The White Lights
(BROADWAY, 1906)
When in from Delos came the gold
That held the dream of Pericles,
When first Athenian ears were told
The tumult of Euripides,
When men met Aristophanes,
Who fledged them with immortal quills—
Here, where the time knew none of these,
There were some islands and some hills.
When Rome went ravening to see
The sons of mothers end their days,
When Flaccus bade Leuconoë
To banish her chaldean ways,
When first the pearled, alembic phrase
Of Maro into music ran—
Here there was neither blame nor praise
For Rome, or for the Mantuan.
When Avon, like a faery floor,
Lay freighted, for the eyes of One,
With galleons laden long before
By moonlit wharves in Avalon—
Here, where the white lights have begun
To seethe a way for something fair,
No prophet knew, from what was done,
That there was triumph in the air.
poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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The Roman Gravemounds
By Rome's dim relics there walks a man,
Eyes bent; and he carries a basket and spade;
I guess what impels him to scrape and scan;
Yea, his dreams of that Empire long decayed.
'Vast was Rome,' he must muse, 'in the worlds regard,
Vast it looms there still, Vast it ever will be;'
And he stoops as to dig and unmine some shard
Left by those who are held in such memory.
But no; in his basket, see, he has brought
A little white furred thing, stiff of limb,
Whose life never won from the world a thought;
It is this, and not Rome, that is moving him.
And to make it a grave he has come to the spot,
And he delves in the ancient dead's long home;
Their fames, their achievements, the man knows not;
The furred thing is all to him - nothing Rome!
'Here say you that Caesar's warriors lie? -
But my little white cat was my only friend!
Could she but live, might the record die
Of Caesar, his legions, his aims, his end!'
Well, Rome's long rule here is oft and again
A theme for the sages of history,
And the small furred life was worth no one's pen;
Yet its mourner's mood has a charm for me.
poem by Thomas Hardy
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Rome
O thou newcomer who seek’st Rome in Rome
And find’st in Rome no thing thou canst call Roman;
Arches worn old and palaces made common
Rome’s name alone within these walls keeps home.
Behold how pride and ruin can befall
One who hath set the whole world ’neath her laws,
All-conquering, now conquered, because
She is Time’s prey, and Time conquereth all.
Rome that art Rome’s one sole last monument,
Rome that alone hast conquered Rome the town,
Tiber alone, transient and seaward bent,
Remains of Rome. O world, thou unconstant mime!
That which stands firm in thee Time batters down,
And that which fleeteth doth outrun swift Time.
poem by Ezra Pound
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Back To Rome
One day its the morning
Another day its the afternoon light
On day, baby, without warning
Well, I tend to think were going back to rome
Back to rome
We had a dream it was behemoth
Im so sorry that I didnt work out
And Im sorry about the visigoths
Well, I think its time that we go back to rome
Back to rome
Dont you wish that we could stay?
Were going back to rome
Life is so fine
Then it goes wrong
Wrong
You think its going to miss you but that sun bitch gon get you
Yeah, it goes wrong
Wrong
Sun bitch gon get you
I believed in the cupid
I thought Id kiss you for all my life
I guess Im just a little stupid
Now Im going back to rome
Back to rome
Now I just cant wait
Im going back to rome
Love is so high
Then it goes wrong
Wrong
You think its going to miss you but that sun bitch gon get you
Yeah, it goes wrong
Wrong
Sun bitch gon get you
song performed by by Frank Black
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Broadway
(ian hunter)
Green lights on broadway
All the magic seems to say
Come and ride with me baby you know
Its got to be the greatest show on broadway
Out here on the streets they say
You can see your life in one day
I long I long I long I long I long to hear every single street singer
Oh what a mood that feeling brings
You can capture life in a jar
Chances are that youll find out on broadway
Who you really are
Sitting in a lonely room
Staring through the evening gloom
Shell never make the grade on broadway
Shell never spend exciting nights
Surrounded by a maze of lights
And stars that line the streets on broadway
Broadway
When the neon lights are shining bright
She knows shes going to make it someday
Broadway
You can hear the music of the night
She knows that she will
Broadway
When the neon lights are shining bright
Oh I know shes going to make it some day
Broadway
You can hear the music of the night
I know that she will
I said
Broadway
Oh how I love you how I love you
Broadway
How I love you how I love you
Broadway
Its your show I know I know
But chances are youll find out on broadway
Who you really are
song performed by by Ian Hunter
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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North Atlantic Drift
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Its a cultural shift its the North Atlantic Drift
Americana and a rule Britannia
And the moon yes we own that to
And where the Euphrates meets the other rivers
Is now the home of the devil and the liar
And the pyre we plan to make
Is just the drift leaving its wake, home
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
And the films you want to watch
And the films you want to make
And the kids like lost angels
Dressed in black sensations
And the shift won? shake
And the drift won? brake
With billions of Diamonds growing like olives
And the drift holds the coffers
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
Meanwhile Rome burns
song performed by by Ocean Colour Scene
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Laura Days
Dreaming to-day in a forest green
Where the great gums rake the sky,
My thoughts turn back to another scene
And to old days, long gone by;
To a land of youth, and a youth's employ,
And - to filch another's phrase -
To the men who were boys, when I was a boy,
In the long gone Laura days.
