World's Desire
Love, there is a castle built in a country desolate,
On a rock above a forest where the trees are grim and great,
Blasted with the lightning sharp-giant boulders strewn between,
And the mountains rise above, and the cold ravine
Echoes to the crushing roar and thunder of a mighty river
Raging down a cataract. Very tower and forest quiver
And the grey wolves are afraid and the call of birds is drowned,
And the thought and speech of man in the boiling water's sound.
But upon the further side of the barren, sharp ravine
With the sunlight on its turrets is the castle seen,
Calm and very wonderful, white above the green
Of the wet and waving forest, slanted all away,
Because the driving Northern wind will not rest by night or day.
Yet the towers are sure above, very mighty is the stead,
The gates are made of ivory, the roofs of copper red.
Round and round the warders grave walk upon the walls for ever
And the wakeful dragons couch in the ports of ivory,
Nothing is can trouble it, hate of the gods nor man's endeavour,
And it shall be a resting-place, dear heart, for you and me.
Through the wet and waving forest with an age-old sorrow laden
Singing of the world's regret wanders wild the faerie maiden,
Through the thistle and the brier, through the tangles of the thorn,
Till her eyes be dim with weeping and her homeless feet are torn.
Often to the castle gate up she looks with vain endeavour,
For her soulless loveliness to the castle winneth never.
But within the sacred court, hidden high upon the mountain,
Wandering in the castle gardens lovely folk enough there be,
Breathing in another air, drinking of a purer fountain
And among that folk, beloved, there's a place for you and me
poem by Clive Staples Lewis
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The Green Roads
The green roads that end in the forest
Are strewn with white goose feathers this June,
Life marks left behind by someone gone to the forest
To show his track. But he has never come back.
Down each green road a cottage looks at the forest.
Round one the nettle towers; two are bathed in flowers.
An old man along the green road to the forest
Strays from one, from another a child alone.
In the thicket bordering the forest,
All day long a thrush twiddles his song.
It is old, but the trees are young in the forest,
All but one like a castle keep, in the middle deep.
That oak saw the ages pass in the forest:
They were a host, but their memories are lost,
For the tree is dead: all things forget the forest
Excepting perhaps me, when now I see
The old man, the child, the goose feathers at the edge of the forest,
And hear all day long the thrush repeat his song.
poem by Edward Thomas
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Romance
MY Love dwelt in a Northern land.
A gray tower in a forest green
Was hers, and far on either hand
The long wash of the waves was seen,
And leagues on leagues of yellow sand,
The woven forest boughs between!
And through the silver Northern night
The sunset slowly died away,
And herds of strange deer, lily-white,
Stole forth among the branches gray;
About the coming of the light,
They fled like ghosts before the day!
I know not if the forest green
Still girdles round that castle gray;
I know not if the boughs between
The white deer vanish ere the day;
Above my Love the grass is green,
My heart is colder than the clay!
poem by Andrew Lang
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Home From The Forest
Oh the neon lights were flashin
And the icy wind did blow
The water seeped into his shoes
And the drizzle turned to snow
His eyes were red, his hopes were dead
And the wine was runnin low
And the old man came home
From the forest
His tears fell on the sidewalk
As he stumbled in the street
A dozen faces stopped to stare
But no one stopped to speak
For his castle was a hallway
And the bottle was his friend
And the old man stumbled in
From the forest
Up a dark and dingy staircase
The old man made his way
His ragged coat around him
As upon his cot he lay
And he wondered how it happened
That he ended up this way
Getting lost like a fool
In the forest
And as he lay there sleeping
A vision did appear
Upon his mantle shining
A face of one so dear
Who had loved him in the springtime
Of a long-forgotten year
When the wildflowers did bloom
In the forest
She touched his grizzled fingers
And she called him by his name
And then he heard the joyful sound
Of children at their games
In an old house on a hillside
In some forgotten town
Where the river runs down
From the forest
With a mighty roar the big jets soar
Above the canyon streets
And the con men con but life goes on
For the city never sleeps
And to an old forgotten soldier
The dawn will come no more
For the old man has come home
From the forest
song performed by by Gordon Lightfoot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Castle in the Sand
I built castle in the sand
Reaching to the far off land
I gathered the sand to mount it high
Thinking to built a castle in the sky
But fate took a different path
The castle I had built was down at last
The breeze blew
The castle flew...
