Mickey M'Grew
It was just like everything else in life:
Something outside myself drew me down,
My own strength never failed me.
Why, there was the time I earned the money
With which to go away to school,
And my father suddenly needed help
And I had to give him all of it.
Just so it went till I ended up
A man-of-all-work in Spoon River.
Thus when I got the water-tower cleaned,
And they hauled me up the seventy feet,
I unhooked the rope from my waist,
And laughingly flung my giant arms
Over the smooth steel lips of the top of the tower --
But they slipped from the treacherous slime,
And down, down, down, I plunged
Through bellowing darkness!
poem by Edgar Lee Masters
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Related quotes
Under sights
A terrorist was on top of
the tall white water tower
of the military camp
poisoning the drinking water,
or so we thought.
I was on guard as a roaming picket
and the radio cracked
and told me
to get the enemy
on top of the water tower
under sights.
Just more than a section
of other troops on guard
gathered with me
and we spread out
and circled the tower
and hit cover where we could.
For a moment the dark figure
look ominous where he stood
next to the steel ladder
in the darkness of that moonless night.
We were ready to shoot
and were instructed to wait,
just before a spotlight
almost made him jump
over the edge.
There was no terrorist
that looked down at us,
just a military cook
trying to take his own life.
One troop said
“lets help him
and get it over with”
and I could almost
feel him pull the trigger
but like steel my voice said
“stand down”
and a military psychiatrist
got him calm
while troops climbed the tower
and lowered him on a rope
and I wonder to this day
what left that soldier
totally out of hope?
poem by Gert Strydom
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In The Well
My father cinched the rope,
a noose around my waist,
and lowered me into
the darkness. I could taste
my fear. It tasted first
of dark, then earth, then rot.
I swung and struck my head
and at that moment got
another then: then blood,
which spiked my mouth with iron.
Hand over hand, my father
dropped me from then to then:
then water. Then wet fur,
which I hugged to my chest.
I shouted. Daddy hauled
the wet rope. I gagged, and pressed
my neighbor's missing dog
against me. I held its death
and rose up to my father.
Then light. Then hands. Then breath.
poem by Andrew Hudgins
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Tower Of London
Let me take you to trafalgar square
Let me take you there
Every streets a fashion catwalk
Everyones debonair
Let me take you to piccadilly
Guess it leads somewhere
Tower over centuries, tower over london
Tower up and frankly Im amazed
Whats done cannot be undone, not here not in london
Whats done can never be erased
So, tower up! - its those little things
Make life interesting- tower of london!
Tower up! - wasting time
Yours and mine - tower of london!
Hip london! hip london!
Let me take you to st.jamess square
Let me groove you there
Diplomats get target practice
In the open air
Psychobillies scream blue murder
Then they hit mayfair
Tower over centuries, tower over london
Tower up and frankly Im amazed
Whats done cannot be undone, not here not in london
Whats done can never be erased
So, tower up! - its those little things
Make life interesting- tower of london!
Tower up! - wasting time
Precious time - tower of london!
Tower up! Ill meet you there
Ill be there - tower of london
New york! - dont make me laugh
Ive seen photographs - tower of london...
song performed by by Abc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Each morning I pass on my way to work
Each morning I pass on my way to work
A clock in a tower
And I look towards it with anxious eyes
To make sure of the hour.
But the sun gets up at the back of the tower
With a flare and a blaze
Hiding the time and the tower from my sight
In a blissful haze.
'I am the marker of time' says the sun.
Taken unawares,
I believe for the nonce he is lord of the day
And am rid of my cares.
