Stolen Wrapping Paper
stolen wrapping paper,
covering boxes reused,
worn and tattered....
on lonesome street corners,
cigarettes crushed beneath
well known strangers feet....
lights flash, windows empty,
horns blow, motors running....
no direction home!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Tattered & Torn
Tattered and torn
Tattered and torn
Thats where my soul is worn
Tattered and torn
Thats when I was born
Tattered and torn
I broke away from me
Tattered and torn
I knocked me to my knees
Tattered and torn
I drink my own cells
Tattered and torn
A decomposing well
Tattered and torn
Roaches in my head
Tattered and torn
I become the living dead
Tattered and torn
Tearing myself apart from the
Things that make me hurt
song performed by by Slipknot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle
I was ridin' Number Nine,
Headin' south from Caroline.
I heard that lonesome whistle blow.
Got in trouble, had to roam,
Left my gal an' left my home.
I heard that lonesome whistle blow.
Just a kid, actin' smart,
I went and broke my darling's heart,
I guess I was too young to know.
They took me off the Georgia Main,
Locked me to a ball and chain.
I heard that lonesome whistle blow.
All alone I bear the shame,
I'm a number, not a name.
I heard that lonesome whistle blow.
All I do is set [sic] an' cry
When the evenin' train goes by.
I heard that lonesome whistle blow.
I'll be locked here in this cell
Till my body's just a shell
An' my hair turns whiter than snow.
I'll never see that gal of mine.
Lord, I'm in Georgia doin' time.
I heard that lonesome whistle blow.
song performed by by Hank Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Empty Streets
The town is quiet, empty
Street lights cast shadows
In doorways and windows
Curtains drawn, people sleeping
A night rain is falling fast
Through the amber halos of street lights
Lighting the roads and pathways
There is not a soul to be seen or heard
The parked cars line up colourless
The dull reflection of a shop window
Offers little comfort in passing
A stray cat sits ahead in some shade
Staring intent before running away
Into the empty night gone
What little wind there is, cold
A car passes, unknown passengers
The temporary warming light
Soon gone disappeared
Hand fishing for keys in pockets
Through a door into shade
The empty streets replaced
poem by Matthew Holloway
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Downtown Lights
Sometimes I walk away
When all I really wanna do
Is love and hold you right
There is just one thing I can say
It's all right, can't you see
The downtown lights
In love we're all the same
We're walking down an empty street
And with nobody callin' your name
Empty streets, empty nights
The downtown lights
*How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
How do I know you feel it
How do I know it's true
Can't you see
Nobody loves you this way
It's all right
Tonight and every night
Let's go walking down the city streets
Let's walk in the cool evening light
Wrong or right, the endless sight
The downtown lights
It will be all right
It will be all right
The downtown lights
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(*Repeat)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Downtown lights
The neons and the cigarettes
The rented rooms and rented cars
The crowded streets, the empty bars
Chimneytops, trumpets
The golden lights, the loving prayers
Colored shoes, the empty trains
I'm tired of cryin' on the stairs
Downtown lights
It'll be all right
It'll be all right
song performed by by Rod Stewart
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Tattered and Torn
Tattered and Torn
That's where my soul is worn
Tattered and Torn
That's when I was born
Tattered and Torn
I broke away from me
Tattered and Torn
I knocked me to my knees
Tattered and Torn
I drink my own cells
Tattered and Torn
A decomposing well
Tattered and Torn
Roaches in my head
Tattered and Torn
I become the living dead
Tattered and Torn
Tearing myself apart from the
things that make me hurt
song performed by by Slipknot from Slipknot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Empty Boxes
woke up to Voltaire
and Tolstoy, black coffee,
and cigarettes....
heavy fog on a crooked road,
Christmas lights blinking,
and a dead stillness....
the moan of empty houses,
empty factories, empty streets,
and the whisper of children,
food stamps hung in their stockings!
an old stray cat waiting to be fed,
and the heaviness of the mongrels,
left to work the streets.
somewhere bells are ringing,
right here not the scent;
a cross painted on a brick wall,
empty boxes blown by the wind!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Sweet Longings
A faded memory, of another day,
A flash, passed through my mind;
A vivid picture, of child's play,
A life, long since left, behind.
Take me back, those younger years,
Take heed, to that hiding place;
Take time, hear those distant cheers,
Take second, that stolen base.
Now my mind, begins to open,
Now the cry, of 'all come free';
Now recall, names once spoken,
Now up top, the climbing tree.
