Tatay
[To my Father, I Love You]
Under the heat of the sun or heavy rain,
I watched you plow and toil the ground,
That seems to me like it was yesterday,
Of those years we have nothing but agony;
With eight children, from twenty to five,
A widower at forty-five, you kept us alive,
But your dreams and high hopes you didn’t meet,
When the eldest began to separate;
For once in your life, it didn’t cross in your mind,
Until your youngest ones left you one by one,
And supported you with nothing but their outrage,
When you married someone, too young for your age;
But I learned to let go of my selfishness, my anger,
And admitted the fact that you’ve now grown older,
You need more help as you walk slower and slower,
While I am too far away to be with you any longer;
Yet, no matter how far the distance between you and me,
It is your love that I’ve always kept in mind,
So whenever you may be when your time will come,
Bring my love with you and forgive me for all that I’ve done.
poem by Efren Petalver Carranza
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Treat Each Living Second As Your Last
When I was five how I wanted to be ten,
I just longed to be a young man,
My mind would wander now and then,
I wanted to be in the grown ups clan.
When I reached ten I thought of being twenty,
By then I'd be driving my car,
Time for the future, well I still had plenty,
Getting older was a distance to far.
Now I've hit twenty I've nothing to fear,
Time fades past me so slow,
I'm still a young man so I've nothing to fear
I've still got a long time to go.
Thirty years old and it's still not too bad,
I've a wife and children I love,
My health is good I love being a dad,
My life is truly a gift from above,
The big four zero has finally come,
I now watch, as my parents grow old,
The thought of that is making me feel numb,
As I know it cannot be controlled.
I'm now in my fifties my children have flown,
This life can be really strange,
Back when I was five I wish I had known,
Growing older you cannot exchange.
Be careful what you wish for it may come true,
Cherish life for it's far too short,
Enjoy what you have age you cannot subdue,
When you're young these facts you distort.
I'm now eighty years old how I wish I were five,
Hindsight's such a wonderful thing,
All those I loved dearly would still be alive,
I'd be thinking of what the future might bring.
You must live for today forget tomorrow,
Just be thankful for being alive,
Though there will be joy as well as sorrow,
It's how we cope that makes us all thrive.
Life is precious don't ever wish it away,
When it's gone it becomes part of the past,
Enjoy your years every wondrous day,
‘' Treat Each living Second As Your Last ‘'
Didn't You Know
(nickolas ashford/valerie simpson)
Remember when you left?
You had your own rules about playing the game
And any day, you could walk away feeling no pain
Now look at yourself
You're all hung up on somebody else
And in your eyes i see all the signs of the misery
That you laid on me
Baby, baby
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know that you'd lose your pride?
Didn't anybody tell you love had another side?
You used to be so proud
Now, your head's a little lower
And you walk slower
And you don't talk so loud
You've gotten wise
You know how love can build you up one moment
And the next, cut you down to size
Then you discover
All she told you was a bunch of lies
Baby, baby
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know that you'd lose your pride?
Didn't anybody tell you love had another side?
Baby, baby
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
song performed by by Diana Ross
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Didn't You Know (You'd Have To Cry Sometime)
(Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson)
Remember when you left?
You had your own rules about playing the game
And any day, you could walk away feeling no pain
Now look at yourself
You're all hung up on somebody else
And in your eyes I see all the signs of the misery
That you laid on me
Baby, baby
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know that you'd lose your pride?
Didn't anybody tell you love had another side?
You used to be so proud
Now, your head's a little lower
And you walk slower
And you don't talk so loud
You've gotten wise
You know how love can build you up one moment
And the next, cut you down to size
Then you discover
All she told you was a bunch of lies
Baby, baby
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know that you'd lose your pride?
Didn't anybody tell you love had another side?
Baby, baby
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to cry sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
Didn't you know you'd have to hurt sometime?
song performed by by Diana Ross
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Little Slower
Drive a little slower,
Take a look around,
Remember the houses,
The yellow stripes of time.
Walk a little slower,
Breathe in the fresh air,
Remember the look in strangers' eyes.
The glimpse into another's life.
Eat a little slower,
Take a moment to taste each taste,
Remember the server's name,
The complex simplicity of food.
