Mona Lisa
Yon strange blue city crowns a scarped steep
No mortal foot hath bloodlessly essayed:
Dreams and illusions beacon from its keep.
But at the gate an Angel bares his blade;
And tales are told of those who thought to gain
At dawn its ramparts; but when evening fell
Far off they saw each fading pinnacle
Lit with wild lightnings from the heaven of pain;
Yet there two souls, whom life’s perversities
Had mocked with want in plenty, tears in mirth,
Might meet in dreams, ungarmented of earth,
And drain Joy’s awful chalice to the lees.
poem by Edith Wharton
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Two Backgrounds
I. LA VIERGE AU DONATEUR
HERE by the ample river's argent sweep,
Bosomed in tilth and vintage to her walls,
A tower-crowned Cybele in armoured sleep
The city lies, fat plenty in her halls,
With calm parochial spires that hold in fee
The friendly gables clustered at their base,
And, equipoised o'er tower and market-place,
The Gothic minister's winged immensity;
And in that narrow burgh, with equal mood,
Two placid hearts, to all life's good resigned,
Might, from the altar to the lych-gate, find
Long years of peace and dreamless plenitude.
II. MONA LISA
Yon strange blue city crowns a scarped steep
No mortal foot hath bloodlessly essayed:
Dreams and illusions beacon from its keep.
But at the gate an Angel bares his blade;
And tales are told of those who thought to gain
At dawn its ramparts; but when evening fell
Far off they saw each fading pinnacle
Lit with wild lightnings from the heaven of pain;
Yet there two souls, whom life's perversities
Had mocked with want in plenty, tears in mirth,
Might meet in dreams, ungarmented of earth,
And drain Joy's awful chalice to the lees.
poem by Edith Wharton
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Joy's City
Joy's City hath high battlements of gold;
Joy's City hath her streets of gem-wrought flow'rs;
She hath her palaces high reared and bold,
And tender shades of perfumed lily bowers;
But ever day by day, and ever night by night,
An Angel measures still our City of Delight.
He hath a rule of gold, and never stays,
But ceaseless round the burnish'd ramparts glides;
He measures minutes of her joyous days,
Her walls, her trees, the music of her tides;
The roundness of her buds--Joy's own fair city lies,
Known to its heart-core by his stern and thoughtful eyes.
Above the sounds of timbrel and of song,
Of greeting friends, of lovers 'mid the flowers,
The Angel's voice arises clear and strong:
'O City, by so many leagues thy bow'rs
Stretch o'er the plains, and in the fair high-lifted blue
So many cubits rise thy tow'rs beyond the view.'
Why dost thou, Angel, measure Joy's fair walls?
Unceasing gliding by their burnish'd stones;
Go, rather measure Sorrow's gloomy halls;
Her cypress bow'rs, her charnel-house of bones;
Her groans, her tears, the rue in her jet chalices;
But leave unmeasured more, Joy's fairy palaces.
The Angel spake: 'Joy hath her limits set,
But Sorrow hath no bounds--Joy is a guest
Perchance may enter; but no heart puls'd yet,
Where Sorrow did not lay her down to rest;
She hath no city by so many leagues confin'd,
I cannot measure bounds where there are none to find.'
poem by Isabella Valancy Crawford
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Sweet Dreams My Angel
Go to sleep my angel and dream
Of heavenly places and heavenly faces
You shall be missed, my angel but rest in peace
In this world you could easily get hurt
Don't fret my angel you are safe in God's arms
He will take care of you
And will always be with you
Mortal dreams of riches, but my angel
You are rich for eternal life
So sleep now angel you are full of love and beauty
We will all be with you soon
Sweet dreams my angel
When you wake up you'll know that
Your dreams have come true
poem by Angie Watson
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Have no illusions
Have no illusions –
Life is challenging
Have no illusions –
Marriage is not easy
Have no illusions –
Sometimes you’ll question
Have no illusions –
You will find fault
Have no illusions –
This is marriage
Have no illusions –
You will work it out
Have no illusions –
Hardship brings strength
Have no illusions –
You are each other’s rock
Have no illusions –
Love will endure.
poem by Melanie James
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Airly Beacon
Airly Beacon, Airly Beacon;
Oh, the pleasant sight to see
Shires and towns from Airly Beacon,
While my love climbed up to me!
Airly Beacon, Airly Beacon;
Oh, the happy hours we lay
Deep in fern on Airly Beacon,
Courting through the summer's day!
