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A Happy Man

When these graven lines you see,
Traveller, do not pity me;
Though I be among the dead,
Let no mournful word be said.

Children that I leave behind,
And their children, all were kind;
Near to them and to my wife,
I was happy all my life.

My three sons I married right,
And their sons I rocked at night;
Death nor sorrow never brought
Cause for one unhappy thought.

Now, and with no need of tears,
Here they leave me, full of years,--
Leave me to my quiet rest
In the region of the blest.

poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes

Variations of Greek Themes

I
A HAPPY MAN
(Carphyllides)

When these graven lines you see,
Traveler, do not pity me;
Though I be among the dead,
Let no mournful word be said.

Children that I leave behind,
And their children, all were kind;
Near to them and to my wife,
I was happy all my life.

My three sons I married right,
And their sons I rocked at night;
Death nor sorrow ever brought
Cause for one unhappy thought.

Now, and with no need of tears,
Here they leave me, full of years,—
Leave me to my quiet rest
In the region of the blest.

II
A MIGHTY RUNNER
(Nicarchus)

The day when Charmus ran with five
In Arcady, as I’m alive,
He came in seventh.—“Five and one
Make seven, you say? It can’t be done.”—
Well, if you think it needs a note,
A friend in a fur overcoat
Ran with him, crying all the while,
“You’ll beat ’em, Charmus, by a mile!”
And so he came in seventh.
Therefore, good Zoilus, you see
The thing is plain as plain can be;
And with four more for company,
He would have been eleventh.

III
THE RAVEN
(Nicarchus)

The gloom of death is on the raven’s wing,
The song of death is in the raven’s cries:
But when Demophilus begins to sing,
The raven dies.

IV
EUTYCHIDES
(Lucilius)

Eutychides, who wrote the songs,
Is going down where he belongs.
O you unhappy ones, beware:
Eutychides will soon be there!
For he is coming with twelve lyres,
And with more than twice twelve quires
Of the stuff that he has done
In the world from which he’s gone.
Ah, now must you know death indeed,
For he is coming with all speed;
And with Eutychides in Hell,
Where’s a poor tortured soul to dwell?

V
DORICHA
(Posidippus)

So now the very bones of you are gone
Where they were dust and ashes long ago;
And there was the last ribbon you tied on
To bind your hair, and that is dust also;
And somewhere there is dust that was of old
A soft and scented garment that you wore—
The same that once till dawn did closely fold
You in with fair Charaxus, fair no more.

But Sappho, and the white leaves of her song,
Will make your name a word for all to learn,
And all to love thereafter, even while
It’s but a name; and this will be as long
As there are distant ships that will return
Again to your Naucratis and the Nile.

VI
THE DUST OF TIMAS
(Sappho)

This dust was Timas; and they say
That almost on her wedding day
She found her bridal home to be
The dark house of Persephone.

And many maidens, knowing then
That she would not come back again,
Unbound their curls; and all in tears,
They cut them off with sharpened shears.

VII
ARETEMIAS
(Antipater of Sidon)

I’m sure I see it all now as it was,
When first you set your foot upon the shore
Where dim Cocytus flows for evermore,
And how it came to pass
That all those Dorian women who are there
In Hades, and still fair,
Came up to you, so young, and wept and smiled
When they beheld you and your little child.
And then, I’m sure, with tears upon your face
To be in that sad place,
You told of the two children you had borne,
And then of Euphron, whom you leave to mourn.
“One stays with him,” you said,
“And this one I bring with me to the dead.”

VIII
THE OLD STORY
(Marcus Argentarius)

Like many a one, when you had gold
Love met you smiling, we are told;
But now that all your gold is gone,
Love leaves you hungry and alone.

And women, who have called you more
Sweet names than ever were before,
Will ask another now to tell
What man you are and where you dwell.

Was ever anyone but you
So long in learning what is true?
Must you find only at the end
That who has nothing has no friend?

IX
TO-MORROW
(Macedonius)

To-morrow? Then your one word left is always now the same;
And that’s a word that names a day that has no more a name.
To-morrow, I have learned at last, is all you have to give:
The rest will be another’s now, as long as I may live.
You will see me in the evening?—And what evening has there been,
Since time began with women, but old age and wrinkled skin?

