Amos Sibley
Not character, not fortitude, not patience
Were mine, the which the village thought I had
In bearing with my wife, while preaching on,
Doing the work God chose for me.
I loathed her as a termagant, as a wanton.
I knew of her adulteries, every one.
But even so, if I divorced the woman
I must forsake the ministry.
Therefore to do God's work and have it crop,
I bore with her!
So lied I to myself!
So lied I to Spoon River!
Yet I tried lecturing, ran for the legislature,
Canvassed for books, with just the thought in mind:
If I make money thus, I will divorce her.
poem by Edgar Lee Masters
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Payment
A tortuous path of neurons arced a call: ‘Awake! ’
I did; in rising, peering, stretching, bearing,
Pained anticipation saw it all:
Foretold, another filthy day.
I drew the drape: diluvian lay the ground
Beneath a lazy leaden cloud – apissing out
The puddles; irksome on the roof –
The drumming drops of bitter glee
Were hounding out a hapless me –
Reinforcing doubt that I am sound.
I left the house
to go to work
to earn a crust
without a perk
then on to bust
another straining vessel.
Trudging on thro’ mud and clay, I pondered:
‘Why a drought of happy times?
Auspicious climes were
Old and fusty books
Atop a dusty shelf
Inside a morgue-of-a-room,
Somewhere in a long-forgotten library
Down a lane without a way.’
I thought again: ‘And still I pay.’
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2010
O how I
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
work work work work work work work work
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Did I Really See That?
A woman on our bed wearing my gown with ma woman
Sleeping on my side of the bed?
Am I replaced?
So quick?
I thought we were going to talk
About it
Try to work it out
I cancelled all my plans
In a manner to surprise you
I didn't like the way things went
The other day
And now I get home
To find this?
A woman on our bed
Wearing my gown with ma woman on ma side of da bed
Am I replaced?
Just like that?
I thought what we had meant
Something to you
I thought we had a connection
I thought fate had brought us
Together
I thought our future
Was written somewhere
In heaven
Most of all I thought the feeling
Was mutual
For 5years I was relaxed
Thinking I'm in the right place
Where my soul belongs
Wasn't looking
Wasn't searching
Was content
And now I find
A woman on our bed wearing my gown with ma woman
On my side of the bed
Am I replaced?
Already!
I had always been loyal
You cheated more than I could remember
And I kept forgiving n forgetting
I kept loving you like you
Never wronged me
I Kept on trusting you
but to you all that was just a blur
I bet you thought I was fool
I bet you thought I'd never leave you
I bet you thought you were ma life
That's why you cheated
That's why you lied
That's why now I find
A woman on our bed wearing my gown with ma woman
On my side of the bed
Am I replaced?
I know you are
I have ran out of tears
I cried for so long*difedile*
I have ran out of Forgiveness
I forgiven you more than the
Bibble Says I should
I have ran out of space for you
The place I used to keep you is shuttered
And I have ran out of love for you
What I thought was mine
Is now ours
What I thought I owned
It turned out
We own
What I thought was true to me
It was all a lie
A woman on our bed
Wearing my gown
With my woman
On my side of the bed
She can stay
I'll leave..
poem by Diopelo King
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Rabiteen
He said that he would stay forever
forever wasn't very long
He said that he would take the high road
He thought that I was always wrong
Cause when he lied it meant he loved me
And when he lied it meant he cared
And when he lied it meant he loved me
Cause when he lied it meant that he was there
He said that he would go his own way
wrapped up my leg and down my spine
He said that he would be the fairest
Drenched in blood and turpentine
Cause when he lied it meant he loved me
And when he lied it meant he cared
And when he lied it meant he loved me
Cause when he lied it meant that he was there
I am never going back I don't care what he said
I wish he could see the hate in my head
I am never going back I don't care what he said
I wish he could see the hate in my head
I am never going back I don't care what he said
I wish he could see the hate in my head
I am never going back I don't care what he said
I wish he could see the hate
He said that he would tell no secrets
He said that he would never lie
He said that he would spring eternal
He said that we would never die
Cause when he lied it meant he loved me
And when he lied it meant he cared
And when he lied it meant he loved me
Cause when he cried it meant he cared
Cause when he lied it meant he loved me
And when he lied it meant he cared
And when he lied it meant he loved me
Cause when he lied it meant that
he was
he was
he was
He was there
song performed by by Jack Off Jill from Clear Hearts Grey Flowers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
They Lied...