I now sit here all alone
Gathering the sand to rebuild a home
But what a dream I did see
To always have him near by me
poem by Meena Mustafa
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My Castle In A Tree
As the sweet rain smears the watercolor world
And the beams of sunshine are stirred into it
As the trees ripple and splash around me
And my knees melt into the ground
The enormous trunk looms before me
My castle in a tree
Roots run in muscular veins down the mammoth redwood
They are the perfect staircase for me to ascend
As my swollen tears float off to space
The castle doors open to greet me
And my face is bathed in lamplight from within
My castle in a tree
The walls breathe a sigh of welcome
Flames leap onto every white wax candle
I take off my sandals so that my ancient feet
Warm the polished wooden floor
The world, it shivers before me in
My castle in a tree
The leaves, they let the sunlight in
But guard me from the things that lurk
Just beyond the edge of the earth
So that he not a one can see me
And there is not a thing at all to remember in
My castle in a tree
At once it evaporates into the golden sky
My hands and legs enflame before me
All the world is drowned in blackness and
Leaves not a single silver bubble
This is the death, the murder of
My castle in a tree
poem by Christopher R. Kennedy
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Castle Walls
She ventured out from her castle walls
In hopes of meeting me,
I said: ‘we’ll flee to the furthest shores,
We’ll run to the far countree,
We’ll sit in bliss on a grassy slope
To see our love returned; ’
I looked again at the moat and saw
That all the boats were burned.
‘How shall I leave my castle walls
And all that keeps me free,
I fear the step that you wish to take
Could spell the end for me,
I wish to come, if I only dared, ’
She said in a sad reply,
The moat was still and the air was chill
And the moon was riding high.
I stood alone by the castle moat
As she turned to seek the warm;
‘The roads of life are a trap, ’ I cried,
‘But so is a thunderstorm,
So are the walls of a castle when
The mortar turns to dust,
So are the bolts on a castle gate
When the hinges start to rust.’
‘You weary me, I must be free, ’
The tower echoed, black,
‘As free as the castle walls allow, ’
I called in sadness back.
‘It’s not too late for the grassy slope
To see our love returned -’
I looked again at the moat and saw
That all the boats were burned.
12 July 1973
poem by David Lewis Paget
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Castle Walls
Written by dennis deyoung
Lead vocals by dennis deyoung
Once in a dream
Far beyond these castle walls
Down by the bay where the
Moonlit water falls
I stood alone while the minstrel sang his song
So afraid Id lost my soul
There in the fog his song kept calling me
Leading me on with its haunting melody
Deep in my heart a voice kept echoing
I knew Id soon be wandering
Far beyond these castle walls
Where the distant harbour meets the sky
There the battle raged like hell
And every dove had lost its will to fly
Far beyond these castle walls
Where I thought I heard tiresias say
Life is never what it seems
And every man must meet his destiny
song performed by by Styx
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Sand Castle And Our Magic Bond
Was the sunset and almost coming night,
Me and you sitting at the sea side and the seagulls are flying around,
Horizon in red highlights is hiding sun behind,
Sea seems so romantic in the moonlight dance.
We built from sand a castle,
We made a solid ground and built the walls around,
Our hands were merging together,
We belived in our dream, in our ideal.
Waves came and washed away our castle,
Nothing was left behind,
Only our love remains forever,
You and me and our magic bond.
Our sand castle was swept to shore,
We can't see it no more,
But what we built together,
It will be kept as a tresure in the heart.