X
LAIS TO APHRODITE
(Plato)

When I, poor Lais, with my crown
Of beauty could laugh Hellas down,
Young lovers crowded at my door,
Where now my lovers come no more.

So, Goddess, you will not refuse
A mirror that has now no use;
For what I was I cannot be,
And what I am I will not see.

XI
AN INSCRIPTION BY THE SEA
(Glaucus)

No dust have I to cover me,
My grave no man may show;
My tomb is this unending sea,
And I lie far below.
My fate, O stranger, was to drown;
And where it was the ship went down
Is what the sea-birds know.

poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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Returning From A Mountain Retreat And Finding You Not There

The old valley at Machayeng! So
Full of the bones of the warriors
Of our forefathers who in death
Trouble not the living.I wish people
Would respect the dead and it's wrong
To turn the graves of the dead into
Places of worship for the living
My friend! I challenge you to visit
The caves at Meqheleng! They are majestic!
The rock formations are intricate man!
I never in my life thought that nature
Could be so soothing to the soul
And it's sad and I am back in the sad
House.And I thought it was a sad empty
Threat you were making.And it has happened
And you have gone.And three sad years have
Passed and I have even forgotten in my
Sadness what it's like to make love
To a woman.But sad seasons come to pass
And sad men too pass away.And they live
Their sorrows behind for their sons
To inherit.No man in his right mind must
Tell his son to have male children
Better to have a daughter and have less
Troubles.I know my own sons each one of
The three of them died a violent death

poem by Ngaka Motaung
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Please Leave Me Alone

please leave me alone
I don’t want to think;
please leave me alone
I ‘m happy to be a slave

please leave me alone
I only want to be led;
please leave me alone
for I only want a book
that tells me what I should do

please leave me alone
for I’ve found what I need;
and it’s just so good
as others have done
all the thinking for you and me

please leave me alone
all I want are commandments;
please leave me alone
for I have all the instructions

please leave me alone
I’ve got all my answers;
please leave me alone
my masters
have expertly fixed my brain

and if you don’t leave me
alone now
I’ll call them in,
and I assure you,
they’ll gladly fix you
right and proper

so just leave me alone
for I’m well and content;
with the prescribed course
I’m saved,
and I’ve been assured,
I’m going to Heaven
where I’ll be an angel
with an unlimited supply
of ecstasy pills

so, I say,
please leave me alone
I don’t want to think;
please leave me alone
I ‘m happy to be a slave

poem by Raj Arumugam
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When It Hurts The Least

I will leave you with tears crawling down my face
I will leave and it will feel like moving to hell from grace
I will leave because i cannot bear your distance
I will leave because life just wont give us a chance

I will leave knowing i have done everything i could do
I will leave owning nothing but our memories and your photo
I will leave with the last bit of pride left in me
I will leave but first i will unlock my heart and set you free

I will leave and it will tear me apart not looking back
I will leave, wave goodbye and my life will slowly turn black
I will leave knowing i was the luckiest victim of your love
I will leave missing every kiss and touch and all i can no longer have

I will leave but i hope you know i am compelled to
I will leave but i will be devistated as i worshiped you
I will leave though it hurts like mad to be forbidden from your sight
I will leave but your lost reply will kill me when i summon you every night

poem by Ayesha Sartawi
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The Wife of Flanders

Low and brown barns, thatched and repatched and tattered,
Where I had seven sons until to-day,
A little hill of hay your spur has scattered. . . .
This is not Paris. You have lost your way.

You, staring at your sword to find it brittle,
Surprised at the surprise that was your plan,
Who, shaking and breaking barriers not a little,
Find never more the death-door of Sedan --

Must I for more than carnage call you claimant,
Paying you a penny for each son you slay?
Man, the whole globe in gold were no repayment
For what you have lost. And how shall I repay?

What is the price of that red spark that caught me
From a kind farm that never had a name?
What is the price of that dead man they brought me?
For other dead men do not look the same.

How should I pay for one poor graven steeple
Whereon you shattered what you shall not know?
How should I pay you, miserable people?
How should I pay you everything you owe?

Unhappy, can I give you back your honour?
Though I forgave, would any man forget?
While all the great green land has trampled on her
The treason and terror of the night we met.

