Sonnet XXXIX: Sleepless Dreams
Girt in dark growths, yet glimmering with one star,
O night desirous as the nights of youth!
Why should my heart within thy spell, forsooth,
Now beat, as the bride's finger-pulses are
Quickened within the girdling golden bar?
What wings are these that fan my pillow smooth?
And why does Sleep, waved back by Joy and Ruth,
Tread softly round and gaze at me from far?
Nay, night deep-leaved! And would Love feign in thee
Some shadowy palpitating grove that bears
Rest for man's eyes and music for his ears?
O lonely night! art thou not known to me,
A thicket hung with masks of mockery
And watered with the wasteful warmth of tears?
poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
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Related quotes
Awaiting Thee
When thou art gone;
I sing my lonely song.
When thou art gone;
My waking hours are filled only with thoughts of thee.
When I sleep,
My dreams are filled with thee-
As I long for thee.
My love;
I await thee-
Lonely day,
After lonely day.
Lonely night,
After lonely night.
When The sun shines bright,
And the songbirds sing their joyous chorus-
It reminds me of this love of ours-
As I long for thee.
I await thee,
My love-
Throughout the lonely day-
Till the setting sun dwindles in dusk’s twilight-
Beyond golden pastures-
Fading in the night.
My love;
I long for thee.
My love;
I await thee-
Throughout the lonely night,
As the crickets chirp their symphony,
And in the darkness,
Like floating candles,
The fireflies glow.
And I remember our love,
As I gaze at the silver moon,
And diamond stars.
Forever embracing this love of ours.
As I sleep at night,
I dream only of being with thee,
My love.
As I awake,
And the sun rises at dawn over the emerald mountain tops,
I await thee,
My love.
Longing for you-
Day through day,
Night through night-
I await thee,
My love.
My love;
When thou art gone;
I sing my lonely song…
poem by Philip Alarie
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I Await Thee
When thou art gone;
I sing my lonely song.
When thou art gone;
My waking hours are filled only with thoughts of thee.
When I sleep,
My dreams are filled with thee-
As I long for thee.
My love;
I await thee-
Lonely day,
After lonely day.
Lonely night,
After lonely night.
When The sun shines bright,
And the songbirds sing their joyous chorus-
I remember our love-
As I long for thee.
I await thee,
My love-
Throughout the lonely day-
Till the setting sun dwindles in dusk’s twilight-
Beyond golden pastures-
Fading in the night.
My love;
I long for thee.
My love;
I await thee-
Throughout the lonely night,
As the crickets chirp their symphony,
And in the darkness,
Like floating candles,
The fireflies glow.
And I remember our love,
As I gaze at the silver moon,
And diamond stars.
And I Forever embrace this love of ours.
As I sleep at night,
I dream only of being with thee,
My love.
As I awake,
And the sun rises at dawn over the emerald mountain tops,
I await thee,
My love.
Longing for thee-
Day through day,
Night through night-
I await thee,
My love.
My love;
When thou art gone;
I sing my lonely song…
poem by Philip Alarie
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Lily's Silent Tears
Each night Lily lay down her weary head
She pulled her pillow closer
Turned her face buried it deep as it soaked up all the silent tears
She cried, she begged,
She wished she hoped but most of all she closed her eyes and prayed
From the corners of her closed eyes a tear escaped….two… three….till she set them all free
Lily cried herself to sleep night after night
Crying over life and love lost
Time slipped by
High above in the heavens one night
There way up above you and I
Upon the brightest star
Sat he
Writing away his heart
He felt a tremor run through his heart
He heard a distant cry
He closed his eyes and there deep within the beauty of his loving heart He saw that tear
One silent solitary sad burning tear that bore so much pain
He closed his eyes and wished and willed
To see the owner of the tear
The silent tear that caused the tremor in his heart
He found Lily lying on her pillow crying herself to sleep
He reached out and touched her
Soothed her healed her loved her
Her days filled with warmth
Her nights filled with moonlight and love
Then one cold night he left a tremor in her heart
With unspoken word
He told her
He loved her
They were friends
But
He could never love her in the same way that she loved him
For his heart was already taken
Night after night once again Lily lays her head upon her faithful pillow
Night after night once gain she cries herself to sleep
Night after night once again she feels the tremor inside her heart
But
Night after night he feels the tremor of another
Psyche
Softly, with palpitating heart,
She came to where he lay concealed apart.