Nothing in this life lasts forever,
From our material living world,
Only love and spirit values,
Are the eternal, never-ending truth.
poem by Cristina Teodor
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Laputa
Inspired by the epic anime,
'Laputa, Castle in the Sky',
I decided to build my own castle,
A castle that would fly!
At first I tested some bricks,
I lobbed them far and wide.
I lobbed them at my owner,
They hit him and he cried.
I tried with lumps of concrete,
And with some heavy breeze blocks.
I got a little despondent,
At the flightlessness of rocks.
But, I persevered.
I worked all day and night,
My owner made a bet that I would fail.
But I was finished by morning light.
I had built a flying castle!
My owner was rather heated.
He couldn't believe that I had won.
He claimed that I had cheated.
It was a flying castle,
as plain as any day.
My owner wasn't having it.
He's a bad loser, I'd say.
He said it wasn't real.
He said, 'It's not a proper thing, you loon!
'You've inflated a bouncy castle with helium'
'and made a big balloon! '
poem by Sebastian Seal
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My Buddy
Fire in his eye as I come or go.
Loving when he feels like it
Sharp teeth let me know
Know my place
When I am in his space.
Small but mighty
A liquid bandage will suffice
Other than that he's mighty nice
His eyes all bugged out
With a smile on his face
His home is his castle
Beware the human race
If you don't belong
You will watch your step
My buddy has lots of pep
At around fourteen pounds of steel hard muscle
An adversary with lots of hustle
He does love others
And gently the love does tender
I don't fit in that slot
Because he is the king of the castle
My Buddy, I do bow down to thee
Because I love you
You see.
Balmoral Castle
Beautiful Balmoral Castle,
Most handsome to be seen,
Highland home of the Empress of India,
Great Britain's Queen.
Your woods and waters and
Mountains high are most
Beautiful to see,
Near by Balmoral Castle
And the dark river Dee.
Then there's the hill of Cairngorm
To be seen from afar,
And the beautiful heathery hills
Of dark Lochnagar,
And the handsome little village-
The Castleton o' Braemar-
Which is most beautiful to see,
Near by Balmoral Castle
And the dark river Dee.
Then there's the handsome little church
Of Crathie- most beautiful to be seen ;
And the Queen goes there on Sunday
To hear the Word of God Most solemn and serene,
Which is most beautiful to see,
Nor far from Balmoral Castle
And the dark river Dee.
Then, when she finds herself
At leisure, she goes for to see
Her old female acquaintances
That lives on the river Dee,
And reads the Bible unto them,
Which is most beautiful to see,
Near by Balmoral Castle
And the dark river Dee.
poem by William Topaz McGonagall
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Castles In The Air
And if she asks you why, you can tell her that I told you
That Im tired of castles in the air.
Ive got a dream I want the world to share
And castle walls just lead me to despair.
Hills of forest green where the mountains touch the sky,
A dream come true, Ill live there till I die.
Im asking you to say my last goodbye.
The love we knew aint worth another try.
Save me from all the trouble and the pain.
I know Im weak, but I cant face that girl again.
Tell her the reasons why I cant remain,
Perhaps shell understand if you tell it to her plain.
But how can words express the feel of sunlight in the morning,
In the hills, away from city strife.
I need a country woman for my wife;
Im city born, but I love the country life.
For I cannot be part of the cocktail generation:
Partners waltz, devoid of all romance.
The music plays and everyone must dance.
Im bowing out. I need a second chance.
Save me from all the trouble and the pain.
I know Im weak, but I cant face that girl again.
Tell her the reasons why I cant remain,
Perhaps shell understand if you tell it to her plain.
And if she asks you why, you can tell her that I told you
That Im tired of castles in the air.
Ive got a dream I want the world to share
And castle walls just lead me to despair.
song performed by by Don McLean
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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By The Rosanna--To F.M. Stanzer Thal, Tyrol
The old grey Alp has caught the cloud,
And the torrent river sings aloud;
The glacier-green Rosanna sings
An organ song of its upper springs.
