There's a certain Slant of light (258)
There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons--
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes--
Heavenly Hurt, it gives us--
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are--
None may teach it--Any--
'Tis the Seal Despair--
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air--
When it comes, the Landscape listens--
Shadows--hold their breath--
When it goes, 'tis like the Distance
On the look of Death--
poem by Emily Dickinson
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There's a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons-- That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes--
quote by Emily Dickinson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Old scar, new scar
Old scar, new scar
Stitched together by excellent tailor
Old scar on the hand
New scar on the head
Same pain, different trouble
First came shock
Then hurt became blue
Blue’s gone leaving scar
Old scar, white scar
New scar, hidden well
When morning’s gone, nights always come
Craving old scar, leaving new scar
Old scar, new scar
Stitched together by excellent tailor
poem by Maria Sudibyo
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Despair Is Darkness
DESPAIR IS DARKNESS
Despair is darkness-
Despair is death inside and death in the world and death in one’s own sad soul-
Despair is no way out -
Despair is the place where one is forever stuck -
Despair is the realization that one has done what one could – and one is not going anywhere else-
Despair is the admission of failure-
Despair is no sign of help anywhere around-
Despair is so much lost-
Despair is one‘s life is over-
Despair is regret-
Despair is the sense that one will never have the time to have another chance -
Despair is ‘it’s finished’-
Despair is no way out-
Despair is going down and more down and more dark and more afraid all the time -
Despair is the scream which hurts and does not stop the hurting -
Despair is the understanding that even Death will not save one -
Despair is that the pain will never end-not even with death.
Despair is no way out again and again and again- without end.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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Echoes Breathe Deep {Rondeau Poetic Format}
Echoes breathe deep in Church steeples,
Chilled toll of chimes from Cathedral's,
Chords of Love, The Passion...and Death;
Funeral's hold the deepest breath,
O'er heads of it's grieving people.
Incense stings the eye's like needles,
Smoked heat dances 'round the steeple,
the starched March of Death, agrieving
Echoes breathe deep.
'Side the Church mourners sit, weeping
From the heat of the Cathedral;
August Masses tend to steal breath,
Leave a hollow sense of bereft,
Still there be breath from the steeple;
Echoes breathe deep.
poem by Frank James Ryan Jr.
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The Other End Of The Telescope (live)
Shall we agree that just this once
I'm going to change my life
Until it's just as tiny or important as you like
And in time we won't even remember we spoke
Words that turned out to be as big as smoke
A smoke that disappears into the air
There's always something smoldering somewhere
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You'll see me off in the distance I hope
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope
The promise of indulgence in my confidential voice
Approached immortal danger but you'll never know how close
Then down the hall I overheard such a heavenly choir
They interrupted my evil designs
One day you are up in the clouds
The next thing you're down with the Sweet Adelines
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You'll see me off in the distance I hope
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope
Lie down baby now
Don't say a word
There there baby your vision is blurred
Your head is so sore from all of that thinking
I don't want to hurt you know
But I think you're shrinking
You're half-naked ambition and half out of your wits
Or several tiny fractions that this portrait still omits
Now it's so hard to pick the receiver up when I call
I never noticed you could be so small
The answer was under your nose but the question never arose
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You'll see me off in the distance I hope
'Cos late in the evening as I sit here moping
With a bamboo needle on a shellac of Chopin
And the cast-iron heart that you failed to tear open
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope
song performed by by Elvis Costello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Oppressionist
There’s a man who oppresses
You can tell by the way he dresses
That he cleans up all of his messes
Whenever he oppresses
Prejudice is what he does
Against all mankind who isn’t like him
The same skin color or bite size
He’s the man who oppresses
And he never makes second guesses
About who he oppresses
They call him the oppressionist
The man who commits
Prejudice
That’s what he does to live
And there’s not one day that he won’t miss
Of being an oppressionist
He’ll yell at you if your hair’s not like his
He’ll persecute you if you aren’t perfect
For this oppressionist
Will disregard anyone who’s not like him
poem by Alex Fischer
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But Don't Despair
Despair, if you must –
But how's it going to pull you through?
Despair, when you trust
Naught since then there's naught to do.
Despair, should you thrust
Aside your pride, your self-esteem.
And so despair, if it's dust,
The only substance that you deem.
Despair, when a gust
Of slightly breeze can break your stance.
And do despair, when lust
Is your interpretation of romance.