Not any more in vengeance or in pardon
An old wife bargains for a bean that's hers.
You have no word to break: no heart to harden.
Ride on and prosper. You have lost your spurs.

poem by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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Leave This Man Alone

(Justin Hayward)
Ah, leave this man alone, Ah, leave this man alone
Young girls with long faces come to me at night and stay the night
Why am I so lonely?
Tell me is it right? (Is it right?)
Leave them, leave them, leave them, leave those things alone
Leave them, leave them, leave them, leave those things alone
Someone said I loved you, but I can't think where (I can't think where)
You know so much about me
So don't stand and stare, stand and stare
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave my mind alone
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave this man alone
Ah, ah, leave this man alone
Ah, ah, leave this
(Instrumental)
Ah, ah, leave this man alone
Ah, ah, leave this
Someone said I loved you, but I can't think where (I can't think where)
You know so much about me
So don't stand and stare, stand and stare
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave my mind alone
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave this man alone
Ah, ah, leave this man alone
Ah, ah, leave this man alone
Ahhhh
*************************************************************

song performed by by Moody Blues
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Mothers Always Want Theirs Sons To Be Happy

mothers always want their sons to be happy
and so even if they marry someone
whom their fathers dislike
it is always them who settle for a compromise
and tell fathers to be flexible sometimes
not to hurt the hearts of sons

but sometimes when sons want something else
that only mothers understand
something that fathers cannot really compromise
mothers still compromise
and walk a mile farther
just to make their sons happy
and their sons leave them
to places that only mothers
by their loving hearts
know.

only mothers, yes only mothers,
and no one else.

poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Sons And Daughters

There's a place in the city they call the Archway
Where we rented three rooms for a dollar a day
and I worked semi-skilled at the capstans for years
And my wife was a good woman but the love disappeared
Sons and Daughters, Daughters and Sons
When a marriage goes down they're the loneliest ones
Sons and Daughters, Daughters and Sons
How I hope they can cope with the damage I've done
I found me a band, I went out on tour
So the kids wouldn't know I was with them no more
When they said, "Where's me dad?" She'd say, "He's a star!"
Oh if only stars knew what fools they all are.
Sons and Daughters, Daughters and Sons
When a marriage goes down they're the loneliest ones
Sons and Daughters, Daughters and Sons
How I hope they can cope with the damage I've done
I got a new contract, I got a new life
No more capstans for me and I've got a new wife
Sometimes she gets angry, says she wants a family
Then that nightmare returns like a ghost haunting me
Sons and Daughters, Daughters and Sons
When a marriage breaks up you're the loneliest ones
Sons and Daughters, Daughters and Sons
How I hope you all cope with the damage we done

song performed by by Ian Hunter
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Fresh Endeavour

So now I've taken leave of life,
I thought you'd like to know, I still
Possess a mind in love, oh wife;
A soulful eye to catch a show of
Silent beauty – ever yours;
An ear to pick the metaphors
Of tonal dance in words you say,
Grasp a thought in verse you pray
Inside your head, bemused of mind,
Softly mournful, intertwined with
Understanding tears.

I'll drift a whisper o'er to you
To tell that I am quietly calm;
Keeping time till your adieu
To flesh, upon the carol of a
Psalm of consummation. Now!
A fresh endeavour – we're forever
One together, resting yonder,
Cross our open plane of blue.

death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death
death death death death death death death

poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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You bewitched the world

Bewitchment of sons is successful
They came with fundamentals of evil
Its foundation is Iron and paper
Multilingual and Multi-organ
Love of Kings and Servants
Love of Rich and poor
Poem of children and Adults
You make world go round

Round and round it goes
We get old and die

Still great Shepard of Disable and Orphans
Lovable like chameleon colour
Your milk gives orphans life
And take children to school

Your absence
Eyes run while like Dagga Planter
Your presence
Going high and low without peace
Death of hunting money
Root of all evil

I have had your story
I have seen your drama
I have enough of you, leave me
I have tried without success
Listen and learn leave me alone

poem by Jacques Sprenkie Mateya
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The Childless Woman

O Mother of that heap of clay, so passive on your breast,
Now do you stare at death, woman, who yesterday were blest?
Now do you long to fare afar, and guide him on the way
Where he must wander all alone, his little feet astray?
But I now, but I now—
Sons of me seven and seven
The high God seals upon the brow,
And summons from his heaven.