To a little town that nestles down
By the hills of Beetaloo,
Where a youth dreamed dreams of fair renown,
And a man's ambition grew,
'Twas here his earliest songs were sung
And he won his earliest praise
From men who were young when he was young
In the long gone Laura days.
Spicer, Stockdale, Ballantyne,
Marrie, Mitchell and Braund;
How many a right good pal of mine
Has gone from that sunlit land.
How many a man, how many a lad,
Whose head now slowly greys,
To a song grew glad as I grew glad
In those long gone Laura days.
Susman, Sibly and Dr Cook,
Blume and Barrington,
Oh! the lives of some are a long-closed book,
But many a tale runs on.
Hollis and Harvey, Chandler, Green
Are gone their various ways,
But I see them all in the olden scene
Of the long gone Laura days.
I see them still, I see the town
Under those scrub-clad hills,
The shops where the quiet street runs down,
Wilson, Rowland, Bills.
Taylor, Weste, Felstead too,
Cole of the kindly ways,
And many other friends I knew
In the long gone Laura days.
And the names of some come slow to mind,
But the faces greet me clear,
And I hold them all as men most kind,
As I hold the old town dear;
And so in memory to the end
That old time picture stays,
For I see each face as a faithful friend
Of the far off Laura days.
To the ladies all I lift a glass,
And toast with a right good will,
Every matron, every lass, who
Shine in memory still,
Fair would I hymn them all in rhyme
With soaring song of praise,
Friends of mine from a golden time
In the long gone Laura days.
When the evening sun slants through the gums,
By my forest-rimmed abode,
Once more the old clear picture comes,
And my mind drifts down the road;
Back to the town by Beetaloo,
Where the Rocky River strays;
Back to the old kind friends I knew
In the dear dead Laura days.
poem by Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis
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Ballade Of The Southern Cross
Fair islands of the silver fleece,
Hoards of unsunned, uncounted gold,
Whose havens are the haunts of Peace,
Whose boys are in our quarrel bold;
OUR bolt is shot, our tale is told,
Our ship of state in storms may toss,
But ye are young if we are old,
Ye Islands of the Southern Cross!
Ay, WE must dwindle and decrease,
Such fates the ruthless years unfold;
And yet we shall not wholly cease,
We shall not perish unconsoled;
Nay, still shall Freedom keep her hold
Within the sea's inviolate fosse,
And boast her sons of English mould,
Ye Islands of the Southern Cross!
All empires tumble--Rome and Greece -
Their swords are rust, their altars cold!
For us, the Children of the Seas,
Who ruled where'er the waves have rolled,
For us, in Fortune's books enscrolled,
I read no runes of hopeless loss;
Nor--while YE last--our knell is tolled,
Ye Islands of the Southern Cross!
ENVOY.
Britannia, when thy hearth's a-cold,
When o'er thy grave has grown the moss,
Still Rule Australia shall be trolled
In Islands of the Southern Cross!
poem by Andrew Lang
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Natalia’s Resurrection: Sonnet VIII
And so it was that, sitting ever thus
Dumb to all speech of those that knew her woe
And bare with her sole sorrow in the house,
And ever watching with sad eyes below
To see if any came with help for her
Whom none could help with pity or with pride
Or word of patience, ere her time was near,
She bore her yet unliving child and died.
There was great mourning for her in those days
Because of her high lineage and fair youth.