Running down, a shady street,
Running through the playground;
Running on, my shoeless feet,
Running after, the rebound.
Where've you gone, sweet yesterday?
Where lay, those childhood schemes?
Where the day, once filled with play,
Where the night: laced, with dreams.
Nobody Lives Here Anymore
scarecrow in the yard,
eviction notice on the door.
the walls stripped bare
smell of ham and beans,
the sounds of laughter
and crying trapped
in the cobwebbed corners.
across the street a homosexual
man peeks through the curtains,
his breath of amaretto and nuts...
watching the old man and woman
pack the remnants of a life
into a car, nowhere to go.
setting down his cup he walks
out the door, across the street....
starts carrying boxes without a word.
till all is loaded that can be loaded,
and the rest left in a pile down
at the street, to be carried off....
then hugs, a tear, a few kind words....
almost family, just neighbors, friends...
the old couple drives away without
looking back... the neighbor staring
at the empty boxes on the porch...
nobody lives here anymore!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Blow Your Bugle, Soldier Man
Blow your bugle, soldier man
For our young heroes
In their flag covered boxes
In the few years they lived
We taught them
How to die for
Love of country
They are home now
Blow your bugle, soldier man
Blow Taps
It’s lights out
poem by Stanley Cooper
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Christmas Eve
dawn creeping
o'er the mountains,
and through bare limbed trees....
Christmas Eve...
amid the hustle and bustle,
colored lights and wrapping paper....
families and friends....
the streets still alive with those
who have nowhere else to be....
empty houses, empty trailers,
stray dogs and abandoned cars....
somewhere church bells are ringing.
a baby born in a bare apartment,
the rats scurry to meet him,
the pot on the stove empty.
no curtains on the windows,
bare bulbs, no shades.
no angels, no wise men,
an eviction notice on the door...
yet another baby Jesus,
will he make it, will he die?
will he bring light and salvation?
or will they find his small body
in a dumpster with the trash?
fate, or understanding,
holiness knocks on the door,
again, and again!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Who saved Me?
I had a strong presentiment
I would meet with an accident.
If I drove home my usual way
and that my life would end this day.
A flash of foresight granted me?
or merely serendipity.
I do not know but I was sure
I had to take the long detour.
I saw the scene so vividly
A car crushed beneath a fallen tree.
I am not superstitious
but this warning was obvious.
I pulled into the first lay by.
I did not stop to wonder why
I was convinced that it was right
to take a different route that night.
I drove along the way I’d come
and took the scenic route back home.
My wife was in a worried state
when I arrived home safe but late.
She’s heard the news on the T.V.,
a car crushed by a fallen tree
About the time I should have been
driving near that fatal scene.
I had been granted a reprieve
by kindly fate we both believe.
That flash of foresight saved my life
and brought me safe home to my wife.
I can’t explain it, do not try
although sometimes I wonder why
I did not die beneath that tree
as I was meant to: Who saved me.
20-Dec-07
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Tender Buttons [a Box]
A BOX.
A large box is handily made of what is necessary to replace any substance. Suppose an example is necessary, the plainer it is made the more reason there is for some outward recognition that there is a result.
A box is made sometimes and them to see to see to it neatly and to have the holes stopped up makes it necessary to use paper.
A custom which is necessary when a box is used and taken is that a large part of the time there are three which have different connections. The one is on the table. The two are on the table. The three are on the table. The one, one is the same length as is shown by the cover being longer. The other is different there is more cover that shows it. The other is different and that makes the corners have the same shade the eight are in singular arrangement to make four necessary.
Lax, to have corners, to be lighter than some weight, to indicate a wedding journey, to last brown and not curious, to be wealthy, cigarettes are established by length and by doubling.
Left open, to be left pounded, to be left closed, to be circulating in summer and winter, and sick color that is grey that is not dusty and red shows, to be sure cigarettes do measure an empty length sooner than a choice in color.
Winged, to be winged means that white is yellow and pieces pieces that are brown are dust color if dust is washed off, then it is choice that is to say it is fitting cigarettes sooner than paper.
An increase why is an increase idle, why is silver cloister, why is the spark brighter, if it is brighter is there any result, hardly more than ever.
poem by Gertrude Stein
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Johannesburg
There are mini-bus taxis everywhere
hooting, swerving, stopping anywhere
and people on the street
shouting to each other
as if they are not
in talking distance,
but as if everybody is deaf.