Blest as a bride were you, woman, that time of years agone,
When love, giver of life, came close and led you to his throne.
And blest were you—have you forgot?—when through the moons of pain
The life love-given tugged at your heart and bound you with its chain.
But I now, but I now—
Seared by the high God's scorn—
Lives that will never come to birth
Body of me has borne.

And when the hour was come, woman, your dark and perilous hour,
When the twin spirits, Death and Life, clutched you with jealous power,
Rent by their war you lay half lost, until a baby's cry
Summoned you forth past world on world to sit with God on high.
But I now, but I now—
Never my baby's voice
Has called me forth from vales of woe
With seraphs to rejoice.

You in your arms have clasped him, woman, and fed him at your breast.
You sang him little songs at night, and lulled him to his rest.
The ages gone were yours then, and yours the years to be.
You gave him of your hope and saw the light no eye shall see.
But I now, but I now—
Sons of me born in dream
Cry out for robes of flesh; I see
Their wistful eyes agleam.

O mother of that heap of clay so passive on your breast—
Now do you stare at death, woman?—nay, peace, for you are blest.
Blest are you in your joy, woman, blest are you in your pain—
Once more he calls you past the worlds to sit. with God again.
But I now, but I now—
Sons of me nine and nine,
That looked on life and death with me,
Are neither God’s nor mine.

poem by Harriet Monroe
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Sons & Daughters

(ian hunter)
Theres a place in the city they call the archway
Where we rented three rooms for a dollar a day
And I worked semi-skilled at the capstans for years
And my wife was a good woman but the love disappeared
Sons and daughters, daughters and sons
When a marriage goes down theyre the loneliest ones
Sons and daughters, daughters and sons
How I hope they can cope with the damage Ive done
I found me a band, I went out on tour
So the kids wouldnt know I was with them no more
When they said, wheres me dad? shed say, hes a star!
Oh if only stars knew what fools they all are.
Sons and daughters, daughters and sons
When a marriage goes down theyre the loneliest ones
Sons and daughters, daughters and sons
How I hope they can cope with the damage Ive done
I got a new contract, I got a new life
No more capstans for me and Ive got a new wife
Sometimes she gets angry, says she wants a family
Then that nightmare returns like a ghost haunting me
Sons and daughters, daughters and sons
When a marriage breaks up youre the loneliest ones
Sons and daughters, daughters and sons
How I hope you all cope with the damage we done

song performed by by Ian Hunter
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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If You Would Please Me

If you would please me when I've passed away
Let not your grief embitter you. Be brave;
Turn with full courage from my mounded grave
And smile upon the children at their play;
Let them make merry in their usual way;
Do not with sorrow those young lives enslave
Or steal from them the fleeting joys they crave;
Let not your grieving spoil their happy day.
Live on as you have lived these many years,
Still let your soul be gentle and be kind —
I never liked to see those eyes in tears!
Weep not too much that you must stay behind;
Share in the lives of others as you'd share,
If God had willed it still to leave me there.

poem by Edgar Albert Guest
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I Wish

I wish I could leave this place.
Leave the pain and disgrace.
I wish I knew what I did that was so wrong.
Its been like this for so long.

I wish I could run away.
To find a place full of goodness and lay.
Lay there and smile at the sun.
Wondering what I have done.

I wish to know why they hate me.
Making me so lonely.
I hate the pain that you gave to me.
Its hurting me you see.

I wish I was dead.
To just lay down in my death bed.
To leave a place of pain and sorrow.
To go of a place with the morrow.

I wish I could just leave.
Just let me go please.
I need to go.
When I'll be back, I don't know

poem by Alice Spakrs
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Loose Talk (feat. Connie Smith)

So long we've been married
Life's burdens we carried
Though faith kept us humble and made our love true
But plans that we make up
Someone seems to break up
Oh, darlin', what else can we do?
We may have to leave here
To find peace of mind, dear
Someplace where we can live a life of our own
I know you love me and happy we could be
If some folks would leave us alone
When i go out walkin'
There's lots of loose talkin'
They say we're unhappy, and we'll drift apart
But darlin' it's not true
Because i still love you
And i do with all of my heart
They say you are leavin'
That you are deceivin'
But you tell me they say the same about me
Oh, but we'll show them they're wrong
That loose talk can do harm
And hope that the truth they will see
We may have to leave here
To find peace of mind, dear
Someplace where we can live a life of our own
I know you love me
And happy we could be
If some folks would leave us alone
If some folks would leave us alone

song performed by by John Prine
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Leave Me Alone