Men knowing her spoke nobly in her praise,
Or knowing not yet mourned for very ruth.
And all Rome wept for her, and far and wide
The fame was noised how of her love she died.
poem by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
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Quicksilver Rider
I see the raven's eyes,
and I see the lights
I saw the gold rush
San Francisco nights
I am the reader,
a palmist fly
I can see the future,
I can testify
I knew Attilla,
I met Genghis Khan
Drank with Napoleon,
held Nelson in my arms
Quicksilver rider
medicine man
A sign of faith
children of the damned
Quicksilver rider
salamander man
Prophet of the guises
with the world in his hands
I've known love
I've known pain
Death and sorrow
the mighty and the slain
I was created
in 10 BC
The sign of life
the sign of seed
I met Moses,
I know Jezebel
Partied with Nero
as Rome burned and fell
Quicksilver rider
medicine man
A sign of faith
children of the damned
Quicksilver rider
salamander man
Prophet of the guises
with the world in his hands
Solo
Rattlesnakes heads
and voodoo dolls
It's old religion
like old creole
I am the dust of
time and space
Your darkest nightmare
without a face
I saw sunrise
from Enola Gay
Sat down with Ghandi
and started to pray
Quicksilver rider
medicine man
A sign of faith
children of the damned
Quicksilver rider
salamander man
Prophet of the guises
with the world in his hands
Quicksilver rider
medicine man
A sign of faith
children of the damned
Quicksilver rider
salamander man
Prophet of the guises
with the world in his hands
song performed by by Ufo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sons Of Summer
(billy mernit)
It makes me smile
To think of what we dreamed of
Where are those sons of summer now
With their wild-haired women in their
Patchwork gowns
Who could laugh the lights away
Nights on the beach and bay
The course on farms
And the course in the bar
Sweet smokin in the back of the car
Always the first time shines to last like a morning star
Like a morning star
Its been a while since the last time we were dancing
Where are those sons of summer now
With their long-limber ladies who all knew how
To chase the blues away
Ive got the blues today
Your ivy days and your clubhouse ways
Wine mug nights when the music played
Love that is real will not fade away like a morning star
Where are those sons of summer now
The winter has come
And you dont know how to turn your
Dreams into coal
Your books wont hold you
The woods get cold
And I feel too old
I begin to question your schoolboy soul
Clever remarks that once won my heart
When the fire wont light they lose their spark
And I cant help but get a little bit blue
Thinking about the precious nothing we
Once knew
song performed by by Carly Simon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Love Has Come
Hurry now wake up your eyes,
Time for little ones to see.
Daddys got a big surprise
Hiding there beneath the christmas tree.
How they are like the child in me!
See the wonder in their eyes,
Like a fairytale come true.
One more time I realize
All the love our lives found in you.
Love has come
For the world to know,
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago.
And I believe that angels sang
That hope had begun,
When the God of glory,
Who is full of mercy,
Sent his son.
If I could have a special dream
Coming true on christmas morn,
I would want the world to see
How his father smiled when christ was born.
The greatest gift the world has known!
So come on kids, look high and low
For all the toys youve dreamed to find,
But I believe youll never know
A greater joy than jesus love inside.
(you gotta know!)
(know!)
Love has come
For the world to know,
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago.
And I believe that angels sang
That hope had begun,
When the God of glory,
Who is full of mercy,
Yes, the God of glory,
Sent his son.
(dont you know that)
Love has come
For the world to know, (know)
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago.
And I believe that angels sang
That hope had begun,
When the God of glory,
Who is full of mercy,
Yes, the God of glory,
Sent his son.
Love has come
For the world to know,
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago.
And I believe that angels sang
That hope had begun,
When the God of glory,
Who is full of mercy,
Yes, the God of glory,
Sent his son.
(dont you know)
Love has come
For the world to know,
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago.
And I believe that angels sang
That hope had begun,
When the God of glory,
Who is full of mercy,
Yes, the God of glory,
Sent his son.
(I can see that)
Love has come
For the world to know,
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago.
song performed by by Amy Grant
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Touchstone
There was a garden, very strange and fair
With all the roses summer never brings.
The snowy blossom of immortal Springs
Lighted its boughs, and I, even I, was there.
There were new heavens, and the earth was new,
And still I told my heart the dream was true.