they lied to you...
lied to you about Vietnam.
lied about JFK,
about Bobby Kennedy,
about Martin Luther King.
they lied about trade agreements,
about global warming,
about oil spills,
about mining disasters,
about nuclear power.
they lied about 9/11,
about Iraq, and weapons
of mass destruction.
they lied about Afghanistan,
they're lying about Iran.
they lied about Wall Street,
about the national debt.
they lied yesterday,
and they're lying today.
when are we going to quit
believing in the lie?
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
What for is money?
I thought on how could be the life
Without having to work for money.
After all this is the money which we work for.
Had we only have enough money to spend
We won’t have to toil our body or brain.
Solution also seemed very easy to me.
Just have a lot of mints to mint money.
Make as much money as may people need
Give them as much as may people want.
All problems are seemingly soon gone.
The root of all evils I thought could be
the root of happiness of all kind instead.
“How could this easy way out be overlooked? ”
Thinking furthermore I thought.
We need mints and we need paper and ink.
We need banks and a lot of ATMs.
People will get money and go for shopping
So we need ample shops. In shops we need products.
We need make shops and we need make products.
but we also need people to run them.
So some people will make paper and some ink.
Some other will work in mints and banks.
Some will work in shops and making products.
Rest all the people will only happily buy things.
Thinking up to here my thought jumbled.
People needed money so they worked.
If money was available for doing no work
Then why should there be anyone to work?
If no one works then where from comes paper and ink?
Where from comes money, banksand ATMs?
Where from then comes products?
Without products how could then we live and enjoy?
So we need products and for products we need to work,
to get people into the works we need money.
So it was that money could not be made free.
I thought 'People have already thought it before me.'
poem by Palas kumar Ray
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Tell Me Why
Tell me why you cried, and why you lied to me
Tell me why you cried, and why you lied to me
Well I gave you everything I had
But you left me sittin on my own
Did you have to treat me oh so bad?
All I do is hang my head and moan
Tell me why you cried, and why you lied to me
Tell me why you cried, and why you lied to me
If theres something I have said or done
Tell me what and Ill apologize
If you dont, I really cant go on
Holding back these tears in my eyes
Tell me why you cried, and why you lied to me
Tell me why you cried, and why you lied to me
(hey!)
Well Im begging on my bended knees
If youll only listen to my pleas
If theres anything I can do
cos I really cant stand it, Im so in love with you
Ohhhhhh!
(is that all? I thought there [...].)
(there was.)
(you did very well.)
(brian...)
(papa-oom-mow-mow? )
(right.)
(papa papa papa.)
(wheres an e? )
(I forget [...]. brian, you [...] before? )
(ah, papa-oom-mow-mow.)
(is there an e there? )
(ah, papa...)
(ten more minutes, brian.)