Airly Beacon, Airly Beacon;
Oh, the weary haunt for me,
All alone on Airly Beacon,
With his baby on my knee!
poem by Charles Kingsley
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The dream-ship
When the world is fast asleep,
Along the midnight skies--
As though it were a wandering cloud--
The ghostly dream-ship flies.
An angel stands at the dream-ship's helm,
An angel stands at the prow,
And an angel stands at the dream-ship's side
With a rue-wreath on her brow.
The other angels, silver-crowned,
Pilot and helmsman are,
And the angel with the wreath of rue
Tosseth the dreams afar.
The dreams they fall on rich and poor;
They fall on young and old;
And some are dreams of poverty,
And some are dreams of gold.
And some are dreams that thrill with joy,
And some that melt to tears;
Some are dreams of the dawn of love,
And some of the old dead years.
On rich and poor alike they fall,
Alike on young and old,
Bringing to slumbering earth their joys
And sorrows manifold.
The friendless youth in them shall do
The deeds of mighty men,
And drooping age shall feel the grace
Of buoyant youth again.
The king shall be a beggarman--
The pauper be a king--
In that revenge or recompense
The dream-ship dreams do bring.
So ever downward float the dreams
That are for all and me,
And there is never mortal man
Can solve that mystery.
But ever onward in its course
Along the haunted skies--
As though it were a cloud astray--
The ghostly dream-ship flies.
Two angels with their silver crowns
Pilot and helmsman are,
And an angel with a wreath of rue
Tosseth the dreams afar.
poem by Eugene Field
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Strange Tales, Strange Tails
Strange tales,
Scribbled on a uniform
Strange tails,
Scribbled down in cuneiform.
It had been written,
You had to get in.
You know a catll play,
You used to be a big mouse.
Strange tales, strange tails.
Strange tales,
Scribbled on the shelter walls.
Strange tails,
Scribbled as the idol falls.
It had been written,
You had to get in.
You know a catll play,
You used to be a big mouse.
Strange tales, strange tails
song performed by by Xtc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Strange Tales, Strange Tails
Strange tales,
Scribbled on a uniform
Strange tails,
Scribbled down in cuneiform.
It had been written,
You had to get in.
You know a catll play,
You used to be a big mouse.
Strange tales, strange tails.
Strange tales,
Scribbled on the shelter walls.
Strange tails,
Scribbled as the idol falls.
It had been written,
You had to get in.
You know a catll play,
You used to be a big mouse.
Strange tales, strange tails
song performed by by Xtc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dream Angel
My Angel is sweet to recieve
Watches over me I believe
No words to speak
Picks me up when I'm weak
My Angel paves a path so sincere
Spirit of love very near
When you feel down and out
It's you that Angel cares about
Dreams come and go along the way
Watching over you throughout your day
My dream Angel so pure and white
Trumphants me in thy sight
Behold my Angel by my side
Never faulters, never hides
My Angel rescues me out of the blue
Compassionate, caring, always true
Life is full of an inner glow
Dreams Angels human spirits unfold
There's a Whole new World to see and believe
Completes life my dream Angel and me
poem by Joyce Vajda
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You r my Angel
You r my Angel
You r my angel the one who looks over me
You r my angel the one who cares for me
You r my angel the one who loves me
You r my angel the one who has beautiful brown eyes
You r my angel the one who has beautiful dark brown hair
You r my angel u will be there when I gets hurt
You r my angel u will be the one that is always on my mind
You r the angel that keeps me breathing
You r the angel of my dreams
You r the angel that keeps me alive
You r my angel that will cheer me up when i m sad
You r my angel that will love me lyk a sweet bess
You r my angel that will support me in my bad times
You r You r my loving Angel
Thanks for being my Angel
poem by Arjun singh Chhabra
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My Angel
My angel is the one who looks over me
My angel is the who cares for me
My angel is the one who loves me
My angel has beautiful brown eyes
My angel has beautiful black hair
My angel will be there when I get hurt
My angel will be the one that is always on my mind
He is the angel that keeps me breathing
He is the angel of my dreams
He is the angel that keeps me alive
My angel will cheer me up when I’m sad
My angel will love me for me
He is my angel of my life
poem by Jessica Bousfield
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Wicked Angel
Wicked angel, I see your thorns,
Wicked angel, I feel your scorn,
Wicked angel, so forlorn,
Wicked angel, heart so torn
And now, I know where I must be,
in this place I fail to see,
what's right in front of me,
off the beaten path I'm free
In these times, of doing what we're told,
we're left alone in a world so cold,
now it's time, to break the mold,
wicked angel, your lie unfolds
I feel the heat, but not the blade,
I've buried my head, too deep for shade,
and now I know why my vision fades,
but this price, I've already paid
In these times, of doing what we're told,
we're left alone in a world so cold,
now it's time, to break the mold,
wicked angel, your lie unfolds
poem by Corey Culler
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I Didn't Want To Set My Foot
I didn't want to set my foot
In this strange city
But I had no choice
Because the airplane
Had landed in this city at the airport
poem by Aldo Kraas
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Both Sides, Now
Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
Ive looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really dont know clouds at all
Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As evry fairy tale comes real
Ive looked at love that way
But now its just another show
You leave em laughing when you go
And if you care, dont let them know
Dont give yourself away
Ive looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
Its loves illusions I recall
I really dont know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
Ive looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say Ive changed
Well somethings lost, but somethings gained
In living evry day
Ive looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all
Ive looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all
song performed by by Joni Mitchell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fata Morgana
O sweet illusions of song
That tempt me everywhere,
In the lonely fields, and the throng
Of the crowded thoroughfare!