Talk a littler slower,
Think about each word being said,
Remember each reply,
The interactions that form the day.
Move a little slower,
Pay attention to each muscle,
Remember how it feels,
The connect to the world.
Breathe a little slower,
Think about each breath,
Remember the heart beating in your chest,
The key to everything else.
Love a little slower,
Show your love and don't just say it,
Remember to put love above money,
The fuel to our success.
Laugh a little slower,
Really feel the emotion,
Remember to laugh often,
The relief from stress.
Dance a little slower,
Hold onto each word and note of music,
Remember the rhythm and beat,
The movements of life.
Live a little slower,
Take time to make your life what you want,
Remember that you only have one chance,
The choice to sit back or to live to the fullest.
Exist a little slower and you will know what happiness is.
By: Bethany M.
May 2,2012
poem by Bethany Maxwell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Meaning Of Life Is Unique To Us All
When I was five I wanted to be ten,
How I longed to be a young man,
My mind would wander every now and then,
I wanted to be in the grown ups clan.
When I reached ten I thought of being twenty,
By then I'd be driving my car,
Time for the future, well I still had plenty,
Getting older was a distance too far.
Now I've hit twenty I've nothing to fear,
Time goes past so very slow,
I'm still a young man so I've nothing to fear
I've still got a long time to go.
Thirty years old and it's still not too bad,
I've a wife and children I love,
My health is good I love being a Dad,
My life is a gift from above,
The big four zero has finally come,
I now watch, as my parents grow frail,
The thought of that is making me feel numb,
To prevent it should be our holy grail.
I'm now in my fifties my children have flown,
This life can be really quite strange,
Back when I was five I wish I had known,
Growing older you cannot exchange.
Be careful what you wish for it may come true,
Take your time for life is too short,
Enjoy every minute, age you cannot subdue,
When young the facts you distort.
I'm now in my eighties how I wish I were five,
My time here has just flown by,
All those I loved would still be alive,
Now their memories still make me cry.
The moral is don't wish your life away,
Treat each living second as your last,
Enjoy your years every glorious day,
For in the blink of an eye it has passed.
Scientists spend billions asking why we exist,
Look outside, what you see will enthrall,
It is solely for living is the point they've all missed,
‘‘ The Meaning Of Life Is Unique To Us All ‘'
Worth the Pain
We were best friends from the start
It's been ten or eleven years.
Who would of ever thought
I'd cry so many tears?
The laughter through High School
Always kept me going.
The love between the two of us
Never stopped growing.
Graduation came
And we went our separate ways.
Two years later, we met again...
Oh my, what a day!
I fell for him so hard
That I couldn't find myself.
Lost in so many emotions
I didn't know what I felt.
It was great for a while
Then I started to back away.
I took him for granted
Our relationship began to decay.
After trials of tears and fighting
He decided it would be best,
If we went our separate ways
And put our love to the test.
We tried again to work things out
But it simply didn't work.
And now my pain and selfishness
Continues to stay and lurk.
What if I'd been more open
And cared a little more?
Would he still love me enough
To not walk out the door?
My regret is that I let
Our friendship slip away.
But if I had the chance again,
I'd let him love me anyway.
For if in time we're friends again,
The pain will slowly go.
And the road we took to get us there,
We will surely know...
That it was worth to be loved
And needed at the time,
Because some people go through life
And love they never find.
poem by Trish Spencer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Father I Still Love You
I tried so hard to love you
But you never really cared
I tried so hard to trust you
But you were never really there
I wanted you to love me
But your heart had grown so cold
I wanted you to play with me
But money was your only goal
And now that I've grown older
And I look back on the years
I remember all the anger
The hurt the pain the tears
Father I forgive you
For all those wasted years
And I try not to remember
All the hurt the pain the tears
But father just please tell me
Did you ever love me once
Or was I just like leftovers
That you throw out after lunch
Father I still love you
And I'll never let that die
But father just please look at me
Say you love me to my eye
Father I must be honest
When you left I found another
My Father up in Heaven
And Jesus my loving Brother
They were the ones who loved me
When you had never cared
They were the ones who saved me
From a life of hate and despair
Father I still love you
And that will always stay true
But father will you love me
Because your child still needs you.
poem by Daniel Sweetnam
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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To Broaden My Perceptions
I don't recall my hand being held by anyone,
To make me feel safe and protected.