The lamp she held intensified the gloom,
And in the dusk wrought shadowy shapes of doom.
Her starry eyes
O'er-brimmed with troubled tears,
Her pulses throbbing wildly in her ears,
She stood beside him where he lay
Hushed in the deep
Of sweet unconscious sleep.
But as she stifled back her sighs
And tried to look upon that cherished form,
Remembrance shook her purpose warm,
And, chiding, seemed to say,—
"Why seek to solve, why, curious, thus destroy
The mystery of joy?
What doubt unblest, what faithless fear is this,
Which tempts to paths none may retrace,
Which moves thee—fond one!—to unveil the face
Of bliss?
Is 't not enough to feel it thine?
Like Semele, would'st gaze on the Divine?
Secret the soul of Rapture dwells;
Love gives, yet jealous tests repels
Nor will of force be known,
And bashful Beauty, viewed too near—is gone."
poem by Florence Earle Coates from Poems (1898)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Good-Night
THE lark is silent in his nest,
The breeze is sighing in its flight,
Sleep, Love, and peaceful be thy rest.
Good-night, my love, good-night, good-night.
Sweet dreams' attend thee in thy sleep,
To soothe thy rest till morning's light,
And angels round thee vigil keep.
Good-night, my love, good-night, good-night.
Sleep well, my love, on night's dark breast,
And ease thy soul with slumber bright;
Be joy but thine and I am blest.
Good-night, my love, good-night, good-night.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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Stanzas To A Hindoo Air
Oh! my lonely--lonely--lonely--Pillow!
Where is my lover? where is my lover?
Is it his bark which my dreary dreams discover?
Far--far away! and alone along the billow?
Oh! my lonely-lonely-lonely-Pillow!
Why must my head ache where his gentle brow lay?
How the long night flags lovelessly and slowly,
And my head droops over thee like the willow!
Oh! thou, my sad and solitary Pillow!
Send me kind dreams to keep my heart from breaking,
In return for the tears I shed upon thee waking;
Let me not die till he comes back o'er the billow.
Then if thou wilt--no more my lonely Pillow,
In one embrace let these arms again enfold him,
And then expire of the joy-but to behold him!
Oh! my lone bosom!-oh! my lonely Pillow!
I miss you with all my heart
It’s early dark and already cold,
the winter sneaks in furtively
and I miss you.
Miss you with all of my heart,
miss every thing about you,
your sparkling laughter
that lies softly in my ears,
the gaze that caresses me
and the energy that you share,
the golden aura
that radiates out of you,
your head that sometimes
makes my shoulder a pillow,
your hands
that touches me gently
and how much
I want you here with me
no words can express
and the music
of the neighbours is extremely loud
as if they are having a performance
and I wonder what you are doing
as the night
folds alone round me.
poem by Gert Strydom
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The Point Of View: II
I
In the wood of lost causes, the valley of tears,
Old hopes, like dead leaves, choke the difficult way;
Dark pinions fold dank round the soul, and it hears:
'It is night, it is night, it has never been day;
Thou hast dreamed of the day, of the rose of delight;
It was always dead leaves and the heart of the night.
Drink deep then, and rest, O thou foolish wayfarer,
For night, like a chalice, holds sleep in her hands.'
II
Then you drain the dark cup, and, half-drugged as you lie
In the arms of despair that is masked as delight,
You thrill to the rush of white wings, and you hear:
'It is day, it is day, it has never been night!