(papa. mama. ah, ah. is that it? )
song performed by by Beach Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Dont Play That Song
Dont play that song
Performed by: mariah carey
Written by: b nelson, a ertegun
Dont play that song for me
cause it brings back memories
Of days that I once knew
Those days that I spent with you
Oh no dont leave me
cause it fills up my heart with pain
So please stop it right away
cause I remember just what he said
He said darling I love you
But I know that he lied
Darling I need you
Know that you lied
Darling I love you
Darling you lied
Lied
You lied to me
Hey mister
Dont play it no more
Dont play it no more
I cant stand it
Dont play it no more
No more, no more, no more
I cant stand it
I remember on our first date
He kissed me and he walked away
I was only seventeen
I never dreamed hed be so mean
He told me darling I love you
But baby baby you lied
Darling I need you
You lied
Darling I love you
Darling you lied
Lied
You lied to me
Oh darling
Darling I love you
You know that you lied
Darling I need you
Baby I know that you lied
Darling I love you
Darling you lied
Lied
You lied to me and hurt me
Darling you lied
Dont play it no more
No baby
Dont play it no more
Dont do it
Dont play it no more
cause I cant stand it no more
song performed by by Mariah Carey
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
You Should've Lied
(Matraca Berg/Angelo)
Should've known you'd come around
Did your conscience bother you?
Well, I guess I forgive you now, but that's all that I can do
Ain't nothing lonely as the truth
Chorus: You should've lied to me baby
You should've tried just a little bit harder now baby
You see my pride has been talking to me lately
And you can't come back, you can never come back
I won't stand another woman
You should've lied
You overestimated me
Thinking I would understand
Believing that your honesty
Would make me see a bigger man
Was that all part of your plan
(Repeat Chorus twice)
You should've lied
You should've lied to my baby
You should have lied
(Repeat Chorus)
song performed by by Lee Ann Womack
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
A Friend Of Mine
1 - she was a friend of mine
She left with my man
She lied
Cheated
Took all I had
She was a friend of mine
She used what she knew
She lied
Cheated
And left me confused
I feel so lost
Dont know why this has happened to me
My closest friend
I never would have thought it could be
You were someone
Someone I really thought I could trust
But my man
You laid
And Im betrayed
Repeat 1
Thicker than blood
Where ever there was me
There was you
My all was your wrong
But that wasnt enough for you
You had to see
And tried to walk a mile in my shoes
In my head
In my bed
Betrayed by my best friend
Repeat 1
And oh, I wanna know why (why)
You were my friend (why)
I gave you all I had (why)
Everything, everything that you wanted
Why
You were my friend (why)
Oh, my sister (why)
Gave all you want
Ad lib while
Repeat 1 until fade
song performed by by Kelly Price
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Dont Play That Song
Dont play that song for me
cause it brings back the memories
Of the days that I once knew
Of the days that I spent with you
Oh no, dont let it play
It fills my heart with pain
Please stop it right away
cause I remember just what it said
It said, darling
You know that you lied
Boy, you know that you lied
You know that you lied
You lied, you lied, you lied
Remember on our first date
You kissed me
Then you walked away
And I was only seventeen
I never dreamed that he could be so mean
Oh darling, dont you play no more
Dont you dare play that song
You know you lied
Ohh
song performed by by Kelly Clarkson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Speak the truth and you'll be heard.
She told me she cared,
I knew she lied,
She told them she cared,
They knew she lied,
She said she wanted me to be the best,
I knew she lied,
She said to them she wanted me to be the best,
They knew she lied,
She whispered she loved me,
I knew she lied,
She whispered to them she loved me,
They knew she lied,
She pretended everything when I was there,
She pretended to love me,
She pretended to care,
She said she wanted me to be happy,
We all knew the truth was not what she speak,
We all knew the truth was just about to leak,
We all knew the truth would come out,
We all knew the truth, with no doubt,
She was just like the people surrounding,
Pretending, acting, lying,
So the truth is what I spoke when I spoke to her,
I told her the truth is true, the truth is fair,
I told her...
If it's a lie, don't say another word,
However, speak the truth, and you'll be heard,
To lie to someone who truly loves you for you,
Is one of the most cruel things you can ever do,
To let them believe what you say to them is true,
When really all your thinking about is you, you and you.
poem by Jodie Louise Pollock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Adam Weirauch
I was crushed between Altgeld and Armour.
I lost many friends, much time and money
Fighting for Altgeld whom Editor Whedon
Denounced as the candidate of gamblers and anarchists.