I approach and ye vanish away,
I grasp you, and ye are gone;
But ever by night and by day,
The melody soundeth on.
As the weary traveller sees
In desert or prairie vast,
Blue lakes, overhung with trees
That a pleasant shadow cast;
Fair towns with turrets high,
And shining roofs of gold,
That vanish as he draws nigh,
Like mists together rolled --
So I wander and wander along,
And forever before me gleams
The shining city of song,
In the beautiful land of dreams.
But when I would enter the gate
Of that golden atmosphere,
It is gone, and I wonder and wait
For the vision to reappear.
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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At Verona
HOW steep the stairs within Kings' houses are
For exile-wearied feet as mine to tread,
And O how salt and bitter is the bread
Which falls from this Hound's table,--better far
That I had died in the red ways of war,
Or that the gate of Florence bare my head,
Than to live thus, by all things comraded
Which seek the essence of my soul to mar.
'Curse God and die: what better hope than this?
He hath forgotten thee in all the bliss
Of his gold city, and eternal day'--
Nay peace: behind my prison's blinded bars
I do possess what none can take away,
My love, and all the glory of the stars.
poem by Oscar Wilde
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Blade of fate
The blade of fate lay over my neck forceful and blatant
Cold But withered like a willow tree whistling like a raven
Black and sharpened with the thorn of my heart pierced through my body
Thee knows my quarrels and thee knows my pain that indeed I am hearty
For the fate
of the blade
that lay Hovering over me bares my ever growing load of her rose that is heavy laden.
Oh the blade of fate has wearied me upon the the deathly road I take for nothingness is where I'll lay in.
A field of my fate is where I lay and where I hear the call of the raven.
poem by Daegonius Bonapartea
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The Angel of Fairy Tales
Wake up.
In a world where you are free.
A world where you can be anything you want to be.
I'm the angel that will protect you from your nightmares.
I'm the angel that will always love you and care.
I'm the angel of Fairy Tales.
Let my wings be your wings,
Let my soul be your soul,
Let my happiness be your happiness.
In a world where you can be anything you want to be.
I'll spread my wings and protect you from your fears.
In this land of Fairy Tales, in the world we are in.
Because, I am the angel of Fairy Tales.
poem by Elle Lazarus
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The Desecraters
Witness all: that unrepenting,
Feathers flying, music high,
I go down to death unshaken
By your mean philosophy.
For your wages, take my body,
That at least to you I leave;
Set the sulky plumes upon it,
Bid the grinning mummers grieve.
Stand in silence: steep your raiment
In the night that hath no star;
Don the mortal dress of devils,
Blacker than their spirits are.
Since ye may not, of your mercy,
Ere I lie on such a hearse,
Hurl me to the living jackals
God hath built for sepulchres.
poem by G.K. Chesterton from The Wild Knight and Other Poems (1900)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Sweet Angel
Told me a story yesterday
About the sweet love between the moon and the deep blue sea
And when it was time for her to leave she spread her wings high over me
And said i shall return tomorrow
And i said fly on my sweet angel
Fly on through the sky
Fly on my sweet, sweet angel
Tomorrow i shall have you by my side
Sure enough this mornin' came to me
Silver wings silhouetted against the golden rose of today's sunrise
And the angel she bent down and told me
You'll never have to worry about this place just wipe your weepin' eyes
I'll take you where you've never been, you can fly
I looked around and i thought
Fly on my little angel
Fly on through the sky
Fly on my sweet angel
Tomorrow i'll be by your side
I got my wings to fly
Haha
song performed by by Jimi Hendrix
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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