poem by Lesbia Harford
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Love Make Me Strong
(terry britten/sue shifrin)
Theres no power capable of
Coming between us--dividing our love
To be faithful I have sworn
Together we can weather the storm
Our tomorrows are ticking away
Our hands are tied--were victims of fate
In my darkness I will pray
For destiny to send me your way
Love make me strong
Give me the strength to carry on
Love make me strong
A tower of strength to lean upon
Love make me strong
The seven seas wont keep us apart
Not with an ocean of love in my heart
My devotion will see me through
Cause nothings gonna keep me from you
Love make me strong
Give me the strength to carry on
Love make me strong
A tower of strength to lean upon
Love make me strong
Oh its a sad sad story
True lovers forced to part
Shot down in all its glory
Youll hear the sound of broken hearts
My devotion will see me through
Cause nothings gonna keep me from you
Love make me strong
Give me the strength to carry on
Love make me strong
A tower of strength to lean upon
Love make me strong
Oh oh love make me strong
Love make me strong, make me strong
Love make me strong
song performed by by Olivia Newton-John
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Thunder In The Tower
Well, the lightning flashed at midnight
And the dogs did howl along
You dont believe it - unless youve seen it
It was the night the thunder broke
There is no more creation
No room for good - no hope
You better cry for salvation - as
The reaper dangled by the rope
A scream for help - the morning after
Theyd equalised the score
And in their minds - theres only laughter
A smile - without a cause
And there was thunder in the tower
As the cat crept out
There was thunder in the tower
Theres no escape - no doubt
Its been the night the birds were silent
And the town was deadly still
A curling lip - an icy grip
n bony fingers that can kill
Assembling in the tower
The payment bloody high
They tried to cheat their final hour
Hes gonna get them eye to eye
Bridge
And there was thunder in the tower
Screaming silence in the air
There was thunder in the tower
Awesome power evrywhere
And there was thunder in the tower
They didnt care its right or wrong
There was thunder in the tower
And the reaper came along
Chorus
song performed by by U. D. O.
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ben Boyd's Tower
Ben Boyd's Tower is watching—
Watching o’er the sea;
Ben Boyd’s Tower is waiting
For her and me.
We do not know the day,
We do not know the hour,
But we know that we shall meet
By Ben Boyd’s Tower.
Moonlight peoples Boyd Tower,
Mystic are its walls;
Lightly dance the lovers
In its haunted halls.
Ben Boyd’s Tower is watching—
Watching o’er the foam;
Ben Boyd’s Tower is waiting
Till the “Wanderer” comes home.
O! he lay above us—
High above the surf—
Finger-nails and toe-caps
Digging in the turf.
We do not know the day,
We do not know the hour,
But Two and Two shall meet again
By Ben Boyd’s Tower.
There’s an ancient dame in Eden—
Basket on her arm—
And she goes down the Main Street
From the old, old farm.
Hood drawn on her forehead—
Withered dame and grey—
She never looks on Boyd Tower
Out across the Bay.
Bright eyes in the ballroom,
Coquetting with two,
Just for love of mischief,
As a girl will do.
A quarrel in the bar-room—
All within the hour—
And four men rode from Boyd Town
To Ben Boyd’s Tower.
poem by Henry Lawson
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Time After Time
Ask the girl of the hour by the water tower's watch
If your friends took a fall, are you obligated to follow
Time after time after time
when the bull's on his hooves, when you gather friends by the tower
If you try to refuse, will they judge your worth by the hour?
If your tired and you're tried you can find me in my room
You can stay if you want and the third time you can't lose
Ask the girl of the hour, by the water tower's watch
We can fight if you want but who will turn out the light
song performed by by REM
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Going Up Yoyang Tower
We climbed Yoyang Tower with
all the scene around coming
into vision; looking up the
Great River seeing boats turn
and enter the Tungting Lake; geese
crying farewell to the river
as they flew south; evening falling
as if mountain tops upt up the moon
with their lips; and we in the Yoyang
Tower as if with heads amongst
the cloud, drinking wine as if the cups
came from heaven itself; then
having drunk our fill there blew
a cold wind filling out our
sleeves, it seeming as though
we were dancing in time with it.
Victim 0001, a poem of 9/11
Father Mychal Judge bent down
to the woman on the floor.
His right hand made the cross in sign
like oft he had before.
Above him the North Tower Burned
like South Tower just next door.
The chaplain of the firemen,
Mychal was a Catholic priest.
Born and bred in Brooklyn,
He was no stranger to these streets.
When he heard word about the planes,
his safety he ignored..
He had to go be with his boys
His trust was in the Lord.
The people in the towers had
the choice to burn or fly.
So many that day took the plunge
preferring not to fry.
The raging fires melted steel.
South Tower started to collapse
The Bravest in her stairwells
never heard recall perhaps.
“Sweet Jesus, Make this end now! ”
Some heard Father Mychal cry.
Debris from the South Tower
Like a scythe came flying by.
It was blunt force trauma to the head
laid Father Mychal low.