Foaming under the tiers of pine,
I see it dash down the dark ravine,
And it tumbles the rocks in boisterous play,
With an earnest will to find its way.
Sharp it throws out an emerald shoulder,
And, thundering ever of the mountain,
Slaps in sport some giant boulder,
And tops it in a silver fountain.
A chain of foam from end to end,
And a solitude so deep, my friend,
You may forget that man abides
Beyond the great mute mountain-sides.
Yet to me, in this high-walled solitude
Of river and rock and forest rude,
The roaring voice through the long white chain
Is the voice of the world of bubble and brain.
poem by George Meredith
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Castle In The Air
And if she asks you why you can tell her that I told you
That I'm tired of Castles in the Air
I've got a dream I want the world to share in castle walls
Just leave me to despair
Hills of forest green where the mountains touch the sky
A dream come true, I'll live there 'til I die
I'm asking you, to say my last goodbye
The love we knew, ain't worth another try
Save me from all the trouble and the pain
I know I'm weak but I can't face that girl again
Tell her the reasons why I can't remain
Perhaps she'll understand if you tell it to her plain
Oh, but how can words express the feel of sunlight
In the morning in the hills away from city strife
I need a country woman for my wife
I'm city born but I love the country life
For I can not be part of her "Cocktail-Generation Partner's Waltz,"
Devoid of all romance
The music plays and everyone must dance
I'm bowing out, I need a second chance
Save me from all the trouble and the pain
I know I'm weak but I can't face that girl again
Tell her the reasons why I can't remain
Perhaps she'll understand if you tell it to her plain
And if she asks you why you can tell her that I told you
That I'm tired of Castles in the Air
I've got a dream I want the world to share in castle walls
Just leave me to despair
song performed by by Don McLean
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Knight At The Seashore
the knight came from the enchanted forest
onto the shore, came the galloping horse
with a handsome knight still unknowing
could this be the sparkling castle?
the castle of the most famous king
the seabreeze was welcoming
with the waves so gentle
the horse slowly went onward
watching the seagulls fly overhead
out to sea, in the distant horizon
the sun was lower, as if going for a dive
with light playing in the water
the knight saw only a fair maiden
in the far distance, walking alone on the shore
poem by Rachel Nichols
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Thrush In The Fairycastle
In the fairy castle in the back,
A pair of thrushes dwelt.
For wondrous songs I did not lack,
The most beauteous, heartfelt.
Peeking inside of their domain,
You'd see the passing of the years.
You'd see nests if your neck you'd crane,
There they could nestle without fear.
Ever higher the levels went,
As the fairy castle grew in age.
And it seemed as their fledgelings out they sent,
The fairy castle turned a page.
Then just last week I saw one morn,
A single solitary thrush.
Singing on the fairy castle lost and forlorn,
I felt his songs my heart would crush.
All day all night he sang away,
But it was all for naught.
And there I see him everyday,
Lost is the one he sought.
It breaks my heart, to see him so,
His heart like mine is torn in two.
His songs all day and night do flow,
I wish I knew what to do.
They were my companions for so many years,
When I left, they remained.
They sang to me through joy and tears,
Through sunshine, and through rain.
He never wanders very far,
For the fairy castle is his home.
And he sings away at the sun and stars,
But now he sings alone.
The Fairycastle was planted in my backyard,
About fifteen years ago. It is a member of the,
Genus, Night Blooming Cereus, and it,
Is about twelve to fifteen feet high, and extremely thorny.
3/1/12 Alton Texas
poem by Juan Olivarez
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Castle of Dream
Have you been there
in the castle of dream?
I've been there
in the castle of dream.
There were many people
of different colors,
of different clothes,
of different language,
in one long table
enjoying different foods
exchanging smiles
with pure gentle love
glowing in their eyes.