But when the sun stood still, and Time went out
Like a blown candle--when she came to me
Under the bride-veil of the blossomed tree,
Chill through the garden blew the winds of doubt,
And when, with starry eyes, and lips too near,
She leaned to me, my heart knew what to fear.
'It is no dream,' she said. 'What dream had stayed
So long? It is the blessed isle that lies
Between the tides of twin eternities.
It is our island; do not be afraid!'
Then, then at last my heart was well deceived;
I hid my eyes; I trembled and believed.
Her real presence sanctified my faith,
Her very voice my restless fears beguiled,
And it was Life that clasped me when she smiled,
But when she said 'I love you!' it was Death.
That, that at least could neither be nor seem -
Oh, then, indeed, I knew it was a dream!
poem by Edith Nesbit
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The Wedded Lover
I READ in our old journals of the days
When our first love was April-sweet and new,
How fair it blossomed and deep-rooted grew
Despite the adverse time; and our amaze
At moon and stars and beauty beyond praise
That burgeoned all about us: gold and blue
The heaven arched us in, and all we knew
Was gentleness. We walked on happy ways.
They said by now the path would be more steep,
the sunsets paler and less mild the air;
Rightly we heeded not; it was not true.
We will not tell the secret-let it keep.
I know not how I thought those days so fair
These being so much fairer, spent with you
poem by Christopher Morley
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I Have Always Loved You
Since the beginning of time
Since it started to rain
Since I heard you laugh
Since I felt your pain
I was too young, you were much younger
We were afraid of each other's hunger
I have always loved you
There's never been anyone else
I knew you before I knew myself
Oh my baby,
I have always loved you
Since we kissed the first time
Since we slept on the beach
You were too close for comfort
You were too far out of reach
You walked away,
I should have held you
Would you have stayed for me to tell you?
I have always loved you
There's never been anyone else
I knew you before I knew myself
Oh my baby,
I have always loved you
Years go by in a matter of days
And though we go separate ways
I never stop dreaming of you
I have always loved you
And when you call it makes me cry
We never made time for you and
I if I could live it all again
I'd never let it end,
I'd still be with you
Oh
God, I miss you
I have always loved you
There's never been anyone else
I knew you before
I knew myself
Oh my baby,
I have always loved you
Years go by in a matter of days
And though we go separate ways
I never stop dreaming of you
I have always loved you
song performed by by Enrique Iglesias
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ideals
Better than land or gold or trade
Are a high ideal and a purpose true;
Better than all of the wealth we've made
Is the work for others that now we do.
For Rome grew rich and she turned to song
And danced to music and drank her wine,
But she sapped the strength of her fibres strong
And a gilded shroud was her splendor fine.
The Rome of old with its wealth and wine
Was the handiwork of a sturdy race;
They builded well and they made it fine
And they dreamed of it as their children's place.
They thought the joys they had won to give,
And which seemed so certain and fixed and sure,
To the end of time in the world would live
And the Rome they'd fashioned would long endure.
They passed to their children the hoarded gold,
Their marble halls and their fertile fields!
But not the spirit of Rome of old,
Nor the Roman courage that never yields.
They left them the wealth that their hands had won,
But they failed to leave them a purpose true.
They left them thinking life's work all done,
And Rome went down and was lost to view.
We must guard ourselves lest we follow Rome.
We must leave our children the finer things.
We must teach them love of the spot called home
And the lasting joy that a purpose brings.
For vain are our Flag and our battles won,
And vain are our lands and our stores of gold,
If our children feel that life's work is done.
We must give them a high ideal to hold.
poem by Edgar Albert Guest
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Rome Revisited
To God, all evil is an abomination, what does He think of our nation,
A country led by darkened men, whose ways The Lord will condemn,
Is this today for us a wake-up call, in a nation which is about to fall?
Under the Judgment of God's Hand, in an ever increasing dark land.
Rome, remember had fallen from within, due to the wages of her sin,
Not only one city, but the empire, led away through darkened desire,
Amoral desire from the political top, once started they couldn't stop,
Rome spiraling down to her end, to the point of judgment my friend.
Judgment could be at our door, as our darkness abounds, for sure,
Stirred by political leaders in place, taking for granted God's Grace,
Many leading this nation far away, from The Lord's Righteous ways,
As the amoral, liberal ways askew, the righteous ways that we knew.