Then Armour started to ship dressed meat to Spoon River,
Forcing me to shut down my slaughter-house,
And my butcher shop went all to pieces.
The new forces of Altgeld and Armour caught me
At the same time.
I thought it due me, to recoup the money I lost
And to make good the friends that left me,
For the Governor to appoint me Canal Commissioner.
Instead he appointed Whedon of the Spoon River Argus,
So I ran for the legislature and was elected.
I said to hell with principle and sold my vote
On Charles T. Yerkes' street-car franchise.
Of course I was one of the fellows they caught.
Who was it, Armour, Altgeld or myself
That ruined me?
poem by Edgar Lee Masters
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Richard Nixon lied to gain love, to shore up his grandiose fantasies, to bolster his ever-wavering sense of identity. He lied in attack, hoping to win and always he lied, and this most aggressively, to deny that he lied.
quote by Fawn M. Brodie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
Work
Andy was a catholic
The ethic ran through his bones
He lived alone with his mother
Collecting gossip and toys
Every sunday when he went to church
Hed kneel in his pew and say
Its work
All that matters is work
He was a lot of things
What I remember most hed say
Ive got to bring home the bacon
Someones got to bring home the roast
Hed get to the factory early
If youd ask him hed tell you straight out
Its work
No matter what I did it never seemed enough
He said I was lazy, I said I was young
He said, how many songs did you write
Id written zero, Id lied and said, ten
You wont be young forever
You should have written fifteen
Its work
You ought to make things big
People like it that way
And the songs with the dirty words
Make sure your record them that way
Andy liked to stir up trouble
He was funny that way
He said, its just work
Andy sat down to talk one day
He said decide what you want
Do you want to expand your parameters
Or play museums like some dilettante
I fired him on the spot
He got red and called me a rat
It was the worst word that he could think of
And Ive never seen him like that
Its work
I thought he said its just work
Andy said a lot of things
I stored them all away in my head
Sometimes when I cant decide what I should do
I think what would andy have said
Hed probably say you think too much
Thats cause theres work that you dont want to do
Its work
The most important thing is work
Its work
The most important thing is work
song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Swan I Married Became a Moose
Crusted mustard breath,
I awakened to...
When I loved you.
String beans on your teeth,
I thought divine.
One time.
But when we got divorced,
I forced myself to really see...
How the Swan I married,
Became a Moose!
A big and wide behind,
I didn't mind to follow.
I thought it fantastic,
To climb on top.
When we made our version,
Of love.
But when we got divorced,
I forced myself to really see...
How the Swan I married,
Became a Moose!
I saw you recently,
I did not recognize you.
My eyes laid on your breasts,
And hips so fine.
But then you reminded me,
Of my ignorance.
And what that did to you.
You then left me looking stunning!
And I felt such the fool!
Crusted mustard breath,
I awakened to...
When I loved you.
String beans on your teeth,
I thought divine.
One time.
But when we got divorced,
I forced myself to really see...
How the Swan I married,
Became a Moose!
And that 'moose' today...
I wish I had not abused!
'Wow, dude?
WHO was that gorgeous woman you tried to hit on?
She's hot! '
That 'was' my ex-wife!
'Yeah, right.
Then one of us is a big liar.
You told me your ex-wife
Could be a side attraction at a circus! '
That was my ex-wife!
'Okay. Snap out of it! '
That was my ex-wife.
'Man, you okay?
Hey...
We all got our fantasies, right? '
Seriously,
That WAS my ex-wife!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Archibald Higbie
I loathed you, Spoon River. I tried to rise above you,
I was ashamed of you. I despised you
As the place of my nativity.
And there in Rome, among the artists,
Speaking Italian, speaking French,
I seemed to myself at times to be free
Of every trace of my origin.
I seemed to be reaching the heights of art
And to breathe the air that the masters breathed,
And to see the world with their eyes.
But still they'd pass my work and say:
"What are you driving at, my friend?