Everybodys gonna try to tell you what to do, uhh-haa
And never, never, never, never, let it be said that its true
Oh-oh, hey, give it to my baby
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Theyre the kind of people thatll always let you down
I know you, too, you dont ever give it a frown
Oh, do it, do it, now, do it, do it
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Get down, baby
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Oh, come now, leave me alone, mam, okay, baby
Oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha
Dont you know some people, they just dont know when to stop
Give it to me, now
They cant tell the floor from the ceiling or the top
And therere other types, they always make you wait
And theyre always the first to say, the state you come from
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Love me, love me, love me, love me, love me forever
Love me, love me, love me, love me, love me forever
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone, oh
Leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me, leave me alone
Leave me alone
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha, oh, oh, yeah
Ah-ha-ha

song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Shalom Salaam

Lost am I in my memories of my forefathers' legacy
I am one of you you are one of me
why don't we set the people free
how I grieve to see fulfillment of prophecy
naive of me to think things could change
while man remain the same so war will be for me everyday
no peace no peace for the children of Israel
Gaza cries all the tears from her eyes
will there be no peace for the children of Palestine
shalom salaam shalom salaam
who will take the blame for the blood of my children
to who does vengeance belong to no one no one
we're dying from tanks and suicide bombs
the only answer is to live as one
and justice will come for my sons and just will come for my sons
shalom salaam shalom salaam
and I wonder why and I wonder who and I wonder what
is in the heart of you
and I wonder why and I wonder who and I wonder what
is in the heart of you
children are children no matter color or faith
and I wonder if history will teach us again
so war will be for me everyday
no peace no peace for the children of Israel
Gaza cries all the tears from her eyes
will there be no peace for the children of Palestine
and justice will come for my sons
shalom salaam shalom salaam

song performed by by Ziggy Marley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Circle of Life

The pampas grass is blowing in the wind,
it is swaying to and fro,
letting go of its children to the wind.
Hoping they can take root
in some safe place.

We watch our children
from infants to adulthood.
We shed a few tears
when they leave
to start new lives of their own.

Every one of us
has to spread our wings
at some given time.
Our leaving maybe tearful,
but our parent’s blessings always follow us.

And so the circle of life
goes on and on, without end.
Our children grow and leave,
and then they watch their own
do the same as them.

poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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My wonderful wife............

Since we married, our life journey sails smoothly
step by step with out any barrier or trouble
We walk side by side as a husband and wife
We know the day when we started our life
Those roads were hard and mountain to walk and climb
The sun and rain showered its strength on us while walking on the road
The nights were thoughtful of our future instead of honeymoon
But your strength and faith made me to over come all those obstacles
Your love and courage energized me to build up from the scrape
Your kindness and patient kept me away from sadness and frustrations
You are always remains as my wonderful and loving wife
Now we have lovely family and blessed with two wonderful sons
We can be proud what we have done for us and for our children
Our love and guidance could help our children to live decently
Not only they will learn to care of their children but also us
It has been twenty years since we told ' I Do' front of God
But my love still grows for you strong and everlasting trust
I could not imagine how my life would have been without you
I have to thank God for giving me a wonderful and understanding wife
and making us a great family as husband, wife and children

poem by Ravi Sathasivam
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Loose Talk

So long weve been married
Lifes burdens we carried
Though faith kept us humble and made our love true
But plans that we make up
Someone seems to break up
Oh, darlin, what else can we do?
We may have to leave here
To find peace of mind, dear
Someplace where we can live a life of our own
I know you love me and happy we could be
If some folks would leave us alone
When I go out walkin
Theres lots of loose talkin
They say were unhappy, and well drift apart
But darlin its not true
Because I still love you
And I do with all of my heart
They say you are leavin
That you are deceivin
But you tell me they say the same about me
Oh, but well show them theyre wrong
That loose talk can do harm
And hope that the truth they will see
We may have to leave here
To find peace of mind, dear
Someplace where we can live a life of our own
I know you love me
And happy we could be
If some folks would leave us alone
If some folks would leave us alone