His friends removed his body
before North tower, too, would go.
Thousands passed that terrible day;
the mighty and the small.
When responders came with body bags
Mychal was first of all.
Zero Zero Zero One
A strange number for a Priest,
who rushed where Angels feared to tread,
not fearful in the least
poem by John F. McCullagh
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Tower Erupted
A tower erupts suddenly, it is volcano.
Severing ties with kin and soldier,
Breaking the bonds of slavery with civilisation.
The towers are full of people, the artless;
Yet the listening acts are made
For the emancipation of those same people.
Those with love are also in fondness, audacity,
Happening right, events are stations of the soul.
When the tower erupted we found treasures
Of sensible life, the tower was in flames.
Authority is a book of the best ostrich,
The weird yourself, never in sensible life.
poem by Naveed Akram
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Sonnet: Money
Money when God-given, will everlast;
Though spend you may like water for good deeds;
Money when earned by man will get spent fast;
And never can suffice to meet your needs.
Money when God-given will grow like trees,
And give you many luscious fruits and seeds;
Money when earned by man is gone with th'breeze,
And grows to be like scattered, useless weeds.
Money when God-given in time will stay;
Remaining blest, it helps to change man's fate;
Money when earned by man fritters away,
And invites vices, troubles, peoples' hate.
Money God-given can't beget evils,
The soul stays pure, resistant to devils.
poem by John Celes
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A Tower Name
The Lord’s name
Power name
A tower name
A strong name
And power-tower name
A strong tower, the name
A safe place, the name
Good in every situation, the name
Has unmatched power, the name
And a place of fortification, the name
When spiritually attacked, to the name run
When the past foibles clouds the mind, to the name run
When disappointed, to the name run
When failure cripples in, to the name run
And when tempted, to the name run
In the name, security
In the name, safety
In the name, peace
In the name, strong power
And in the name, a strong tower
A strong tower, strong refuge
A strong tower, stout defense
A strong tower, powerful protection
A strong tower, shield from the past
And a strong tower, enemy at bay to put
Whatever enemy offensive, call the name
Like Joseph, make a dash to the name
So portable, so wherever, the tower name
A refuge from doubt, selfishness, malice
And a shelter from slenderness, loneliness, envy and the like
So as the devil launches attack
A run to the tower name make
Call upon the power name
Stay in the power-tower
And watch him, sulking away
The Bible assures us: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Prov.18: 10, KJV) .
poem by Obed Akuma
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Fortess of Grace
You are my refuge,
my strong and safe high tower,
The source of all my strength.
Everlasting strength,
Unending power,
Unassailable peace,
Mighty, perfect love.
Your passion overwhelms me,
Your love washes over
my spirit like a wave.
I hear you in the quiet,
I hear you in the storm,
The clarion call in battle,
The whisper that brings the calm.
Tower of Peace,
Tower of Love,
Fortress of Grace.
© 2008
poem by Jeffrey Stultz
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Before a Fall
And what was the big room he walked in?
The big room he walked in,
Over the smooth floor,
Under the sky light,
Was his own brain.
And what was it he admired there?
He admired there
The oval mirror.
And what was it the oval mirror showed him there?
It showed him the roots
Through the ceiling,
The gross armchair, the bookcase
Shuttered with glass,
The Hymns bound in velvet,
The porcelain oven,
The giant egg cups,
The hairy needles,
And the silence
And the smell of smouldering dung
Hung between the walls
(Which were yellow as dandelion).
And how did he leave?
On the smooth floor
His neat feet jarred
And his teeth grew down
To his heart, and he slipped
On the white stairhead -
Which ended?
Which ended in coldness
And darkness,
Through which he fell
(So they tell)
With little hope, and slowly.
poem by Geoffrey Grigson
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Water Vortex
It's hot on the river walk
Where to River? Play in new clothes
And rivers, remote back over at a friend inside.
Words to break the outer covering tears
What is the path to climb stricken with hardship Play
The sweet cruelty
Stone water fall flowing all evening
Away drag it out of the river
Danaya the birds glow, deep sigh Anonymous
And tears of your feet and flowers in water
Stand up to water, the loneliness at school.
You know, water's water, water vortex breakdown silence
None of the ship's mast Tear
The Black Keys pray for rain at night?
I was crying, asking plunged music.
poem by Shafi Sumodro
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Life Of A Salesman
What's a dad for dad?