In fact I was made to feel I was in the way...
If it wasn't demanded that I'd take out the garbage,
Or carry ten gallon cans of oil to 'fetch'...
To heat the oil burners in a home I left,
When I was eighteen years old.
I even gave myself birthday parties.
And 'pretended' my parents attended,
Any of my school graduations.
Even though they didn't.
But that didn't stop my love for them.
To then be accused,
I was abandoning 'my' responsibilities.
When I declared I had 'had' it!
I was the oldest child.
Not anybody's father.
I had already grown older and wiser beyond my years.
To know what being abandoned meant.
I just got tired of being used.
So I left to let the military do that!
And glad I did to broaden my perceptions.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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King Lear
If you didn’t dream up always new ideas
And if they didn't empower you
To make our dreams to become more real,
If you didn't dance in the rain,
If you didn't cry
For not being a child
Any longer,
If you were able to forget yourself
For falling away into your body,
If you never screamed
In the darkness,
If you didn’t have
Enough courage
To make love
In the snow,
To feel
That snow melting on the ground,
Certainly you couldn't touch my soul,
Because I would prefer
To walk around
And to put my love in my hands
And, like a beggar, to stretch my left hand in your direction.
Moreover,
Like king Lear, to stretch my right hand in your direction,
Because if you really loved me,
I would never let you go.
poem by Marieta Maglas
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Last Ride
It's the last ride
Our little game is over
It's the last ride
It's time to take you home
And we can't cry 'cause we seen it coming
No use running, take it slower
It's a dangerous drive
I'm afraid to arrive
But I strive to survive
More a fool than alive
I thought I knew just everything
I had it made and I could coast
But I turned away love when I needed it most
It's the last ride
My little game is over
It's the last ride
It's time to take me home
And I can't cry 'cause I seen it coming
No use running, take it slower
And the road rolls around
And turns through the town
The depression drips down
And glazes the ground
Horizons east and skylines west
The moon, the sun, and all the rest
The loving son, the faithful wife
The burnt out wreck of a poor man's life
The father, son, and holy ghost
They all turned away love when they needed it most
It's the last ride
Their little game is over
It's the last ride
It's time to take them home
And they can't cry 'cause they seen it coming
No use running, take it slower
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Last Ride
Its the last ride
Our little game is over
Its the last ride
Its time to take you home
And we cant cry cause we seen it coming
No use running, take it slower
Its a dangerous drive
Im afraid to arrive
But I strive to survive
More a fool than alive
I thought I knew just everything
I had it made and I could coast
But I turned away love when I needed it most
Its the last ride
My little game is over
Its the last ride
Its time to take me home
And I cant cry cause I seen it coming
No use running, take it slower
And the road rolls around
And turns through the town
The depression drips down
And glazes the ground
Horizons east and skylines west
The moon, the sun, and all the rest
The loving son, the faithful wife
The burnt out wreck of a poor mans life
The father, son, and holy ghost
They all turned away love when they needed it most
Its the last ride
Their little game is over
Its the last ride
Its time to take them home
And they cant cry cause they seen it coming
No use running, take it slower
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hailstone Food
My father loved the rain
Rain with hailstones
Twenty years gone past
When green and blue
Was all I knew
No red of blood
Nor ‘supreme’ of white
Nor ‘beauty’ of black
Just green and blue and love
It rained with hailstones
White stones from heaven
My father knelt down
On wet September grass
His head to the sky
Few stones in his hands
My father said
‘‘Thank you Lord for hailstone food! ”
I recall less of other days
When it didn’t rain
Perhaps such days were spent
Patiently waiting to say
“Thank you Lord for hailstone food! ”
Twenty years long wait
Four hearts waiting, breaking
My father waiting, breaking
Waiting! ?