Thou hast dreamed of the night and the wood of lost leaves;
It was always noon, June, and red roses in sheaves,
Unlock the blind lids, and behold the light-bearer
Who holds, like a monstrance, the sun in his hands.'
poem by Edith Nesbit
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Night, Nights Sleepless
Night, nights sleepless eyes wide
sleep comes as disguise
Thou you asked love to
lend some happiness
fate has gifted you
sadness for life
Night, nights sleepless eyes wide
sleep comes as disguise
all boats are gone
and flooded away
your loved ones pierced
you with dagger of lies
Night, nights sleepless eyes wide
sleep comes as disguise
now why are you smiling
whilst bleeding tears
your sun is set
before even rise
Night, nights sleepless eyes wide
sleep comes as disguise
there was just a hope
on a peck of straw
alas! it is also burnt
now ashes doth lies
Night, nights sleepless eyes wide
sleep comes as disguise
poem by Asif Baloch
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Here Comes The Night
Lyrics by J. Bettis
Music by Barry Manilow
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The day is ending
And the same old pain begins
Each deeper shade of blue
Brings back more of you to miss
I fight the tears again
But I just can't win and
Here comes the night
And here I go out of my mind again
Here comes the night
And here I go crazy missin' you
Wanting you
Needing you
I just can't stand it
Here comes the night again
I still remember
You lyin' next to me
The love would go so deep
We wouldn't get to sleep at all
These nights I'm losing sleep
To a lonely memory
Here comes the night
And here I go out of my mind again
Here comes the night
And here I go crazy missin' you
Wanting you
Needing you
I just can't stand it
Here comes the night again
Will it never end
Why can't I forget forever
Here comes the night
And here I go out of my mind again
Here comes the night
And here I go crazy missin' you
Wanting you
Needing you
I just can't stand it
Here comes the night again
song performed by by Barry Manilow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Welcome And Farewell
QUICK throbb'd my heart: to norse! haste, haste,
And lo! 'twas done with speed of light;
The evening soon the world embraced,
And o'er the mountains hung the night.
Soon stood, in robe of mist, the oak,
A tow'ring giant in his size,
Where darkness through the thicket broke,
And glared with hundred gloomy eyes.
From out a hill of clouds the moon
With mournful gaze began to peer:
The winds their soft wings flutter'd soon,
And murmur'd in mine awe-struck ear;
The night a thousand monsters made,
Yet fresh and joyous was my mind;
What fire within my veins then play'd!
What glow was in my bosom shrin'd!
I saw thee, and with tender pride
Felt thy sweet gaze pour joy on me;
While all my heart was at thy side.
And every breath I breath'd for thee.
The roseate hues that spring supplies
Were playing round thy features fair,
And love for me--ye Deities!
I hoped it, I deserved it ne'er!
But, when the morning sun return'd,
Departure filled with grief my heart:
Within thy kiss, what rapture burn'd!
But in thy look, what bitter smart!
I went--thy gaze to earth first roved
Thou follow'dst me with tearful eye:
And yet, what rapture to be loved!
And, Gods, to love--what ecstasy!
poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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Because I Am
Because I am your star
life shines in the sky
night loves to sleep late
the day closes its eyes
If you want be my star
become alive on earth
become the night’s lover
be a man in the dawn
Because I am your dream
life pierces in your mind
the night gazes into your soul
the day takes its stroll
If you want be my dream
seed life in my arms
pour passion in the night
transform the days into flowers
Because I am your warmth
life swims in your blood
night overflows your heart
the day longs for the night
If you want be my warmth
allow blood to come alive
shed the night from the heart
the day caresses the night
You and I are in love
me and you in the night
If you are my dream
I become reality
You and I are in love
in the night, you and me
If I am a real women
you pass into eternity
poem by Silviu Craciunas
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Another Lonely Night With You
another lonely night with you
we speak to distant stars
we think they know us
and we think they listen
another lonely night we gaze
upon the moon we feel the warmth
of its lunatic light inside our hearts
we keep looking up and not looking
on our eyes we do not feel what
warmth we have on our very side
another lonely night with you
how can i ever tell that i do not love you?