Sometimes the face looks like Apollo's
At others it has a trace of Lincoln's."
There was no culture, you know, in Spoon River,
And I burned with shame and held my peace.
And what could I do, all covered over
And weighted down with western soil,
Except aspire, and pray for another
Birth in the world, with all of Spoon River
Rooted out of my soul?
poem by Edgar Lee Masters
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Justice, My
a poor woman lied
on her application for
food stamps about prior
drug convictions,
which was wrong...
but she did it to
feed her two children...
and she has paid the money back!
she got federal jail time.
big banks lied, cheated,
and basically stole on
applications for loans,
made a big profit,
showed a big loss,
and got bailout money...
justice, my ass!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
What Difference Does It Make ?
All men have secrets and here is mine
So let it be known
We have been through hell and high tide
I can surely rely on you ...
And yet you start to recoil
Heavy words are so lightly thrown
But still i'd leap in front of a flying bullet for you
So, what difference does it make ?
So, what difference does it make ?
It makes none
But now you have gone
And you must be looking very old tonight
The devil will find work for idle hands to do
I stole and i lied, and why ?
Because you asked me to !
But now you make me feel so ashamed
Because i've only got two hands
Well, i'm still fond of you, oh-ho-oh
So, what difference does it make ?
Oh, what difference does it make ?
Oh, it makes none
But now you have gone
And your prejudice won't keep you warm tonight
Oh, the devil will find work for idle hands to do
I stole, and then i lied
Just because you asked me to
But now you know the truth about me
You won't see me anymore
Well, i'm still fond of you, oh-ho-oh
But no more apologies
No more apology
Oh, i'm too tired
I'm so very tired
And i'm feeling very sick and ill today
But i'm still fond of you, oh-ho-oh
Oh, my sacred one ...
Oh ...
song performed by by Smiths
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Gelosea
why don't you come and feed me
feed me all my memories
and I'll wash it down with all of your goodness
your goodness
I guess I won
but I just can't seem to change
you lied to me, you lied to me
you don't even know my name
there is good in me and it's proud to love you
I chose to be a dreamer
but your reality seems sweeter
to taste it would turn my whole life
around and around
I guess I won
but I just can't seem to change
you lied to me, you lied to me
you don't even know my name
there is good in me and it's proud to love
I am containing what is real
for something I can not conceal
I am containing what is real
for something I can not conceal
I guess I won
I guess I won
I guess I won
I guess I won
but I just can't seem to change
you lied to me, you lied to me
you don't even know my name
there is good in me and it's proud to love you true
but I just can't seem to change
you lied to me, you lied to me
you don't even know my name
there is good in me and it's proud to love you true
song performed by by Inme
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Patience (Live)
Was a time when I wasn't sure
But you set my mind at ease
There is no doubt
You're in my heart now
Said, woman, take it slow
It'll work itself out fine
You and I've got what it takes to make it
Said, woman, take it slow
and no no no no no
You and I got just a little patience
I sit here on the stairs
'Cause I'd rather be alone
If I can't have you right now
I'll wait, dear
Sometimes I get so tense
But I can't speed up the time
But you know, love
There's one more thing to consider
Said, woman, take it slow
And the lights are shinning bright
You no no no no no no ah baby
Said, woman, take it slow
It'll work itself out fine
All we need is just a little patience
-I wanna try and see if I can do this solo
Just a little patience, yeah
Some more patience, yeah
-Goes like this, it goes like this...
I BEEN WALKIN' THE STREETS AT NIGHT
JUST TRYIN' TO GET IT RIGHT
HARD TO SEE WITH SO MANY AROUND
YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE
BEING STUCK IN THE CROWD
AND THE STREETS DON'T CHANGE
BUT BABY THE NAME
I AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THE GAME
'CAUSE I NEED YOU
YEAH, WELL I NEED YOU
OO, WELL I NEED YOU
OO, I NEED YOU
OO, ALL THIS TIME
song performed by by John Mayer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!