I walk along the lonely road
My back is strong, girl
I carry the load
All the grinding time I pay the debt that's owed
I walk along the lonely road
Too much time thinking about everything that went wrong
I cry my eyes out every time I hear your song
I hope this path brings me back where I belong
I walk along the lonely road
I walk along the lonely road
My back is strong, girl
I carry the load
All the grinding time I pay the debt that's owed
I walk along the lonely road
Too much pride, for me to up and take the blame
Weep inside girl it's killing me with pain
Every night, I sleep I call your name
I walk along the lonely road
I walk along the lonely road
My back is strong girl
I carry the load
All the grinding time I pay the debt that's owed
I walk along the lonely road
I walk along the lonely road
My back is strong girl
I carry the load
All the grinding time I pay the debt that's owed
I walk along the lonely road
I walk along the lonely road
I walk along the lonely road
song performed by by Everlast

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ease On Down The Road (feat. Diana Ross)
Written and Composed by Charlie Smalls.
Come on and-
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothin
That might be a load
Come on
Ease on down...ease on down the road
Pick your left foot up
When the right ones down
Come on legs, keep movin
Dont be lose no ground
Just you keep on keepin
On the road that you choose
Dont you give up walkin
Cause you gave up shoes
Ease on down, ease on down the road -- come on
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothin
That might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, ease on down-
Ease... on... down, ease.. on down-
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Cause there may be times
When you think lost your mind--
And the steps you're walkin
Might be long sometime
But just keep on steppin
And you'll be just fine
Ease on down, ease on down the road-
Ease on down, ease on down the road-
Dont you carry nothin
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
song performed by by Michael Jackson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Testify
Come a little closer it's a feeling that I can't deny
I was weak, but I never thought I'd speak about the darker side
Is that a ten? I could repent on the side of the road
But, I kept on going yeah I headed for another load
I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground in the middle of the night
Oh, I testify
I was laid upon the grave by a preacher's hand I cannot lie
And, I forsake many vows I made to be with you tonight
Could you be the salvation cause I never felt like this before
And, could you lend me your hand because I'm falling back on the floor
I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground in the middle of the night
Oh, I testify
On a road outside of nowhere, in the middle of the night
Well I guess I hit rock bottom and the dawn was not in sight
And a Tempest made of fire, onset the sky aglow
And a sweet young thing called out my name
And this is how it goes, she says...
Choir:
"Go boy, can you hear them?
Are you falling through the cracks in your eyes?"
"Go boy, can you hear them?
Are you falling through the cracks in your eyes?"
"Go boy, can you hear them?
Are you falling through the cracks in your eyes?"
Meatloaf: And I got down on my knees
Choir :"Go boy, can you hear them?
Are you falling through the cracks in your eyes?"
"Go boy, can you hear them?
Are you falling through the cracks in your eyes?"
Meatloaf (over the top of the choirs last two repititions):
I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground and I'm falling back down
Up from the ground and I testify
I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground and I'm falling back down
Up from the ground and I testify
Meatloaf & Choir:
Up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground and I'm falling back down
Up from the ground and I testify
Up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground and I'm falling back down
Up from the ground and I testify
Meatloaf:
Every cut that heals reveals a scar that you can never hope to hide
All the pain that you restrain keeps building up deep inside
If you think you're above it then it's you my friend that I implore
You've got to talk before you run
See the night before the dawn
Before you pull yourself off the floor
I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground in the middle of the night
Oh, I testify
Choir Singer: Up from the ground yeah, I testify
Meatloaf & Choir:
Up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground and I'm falling back down
Up from the ground and I testify
Up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground in the middle of the night
Oh, I testify
Up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground in the middle of the night
Oh, I testify
Up from the ground in the middle of the morning
Up from the ground in the middle of the evening
Up from the ground in the middle of the night
Oh, I testify
song performed by by Meat Loaf

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You Can't Have A Good Time Without Me
(lewis anderson/lisa silver/russell smith)
You say you're not missin' me darlin'
I know you are and always will be
I saw you at the club actin' so in love
Ah, but that don't mean nothing to me
'cause as you danced by, that look in your eye
Showed me where your heart is secretly
Guess i'll be seeing you in the middle of the blues
You can't have a good time without me
You can't have a good time without me
You're going to see me in your memory
You're going to hear me in that melody
You can't have a good time without me
I remember those sweet nights with you dear
When i had you all to myself
Now those times are gone, but love still lingers on
You won't find with anyone else
Ah, well you may wear a smile, fool yourself awhile
But your heart and your mind will disagree
So i'll be seeing you in the middle of the blues
'cause you can't have a good time without me
You can't have a good time without me
You're going to see me in your memory
You're going to hear me in that melody
You can't have a good time without me
You can't have a good time
No you just can't have no fun
You can't have a good time without me
song performed by by Pam Tillis

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Life Is Difficult
Life is difficult-
Surprises are not always what we hoped they would be-
People misunderstand us-
We imagine we are kind
And they understand us differently-
Some problems never get solved
Some remain lingering for years-
There are cruel people in the world
Stupid ones also-
The fair do not always get the prize
The pushers push push push the good guys aside-
We see the Evil grinning and we cannot touch them-
All kinds of Hopes we have are disappointed-
Rejection is the Fate of everyone at one time or another
One has to try and try and try
And often that is not enough-
Life is difficult
And after a certain age is more difficult
And when young is also difficult-
Life is difficult in some time or some way for all of us
It just is-
Life is difficult
And even when it seems not to be
There is another time coming-
Life is difficult
And so long as we live
It will be.
poem by Shalom Freedman

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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