Tell me why I'm here dad
Whisper in my ear that I'm growing up to be a better man, dad
Everything is fine dad
Proud that you are mine dad
Cause I know I'm growing up to be a better man
Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I'm older I wanna be the same as you
What's a dad for dad?
Taught me how to stand, dad
Took me by the hand and you showed me how to be a bigger man, dad
Listen when you talk, dad
Follow where you walk, dad
And you know that I will always do the best I can
I can
Father I will always be (always be)
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me (over me)
Now I'm older I wanna be the same as you
The same as you
Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I'm older I wanna be the same as you
When I am a dad, dad x2
I'm gonna be a good dad x2
Do the best you could, dad x2
Always understood, dad x2
Tell me I was right, dad x2
Opened up my eyes, dad x2
Glad to call you my, dad x2
Thank you for my dad x2
song performed by by Yellowcard
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Life Of A Salesman
What's a dad for dad?
Tell me why I'm here dad
Whisper in my ear that I'm growing up to be a better man, dad
Everything is fine dad
Proud that you are mine dad
Cause I know I'm growing up to be a better man
Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I'm older I wanna be the same as you
What's a dad for dad?
Taught me how to stand, dad
Took me by the hand and you showed me how to be a bigger man, dad
Listen when you talk, dad
Follow where you walk, dad
And you know that I will always do the best I can
I can
Father I will always be (always be)
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me (over me)
Now I'm older I wanna be the same as you
The same as you
Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I'm older I wanna be the same as you
When I am a dad, dad x2
I'm gonna be a good dad x2
Do the best you could, dad x2
Always understood, dad x2
Tell me I was right, dad x2
Opened up my eyes, dad x2
Glad to call you my, dad x2
Thank you for my dad x2
song performed by by Yellowcard
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Story Of OVO
(Only available on some editions)
A long time ago, in a far away land
Theo was the man who learned to understand
The riches of the earth
And all that it was worth
The first man that ever tried to stand with his own plan
Now this man was all about the wind rain and trees
He knew that it would take care of all of his families
Now Ion was the son who spent his nights and days
Looking for all kinds of ways to get his father's praise
In all daddy's ways he just wanted to impress
Make it faster, stronger is what he tried to stress
Sofia was the girl
Living in her own world
She found love and joy with a young sky boy
Sky boys were seen as less to the rest
So it would seem
Sofia went into the woods to daydream
With love in her eyes
Her own father would despise
Her love for the young sky boy he would destroy
Feet in the earth
Heads in the sky
We watch the world go by
Feet in the earth
Heads in the sky
We watch as life goes by
When Theo was gone, his son Ion took the power
And in his daddy's name, he built the biggest strongest tower
The earth people and sky people divided by machines
And the ones who had nothing were the ones who had the wings
The sky boy just wanted everything to be equal
From full-time lover to now fighting for his people
Now Beth was the mom
Who really loved to weave
She couldn't believe her own son would decieve
The sky people got hungry and their welfare was ignored
She let them in the tower and the bloody battle roared
Down came iron and the tower fell as well
The dark days were over and the sky people's hell
Feet in the earth
Heads in the sky
We watch the world go by
Feet in the
song performed by by Peter Gabriel
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Searcy Foote
I wanted to go away to college
But rich Aunt Persis wouldn't help me.
So I made gardens and raked the lawns
And bought John Alden's books with my earnings
And toiled for the very means of life.
I wanted to marry Delia Prickett,
But how could I do it with what I earned?
And there was Aunt Persis more than seventy,
Who sat in a wheel-chair half alive,
With her throat so paralyzed, when she swallowed
The soup ran out of her mouth like a duck --
A gourmand yet, investing her income
In mortgages, fretting all the time
About her notes and rents and papers.
That day I was sawing wood for her,
And reading Proudhon in between.
I went in the house for a drink of water,
And there she sat asleep in her chair,
And Proudhon lying on the table,
And a bottle of chloroform on the book,
She used sometimes for an aching tooth!
I poured the chloroform on a handkerchief
And held it to her nose till she died. --
Oh Delia, Delia, you and Proudhon
Steadied my hand, and the coroner
Said she died of heart failure.
I married Delia and got the money --
A joke on you, Spoon River?
poem by Edgar Lee Masters
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