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Night of Nights
‘Twas deep; so deep of night,
When I saw what I had seen -
So truly deep of night,
When I went where I had been,
And really deep of night,
When I heard what I had heard:
Perhaps a fox or badger,
Or a sort of night-time bird.
‘Twas late that night of nights,
When something there was there -
So very late that night of nights,
Where that thing was where -
'Twas deep of night of nights,
When it ran to where it ran:
Perhaps a stoat or Billy goat,
Or ghostly little man.
‘Twas in the night of night of nights,
When something scary caused a scare -
So late of night of night of nights,
When something hairy raised my hair -
The deep of night of night of nights…
So don't you wonder what it was?
Well I never really truly saw it -
Why? Because because!
‘Twas in the night of night of night of nights
Oh I've had enough!
Night night.
Copyright Mark R Slaughter 2009
Night night, night night
Night night, night night
Night night
night
poem by Mark R Slaughter
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Invocation To Misery
I.
Come, be happy!—sit near me,
Shadow-vested Misery:
Coy, unwilling, silent bride,
Mourning in thy robe of pride,
Desolation—deified!
II.
Come, be happy!—sit near me:
Sad as I may seem to thee,
I am happier far than thou,
Lady, whose imperial brow
Is endiademed with woe.
III.
Misery! we have known each other,
Like a sister and a brother
Living in the same lone home,
Many years—we must live some
Hours or ages yet to come.
IV.
’Tis an evil lot, and yet
Let us make the best of it;
If love can live when pleasure dies,
We two will love, till in our eyes
This heart’s Hell seem Paradise.
V.
Come, be happy!—lie thee down
On the fresh grass newly mown,
Where the Grasshopper doth sing
Merrily—one joyous thing
In a world of sorrowing!
VI.
There our tent shall be the willow,
And mine arm shall be thy pillow;
Sounds and odours, sorrowful
Because they once were sweet, shall lull
Us to slumber, deep and dull.
VII.
Ha! thy frozen pulses flutter
With a love thou darest not utter.
Thou art murmuring—thou art weeping—
Is thine icy bosom leaping
While my burning heart lies sleeping?
VIII.
Kiss me;—oh! thy lips are cold:
Round my neck thine arms enfold—
They are soft, but chill and dead;
And thy tears upon my head
Burn like points of frozen lead.
IX.
Hasten to the bridal bed—
Underneath the grave ’tis spread:
In darkness may our love be hid,
Oblivion be our coverlid—
We may rest, and none forbid.
X.
Clasp me till our hearts be grown
Like two shadows into one;
Till this dreadful transport may
Like a vapour fade away,
In the sleep that lasts alway.
XI.
We may dream, in that long sleep,
That we are not those who weep;
E’en as Pleasure dreams of thee,
Life-deserting Misery,
Thou mayst dream of her with me.
XII.
Let us laugh, and make our mirth,
At the shadows of the earth,
As dogs bay the moonlight clouds,
Which, like spectres wrapped in shrouds,
Pass o’er night in multitudes.
XIII.
All the wide world, beside us,
Show like multitudinous
Puppets passing from a scene;
What but mockery can they mean,
Where I am—where thou hast been?
poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley
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Lonely
I am lonely
very, very lonely
as I sit here every night.
My heart has passed
the impossible dream
and waits as the darkness calls.
I am lonely
very, very lonely
as I sit here every night.
No one to comfort me
in the wee small hours
before night turns into day.
I am lonely
very, very lonely
as I sit here every night.
Watching the lights go out
as every sleep head
against a pillow falls.
Leaving me lonely
very, very lonely
as my companion of darkness
every night comes to call.