But every body waited for him
I think my father never knew
About the power within him
To make the rain fall
Down once again
And hailstones to scatter
His September lawn
I know now
He was a patient man
Yesterday I dug a hole
And I closed a chapter
With all my childhood’s tears
I put my father in the ground
Funny this:
As the body went down
The clouds began collecting
As the sand filled the hole
The rain began to fall
And as we left the site
White stones scattered the land
poem by LLM Mbatha
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Last Meeting
My father, you were cold and grey
The last time we did meet,
You didn't speak to me at all,
Were covered in a sheet,
Your eyes were open, stared at me
But didn't see a thing,
I felt the love gush from my eyes
Like water, from a spring.
I thought that you were hiding,
That you'd played some trick on me,
That presently you'd jump on out
The way it used to be,
We'd laugh about it then for years
And mother would join in,
But still you lay, ignoring me,
The silence growing thin.
I touched you, and you were so cold,
So icy lying there,
I felt the chill surrounding me,
The chill of your cold stare,
And where the wit I'd grown to love,
The wisdom you had shown?
You answered in your silence then,
'You must go home alone! '
I never thought I'd see the day
When you were not around,
Set in the background of my life,
Your comments, so profound,
I left a part of me behind
With you, once you had gone,
'Last meeting' was not yesterday;
Your Death's now Twenty One!
poem by David Lewis Paget
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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It takes three to make a family
(The Mistress or mother)
My son was a gift,
But his father didn't think so,
He left me alone,
With his son I mind you,
I was just a girl,
And he a man,
He did not care,
He left me bowed eyes and broken,
A Lord was he and I Mistress was I,
We were in two different worlds,
Seperated by our familes,
But our son not like us,
A son forced to see his parents like this,
I can still do te best for him,
His father is a monster not a man,
I am scared for my son,
What of his life?
No, I must do my best for him,
If I don't I'll let both of us down,
Years have past and now my son is a man,
I'm dying slowly,
I don't want my son to worry,
I know that I'm on my deathbed,
And I'm as king forJesus.
(Lord or father)
I did not leave her,
She left me,
I couldn't find her,
I wanted my son,
She didn't give him,
Now she's gone and my son with me,
My son's mother was my late wife,
I wanted them both,
But she sought me to be a demon,
Lies upon lies,
I was persuaded from my mother,
My wife listened to our converesation,
Many years later my son is married,
Now I'm going to meet my wife,
Together in heaven,
We have all eternity,
Jesus please keep our son.
(Son)
I am a man who loves,
Mom and dad didn't know,
I am the birth of their future,
They died without knowing me,
I am their son,
But all their time was fighting,
Mentally and emotional,
I spent my childhood afraid of them,
On a nevering chase against time,
My family will teach and give me love,
Years, many, many, years later,
I am a great grandfather,
Now and finally I am on my deathbed,
And I'm happy,
A tear has fallen out my eye,
I am now ready to reunite with,
Both my mother and father,
Jesus thank you for bringing,
The family together at last.
poem by Qeeony Luv
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Sorrow
I walked into the park and saw a young man sitting by a flower bed
I asked him why he looked so miserable and this is what he said,
“Sixty years ago I fell in love with a beautiful girl and now she has to die
I knew her time would come one day, but the years have just flashed by.
I knew that it was wrong to love her, but my heart ruled over my head.
I was there when she was born at home and I stood by her mother’s bed.
As the years passed I watched over her, and proposed when she was sixteen.
She was so young and beautiful then, and everyday we lived a dream.
She didn’t know that I was different and I just couldn’t bear to tell her so,
but she had suspicions as her hair greyed, and my age didn’t show.
And now my heart is breaking because I want to die and be with my wife,
without her my life isn’t worth living, and I no longer want this life.
For sixty years life has been wonderful for me and my only true love,
but soon I must take her up and leave her in the heavens above.
I don’t know how I’m going to take the woman I adore from my side.