Righteousness that was the foundation, of this God blessed nation,
While men shake their fists at God, only inviting His Righteous Rod,
A rod that will bring judgment to, that blessed nation we once knew,
As we move to an immoral abyss, dismissing God's Righteousness.
All across this country we trod, leaders are turning against our God,
Denying God, who brought salvation, to this blessed gentile nation,
Turning our light to darkness friend, as we see the approaching end,
The same judgment that Rome saw, when they ignored God over all.
(Copyright ©06/2012)
Epitaph To Rome
If midst Rome you wish to see Rome, pilgrim,
Tho in Rome naught of Rome might you see,
Behold the walls' ring, the theatres, temples
And ruptured pillars, to rubble all turned,
Rome be these! Mark how the corpse of a city
So strong still past fortune's pomp exudes;
Subduing a world, herself the city subdued
Lest yet more to subdue might there be.
Today in broken Rome, Rome unbroken
(A substance in its shadow) lies entombed.
Within all's changed; alone past change
Tiber remains, that to sea runs mixed with sand.
See what Fortune plays: 'tis wasted away,
What was unmoving; what moved, yet remains.
poem by Mikolaj Sep Szarzynski
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The Making of a Man
When God made Adam long ago, He fashioned him supreme,
A billion thoughts that he might know his life was not a dream...
Thus no excuses could release that Man that God had made,
If by his sins he lost God's peace and through guilt was dismayed...
When God made Adam long ago, the angels gave God praise,
They did not treat Man as a foe, so new to Godly ways...
Yet Lucifer was mortified when Eve was introduced,
As God created from Man's side this female not refused...
When God made Adam long ago and Eve, his helpmate wife,
In whom new children were to grow when they made love and life,
Then Satan knew they would not die if children must exist...
And so he tricked them with a lie that they did not resist...
When God made Adam long ago, He knew him through and through,
He also let grace overflow, despite each sinful view...
Thus from God's Eden Man was sent and Adam's sons knew shame,
As through each day of sin they went, with each to bear the blame...
When God made Adam long ago, in time to see him fall,
He chose to send His Son below, a sacrifice for all...
God filled the Scriptures with this news, as prophets voiced His plans
Worldwide to Gentiles and to Jews dispersed across the lands...
When God made Adam long ago, He paused to count the cost!
For sin would wander to and fro and Hell would claim the lost!
Lord Jesus died, passed by Death's Door, with courage unsurpassed!
The making of a man, for sure... Our Saviour, first to last...
poem by Denis Martindale
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Blame It On Me
(Bruce Robison)
You're standing there, that look in your eye
You're looking for good ways to tell my good-bye
Something 'bout people, how they never know
They're loving somebody, then lettin' them go
You're looking for reasons but there ain't no need
You can blame it on me
Blame it on me, I was the one
I had no right to turn it all wrong
I held you too close, I couldn't let go
Can't loose your cool these days I know
I'll go on home and you can feel free
To blame it on me
I am too rough, I work too hard
I got no cool friends, I drive an old car
I'm not the picture of any man's dream
Handful of bluebonnets, boots and old jeans
I was a fool to think it could be
So blame it on me
Blame it on me, I was the one
Acting like real life was some old love song
I held you too close, couldn't let go
Can't loose your cool these days I know
Thinkin' forever, ever could be
So blame it on me
When you start looking for ways out of love
Then I've been making mistakes by the dozen
So if you want to leave
You can blame it on me
I held you too close, couldn't let go
Can't loose your cool these days I know
So I'll go on home and you can feel free
To blame it on me
Blame it on me
Blame it on me
song performed by by Lee Ann Womack
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Roman Elegies I
Tell me you stones, O speak, you towering palaces!
Streets, say a word! Spirit of this place, are you dumb?
All things are alive in your sacred walls
eternal Rome, only for me all’s still.
Who will whisper to me, at what window
will I see the sweet thing who will kindle me, and quicken?
Already I guess the ways, walking to her and from her,
ever and always I’ll go, while sweet time slips by.
I’m gazing at church and palace, ruin and column,
like a serious man making sensible use of a journey,
but soon it will happen, and all will be one vast temple,
Love’s temple, receiving its new initiate.
Though you are a whole world, Rome, still, without Love,
the world’s not the world, Rome cannot be Rome.
poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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