26 March 2008
poem by David Harris
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Cryin Through The Night
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and I dont know why
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and Im so dissatisfied
cause Ive been cryin through the night
Tears on my pillow
And I have been cryin through the night
Weeping like a weeping pillow
From cryin through the night
Hear me cryin through the night
I am lonely, downhearted and sad
cause Ive lost the best woman that I ever had
To a fiend of mine
Just cant figure out how it could be
That somebody like him could take her away from me
And its on my mind
Nearly all the time
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and I dont know why
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and Im so dissatisfied
cause Ive been cryin through the night
Tears on my pillow
And I have been cryin through the night
Weeping like a weeping pillow
From cryin through the night
Hear me cryin through the night
Now I know just how best friends can be
cause he made sure you knew your best was with me
And its on my mind
Heres a lesson much greater than wealth
Keep your business to you, yourself and no one else
And your smiling eyes
Wont be cryin like mine
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and I dont know why
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and Im so dissatisfied
cause Ive been cryin through the night
Tears on my pillow
And I have been cryin through the night
Weeping like a weeping pillow
From cryin through the night
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Im weeping like a weeping pillow
From cryin through the night
Oh, oh, yeah
Hear me cryin, cryin, Im cryin, cryin
Im cryin baby, cryin baby, yeah
Even a fool can tell
That so many tears sho enough done fell
And pretty soon before you know
Ill have enough tears to fill a water well
Hear me cryin through the night
Oh yeah, cryin through the night
And its on my mind
Nearly all the time
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and I dont know why
Yes I am cryin
I got the blues and Im so dissatisfied
cause Ive been cryin through the night
Tears on my pillow
And I have been cryin through the night
Weeping like a weeping pillow
From cryin through the night
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Im weeping like a weeping pillow
Oh, oh, cryin tears, cryin tears
Through the night
song performed by by Stevie Wonder
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Taps
Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the hills,
from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh.
Go to sleep,
peaceful sleep,
May the soldier
or sailor,
God keep.
On the land
or the deep,
Safe in sleep.
Love, good night,
Must thou go,
When the day,
And the night
Need thee so?
All is well.
Speedeth all
To their rest.
Fades the light;
And afar
Goeth day,
And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well;
Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and praise,
For our days,
'Neath the sun,
'Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.
poem by Anonymous Americas
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Overlooked
Sleep, with her tender balm, her touch so kind,
Has passed me by;
Afar I see her vesture, velvet-lined,
Float silently;
O! Sleep, my tired eyes had need of thee!
Is thy sweet kiss not meant to-night for me?
Peace, with the blessings that I longed for so,
Has passed me by;
Where'er she folds her holy wings I know
All tempests die;
O! Peace, my tired soul had need of thee!
Is thy sweet kiss denied alone to me?
Love, with her heated touches, passion-stirred,
Has passed me by.
I called, "O stay thy flight," but all unheard
My lonely cry:
O! Love, my tired heart had need of thee!
Is thy sweet kiss withheld alone from me?
Sleep, sister-twin of Peace, my waking eyes
So weary grow!
O! Love, thou wanderer from Paradise,
Dost thou not know
How oft my lonely heart has cried to thee?
But Thou, and Sleep, and Peace, come not to me.
poem by Emily Pauline Johnson
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No More Lonely Nights
I can wait another day until I call you
Youve only got my heart on a string and everything a flutter
But another lonley night (and another, and another)
Might take forever(and another, and another)
Weve only got each other to blame
Its all the same to me love
cause I know what I feel to be right
No more lonely nights
No more lonely nights
Youre my guiding light
Day or night Im always there
May I never miss the thrill of being near you
And if it takes a couple of years
To turn your tears to laughter
I will do what I feel to be right
No more lonely nights
Never be another
No more lonely nights
Youre my guiding light
Day or night Im always there
And I wont go away until you tell me so
No Ill never go away
Yes I know what I feel to be right
No more lonely nights
Never be another
No more lonely nights
Youre my guiding light
Day or night Im always there
And I wont go away until you tell me so
No Ill never go away
I wont go away until you tell me so
No Ill never go away
No more lonely nights, no no ...
song performed by by Paul McCartney
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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