I’m sorry for sharing my sorrow with you, ” and as he left he cried.
poem by Orlando Belo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Go Go Around
Alone upon the sidewalks of despair
'Twas there she wandered
With her suitcase in her hand
Her fate she pondered
Only a go-go girl in love with someone who didn't care
She met him on a night so rare when her friends were there
And the band was groovin'
When he gave a glance that said how much he would like to meet her
How was she to know at the time
He would mistreat her
In her case she danced for him although a hundred eyes were turned her
way
And before the set was through he knew
She would be his loved one
Only a go-go girl in love with someone who didn't care
Only twenty-one, she was a young girl just in from somewhere
He's playin' up in Michigan with a group they call The Intended
With a kiss, and a promise, he was gone
The song was ended
But as she walks, she waits for him the pavement is a shoulder for her
tears
But in her heart she knows there is no way
She can hope to change him
Only a go-go girl in love with someone who didn't care
Only twenty-one, she was a young girl just in from somewhere
Only a go-go girl in love with someone who didn't care
A go-go girl in love
song performed by by Gordon Lightfoot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dont Grow Yet, Baby
walk a little slower baby
it is getting harder and harder
to walk into your steps
you are growing up too fast
your steps are getting bigger
and bigger
mine are getting slower
and slower
and it is hard to keep up
soon you will be all grown up
so please slow down a little
just a little...
so I can enjoy a little more
of you... being my little girl
Daddy
poem by Viorel Vintila
Submitted by Viorel Vintila
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Dont Grow Yet, Baby
walk a little slower baby
it is getting harder and harder
to walk into your steps
you are growing up too fast
your steps are getting bigger
and bigger
mine are getting slower
and slower
and it is hard to keep up
soon you will be all grown up
so please slow down a little
just a little...
so I can enjoy a little more
of you...being my little girl
Daddy
poem by Viorel Vintila
Submitted by Dan C
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Didn't Know What Time It Was
Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart
Once I was young --
yesterday, perhaps --
danced with Jim and Paul
and kissed some other chaps.
Once I was young,
but never was naive.
I thought I had a trick or two
up my imaginary sleeve.
And now I know I was naive.
REFRAIN
I didn't know what time it was
then I met you.
Oh, what a lovely time it was,
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what time it was
you hold my hand.
Warm like the month of May it was,
and I'll say it was grand.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
to be mad, to be yours alone!
Grand tosee your face, feel your touch,
hear your voice say I'm all your own.
I didn't know what time it was
live was no prize.
I whanted love and here it was
shining out of your eyes.
I'm wise,
and I know what time it is now.
VERSE 2
Once I was old --
Twenty years or so --
rather well preserved:
the wrinkles did't show.
Once I was old,
but not too old for fun.
I used to hunt for little girls
up my immaginary gun.
But now I ain for only one!
REFRAIN
I didn't know what time it was
then I met you.
Oh, what a lovely time it was,
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what time it was
you hold my hand.
Warm like the month of May it was,
and I'll say it was grand.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
to be mad, to be yours alone!
Grand tosee your face, feel your touch,
hear your voice say I'm all your own.
I didn't know what time it was
live was no prize.
I whanted love and here it was
shining out of your eyes.
I'm wise,
and I know what time it is now.
song performed by by Billie Holiday
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Love Letters
She held a pack of love letters tied with ribbons and bows.
these were the love letters that she would never show.
Every one of them was dated first to last
These were the letters that held a life past.
Times may pass and things may change
But memories stay the same.
The writing of love letters had slowly disappeared
But she held on to them from year to year.
She sat with the letters in her lap.
As the tears rolled down her eyes
He had said he would be with her
Till the day he died
And fifty years later
He met his maker
And was carried to the cemetery
by the undertaker.
The letters had been written
with tenderness and love
Proclaiming every thing
Even the stars above.
He said life was meaningless if with her
His life he could not share.
And losing her was something
he could not bear.
Now that he was gone and she
Was left all alone.
The house didn’t seem
like much of a home.
She knew her children would not understand
Why she held the love letters in her hand.
These were the memories that kept her alive
And on that she couldn’t deny.
But her mind and body was fading fast
And she knew she could not last.
So to her children she bequeathed
The letters that she cherished all her life
For that was her husband, and she was his wife.
These are the love letters that your father
Wrote to me when we were young and carefree.
He told me of all that life had to offer.
And of all the love he had for me
And that he wanted to raise a family.
When you read his letters you will know
Why I loved this man so.
And now it’s time for me to go.
Because your father awaits me on the other side
And we’ll be together for all of time
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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