In the castle of dream,
I've been there...
just......behind the walls.
poem by Marites C. Cayetano
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A Knight's Discovery
A handsome knight wandered
alone through the woods
on his loyal steed
with only the glow
of the full moon
and the chirping of the crickets
to the land of dreams
not sure of where he is
for he had lost his way
when entranced by the elves
in the enchanted forest
the ones with the magic potion
who search for gold
and capture fair maidens
when they lose their way
they love to cause trouble
for anyone wandering alone
through the forest
from the far distance
he was happy to see the glow
of the sparkling castle by the sea
poem by Rachel Nichols
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To her who writes a novel
I know that everyone in the holy land nowadays is touring
And the fields with fragments of citreous and flowers are blooming
One may be intoxicated by these heavenly holy scents
In the land of milk and honey and the patina of the saints
Lately my interest in your on going Novel rose
I wonder about the inditement, the excitement and the prose
How many characters strong or meek do you have
Are they coward, blood thirsty, evil, bold, fearless or brave
Are you done portraiting the heroes, the villains and other characters
Do you make them labor hard in their act and toil
It is a laborious excruciating work without the miracle of oil
So hard and intrigue this task is, nevertheless you would not consider contractors
Don't let them roam idly, hardly working in their secured domicile
Don't let them sleep or delay; hastily they should bestow
Lines and phrases uttering loud and clear their lust, failures or an urge to kill
Stay on their top, spur them to rise to heights away from words low
Think of a tale in the middle night by a castle rock
Surrounded by secluded mysterious sturdy trees oak
And a lovely lady inside moated castle walls
As the starry night approaches the moon light fall
The night is chill; the forest foliage heavy to bare
The owl of the night moans in sharp bleak
There is not wind enough in the calm air
To blow away the ringlet from her cheek
Leave the reader to wonder what makes her in the woods so late
A far furlong from the secure castle gate?
You may hint though at the beginning of the play
That she in the midnight wood will pray
For the weal of her lover who is far away
And while our female hero is all in dreams during the night
Of her own betrothed gallant knight
Let us draw the plot of his adventures to dare
All wrapt in fear, suspense and courage
As being encircled by enemies of foul plight and cunning urge
The reader withholding breath unable the scenery to bare
Write a Novel of great glory of that wondrous light
Its words and phrases throbbed in all encompassed around
And hide in its own brightness from the sight
Of all that look thereon with critic unsound
That underneath the readers feet are to be found
Roaring thunder and lightning and tempestuous fire
The instruments of your pen avenging raging sire
Mama
Mama’s face
is smooth and pale as tea-rose leaves.
That ivory oval of aunt Gem
you sucked the miniature off
had black black hair like mama.
Pit-it-ty-pat,
Mama walks so fast,
street lamps jig
without bending a leg…
lights in the windows
play twinkling tunes
on crimson and blue
bottles like bubbles
big as balloons…
Faster and faster…
and pink light spurts
over cakes doing polkas
in little white shirts,
with cake-princesses
in flounced white skirts.
Pit-pat—
mama walks slower…
slower and… slower…
Eyes… lamps… stars…
acres and acres of stars…
bells… and sleepily
flapping feet….
You’re glad mama walks slow.
It’s nice to be carried along
up high near the stars
that look at you with a grave, great look.
Every night
mama sings you to sleep.
When she sings, O for the light of thine eyes Dolores,
there’s a castle on a cliff
and the sea roars like lions.
It leaps at the castle
and the cliff knocks it down
but always the sea
shakes its flattened head
and gets up again.
The castle has no roof
so the rain spins silvery webs in it,
and Dolores’ face
floats dim and beautiful
the way flowers do when they are drowned.
Step by white step
she goes up the castle stairs,
but the stair goes up into the sky
and the sky keeps going up too,
and none of them ever get there.
When mama sings Ba ba black sheep,
the stars seem to shine through her voice
so everything has to be still,
and when she has finished singing
her song goes up off the earth,
higher and higher…
till it is only as big as a tiny silver bird
with nothing but moonlight around it.
poem by Lola Ridge
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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