But don't despair, if you can care
About the plight of any other being.
And you can focus on the help,
Support, and altruistic further actions
For the seeing. Be believing,
As despair will start receding
All around – simply since you found
A way to steer you clear
From this: the very cause of your despair!
So give to others; give them all a helping lift:
Despair, you'll find will disappear –
And that has got to be a well-deserved
And saintly gift!
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2009
Rain of despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
poem by Mark R Slaughter
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Change Is Manifest In Mortal Life
change is manifest in mortal life
soul lessons learned in toil strife
future years teach bit morals sold
eternity heaven faith witness told
billions live upon this lesson earth
at death died bitter lesson is truth
wages sin received sentence death
breath experiences teach seal truth
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Cry On Demand
So, it's how the story goes.
And we come to the scene where I'm holding you close.
She moves, moves like a thin dulling blade
Cuts, all the words that I said.
The only difference is,
The only difference is,
The truth --
The truth is I miss you.
Cry on demand.
How'd you learn to?
Cry on demand.
Teach me if you want to.
Though you don't have to.
I just close my eyes and think of you.
Real. Real like a plastic bouquet.
That thrives on the smoke from an old fireplace.
And dies every night with her face on the news.
Nobody cries, they just smoke and stare and their shoes.
The only difference is,
The only difference is,
Nobody can cry --
It's hard to do.
For most folks, without a reason why.
Cry on demand.
How'd you learn to?
Cry on demand.
Why would you want to?
Just close your eyes and think of me.
I take back everything I said.
She can't hurt me, and I can't hurt you.
It's like were already dead.
Cry on demand.
Why would you want to?
Cry on demand.
Teach me if you want to.
Though you don't have to.
I just close my eyes and think of you.
song performed by by Ryan Adams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Interzona
What's coming from
beyond the sea of death
it's words celebrating an eroded artery
it's a creak of gravity
to bury an internal exploded brain
What's coming from
beyond the sea of death
it's a glitter of metal
praying for vocal chords in despair
it's a lament of ghosts
shaking bleached backbones
What's coming from
beyond the sea of death
it's a mirage of an alienated future
Nobody appears yet ?
to see a newborn light shining
beyond the sea of death
song performed by by Zeni Geva
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Short
The depth of life
The length thereof
The depth of a life
The years thereof
The depth of your life
The distance from your first wisp of
Earth's worried air of
Life to the finish line of
A life well lived or of
One which was spent waiting for
The future which may or may not
Hold you in it for
Today is given you to
Make all the difference you can and to
Smell all the flowers you can and to
Love as deeply as you can and to
Let laughter break some ribs and to
Let rain drown your tears and to
Give yourself away and to
Worship as truly as you can and to
Leave your worries in yesterday then
Do the things fear won't let you do then
Say the things that matter most then
Do the things you haven't done then
Do the things you have to do and then
Give a life a meaning
Find life's meaning
Hidden in love's meaning
And your life meaning
Breathing in God's meaning
And pick up a book of meanings
To check the short meaning
Of short and find that that's the
Aching distance from the
First intake of air to the
Last release of the same.
poem by Jenim Dibie
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Blistering Mark
delve in the dark and haunt all the nights
tired of the lies of that weak weak light
it goes to show your power has no effect
because your rays are so feeble
feebly glistening, supported by the dark
so the protectors gather around you
stand in the cathedral and see
see them pray for your growth
shielding you from bursting forth
then your turn on them like the traitor you are
it is light which has secrets, truth is far
you turn around and take your flight
burning their eyes and blinding them for life
and to say the truth, you know well how it goes
you call the dark your enemy, your friend and your foe
but now dark has the knowledge of your conspiring nature
it, now, sees light as the demon and it self a betrayed creature
as dark huddles in the shadows, everything is clear
no light to create shadows or to give birth to hopeless despair
so all i have learned is that even though human scorns the dark
it is the light you should fear, it is light that leaves a blistering mark
poem by Cassiel Kaini
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Language Of Tears
Tears flow without a stop
Pin pricks of pain breaks the bubble
Sometimes I wish for a smile
Even a fake one for that matter
Heart throbs with countless hurts
Despair, hopelessness fills the soul
I wish for your understanding
A word that means you care
Let me forget these tears, this pain
Let me forget this hurt, this despair
Hold me tight and hold me near
Let me take this last breath of love
poem by Deepa Thomas
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Meet My Despair
Meet my despair,
She doesn't even show signs of care.
She knows she'll be my destruction,
That's the meaning behind her construction.
Meet my despair,
You can taste the foul death in the air.
She smirks at the cause of my untimly death,
It makes her lose her frigid breath.
Meet my despair,
She's my burden to bear.
She'll dance on my grave,
Ah, she's so brave.
Meet my despair,
her name's.357 magnum.
She's truly lovely.
She's truly mine,
My despair.
poem by Steven Elsner
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Make A Difference
Make a difference today.
Help someone find their way.
You may listen intently
Or hold a hand so gently.
Care about their needs and fears;
Really care and share their tears.
Be there when they cry in pain.
Tell them all is not in vain.
If they sink into despair,
Talk of sun that will be there.
Show them love as if sunrays;
Have faith and hope for better days.
Let them know they’re not alone.
See the difference you will own.
poem by Gregory Huyette
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Act Of God
In my eyes sedition surrounds
One damned life beaten and bound
An act of mercy, a scene of pain
There is no difference, it's all in your name
This act of god
Lights of faith blinding my eyes
Fires of hate scorch through the skies
Lost in your darkness, burned by your flame
Forced to believe it's all in your name
This act of god
Honesty is heresy in this holy war
Contradiction, an affliction hardening my heart
Life conflicts, we're already dead
Death restricts enlightenment
Love is paradox, hate is insane
There is no difference, it's all in your name
This act of god
Honesty is heresy in this holy war
Contradiction, an affliction hardening my heart
song performed by by Fear Factory
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Contemplation upon Flowers
BRAVE flowers--that I could gallant it like you,
And be as little vain!
You come abroad, and make a harmless show,
And to your beds of earth again.
You are not proud: you know your birth:
For your embroider'd garments are from earth.
You do obey your months and times, but I
Would have it ever Spring:
My fate would know no Winter, never die,
Nor think of such a thing.
O that I could my bed of earth but view
And smile, and look as cheerfully as you!
O teach me to see Death and not to fear,
But rather to take truce!
How often have I seen you at a bier,
And there look fresh and spruce!
You fragrant flowers! then teach me, that my breath
Like yours may sweeten and perfume my death.
poem by Henry King
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Despair Of The Early Morning
DESPAIR OF THE EARLY MORNING
Despair of the early morning
Despair of the darkness
Despair of the Despair
Despair of Old Age
Despair of the road closed
Despair of nothing to do
Despair of nowhere to go
Despair of endless errands
Despair of money running out
Despair of the message of Despair
One transmits to those one loves.
Despair that has to be resisted
Despair that the light of the day
Will help me overcome
Despair I will pray my way out of
Despair I will in the course of the day
Sometime overcome.
Not the great Despair
The unending Despair
The final Despair.
The small Despair of who I am and where I am now.
The Despair that still can be resisted,
By the writing of a few awkward lines
Early in the morning.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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What is the difference between....?
What is the difference between black and white?
What is the difference between day and night?
What is the difference between love and hate?
What is the difference between a woman and a mate?
The answers seem to be so easy
as the difference between to be free and to be busy.
But! Can you tell me the difference between a lie and a truth?
Can you tell me the difference between old age and youth?
Will you tell me the difference between a grant and a sob?
If you don’t know this difference you can flop.
I would like to know the difference between wrong and right,
I would like to know the difference between a war and a fight.
If you know the answers please, write.
It will be interesting to know your opinion,
And may be I will find it to be brilliant.
Larisa R (Odessa, Ukraine)
poem by Larisa Rzhepishevska
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Dont Hold Your Breath
One day Ill get home before the sun hits the blinds
And give you - Ill give you something to remember me by
Thats the way I am
Its what I got in mind but I dont know if I can
You gotta shoot your gun - dont expect me to dance
Hold me up to the spotlight but
Dont, dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
These empty pockets are my deepest friends
Full of nothing but good intentions
Thats the way it is
It may not be much but I can blow you a kiss
Ive been wrong - Ive been wrong once before
Ill be all right tomorrow but
Dont, dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
I may be lazy or a living wreck
I wont be swayed by your expectations
Thats the way it is
It may not be much but you know what to kiss
Ive been wrong - Ive been wrong once before
Ill be all right tomorrow but
Dont, dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
Dont hold your breath
song performed by by Deep Purple
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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