Some hawkers are selling
sweets, cigarettes and newspapers
while others are cooking maize,
porridge and eggs.
Youngsters stand next to
parking meters showing
open parking spaces
and demanding money
to watch vehicles parked there.
Some hobos sleep
in tattered blankets
and smell of wine
and liquor and the sick
sweet odour or retching.
Prostitutes walk up and down
street corners in mini skirts
and t-shirts
with nipples showing through
and have hello smiles
plastered across their faces.
Some gum sniffing children
beg at traffic lights
with twisted arms and legs
and other beggars
have posters wishing you well
or telling you to go to hell.
People queue in lines
waiting for busses
and some stand smoking
while they talk
and businessmen, lawyers,
soldiers, secretaries
are walking quickly past
with briefcases, satchels,
and handbags
and on the sidewalk
there is urine,
blood, vomit, some rotting food
and smoked cigarettes
and everywhere signs
of a city in a country
that is falling apart.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Clouds Blow Away!
vomit stained lips quivering
on a street corner lost
between human and forgotten....
clouds blow away!
bloody feet children walking
behind despair blinded bodies
not even pretending to be alive.
clouds blow away!
gun in the belt rogues
behind blacked out windows
snorting forever dust, wild eyed....
clouds blow away!
old man eating canned dog food
with a rusted spoon,
sitting on a milk box, empty room...
clouds blow away!
young boy in the hole,
blood crusted swollen lips
cannot even cry in the darkness....
clouds blown across
....the face of the moon!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Love Street
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ohh...ho...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ohh...ho...
It seems we've lost our touch
Used to be so in love, yeah, uh
But somehow we've gotten off-track
And we never really got it back, no, yeah
I think we better find a way, yeah
And get right back to them good old days, good old days
Wanna make it to Heaven's gate, yeah (oh)
And we need to escalate, I need
I need direction (whoo, I need direction)
To that street called love (to that street called love, yeah)
Lead me to that road (trying to get home, yeah)
Trying to get home (oh take me to love street, yeah)
Now life is gone and skipped a beat
Tell me where are all the dancing feet? Yeah
Boy I tell you there's always something going wrong
Tell me why can't we all just get along
Keep struggling (yeah) just to get by, oh (oh yeah)
So many hills, mountains to climb, yeah
We should all be ashamed of ourselves
'Cause if we don't love ourselves
Tell me how can we love somebody else?
I need direction (whoo, we need direction)
To that street called love (to that street called love yeah)
Lead me to that road (I'm trying to get home)
Trying to get home (come on and take me to love street)
Easter Sunday morning (yeah)
We weredressed up (yeah)
Ready to go and have some... Church
(And I remember feeling so joyful)
Whether East side or the West side
Or the North side or the South side
You were at... Church
(So tell me what is all this fighting for?)
So what is all this pouting about? (and whoa)
What is all this hating about? (whoa)
(We have got to figure out how to get right back to love street)
I need directions (we need direction, whoa)
To that street called love (to that street called love, yeah)
Lead me to that road (trying to get home)
Trying to get home (would you take me straight to love street, yeah)
I need directions (I need some direction yeah) (ohh)
To that street called love (yes I do, yes I do) (yes I do, yeah)
Lead me to that road (please let me lead me to that road) (yeah)
Trying to get home
Heard somebody say (Toot-toot, beep-beep)
Heard somebody say (Tell me how to get to love street) yeah
Heard somebody say (Toot-toot, beep-beep) yeah
Heard somebody say, yeah (Tell me how to get to love street) yeah
Here we go, here we go, here we go
You make a right on L
Make a left on O
Come to a green light
And that's when you can go (whoa)
You keep straight on V
Until you come to E
That's when you see a big sign that says
Welcome to Love Street
I need direction (welcome to my street sign)
To that street called love (yeah, yeah) (welcome) (yeah, yeah, whoo)
Lead me to that road (lead me to that road yeah)
Trying to get home (oh yeah) (oh ho...)
(Tell me how to get to love street)
Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, yeah, ohh...
(Tell me how to get to love street)
Pied Piper, your music weatherman
It's love o'clock y'all
And ya'll listing to the sounds of the Chocolate Factory
This next one goes out to the ladies
Ladies Night, Happy People baby
song performed by by R. Kelly
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You Call It Joggin
By: john loudermilk
You call it jogging I call it running around
You say youre losing weight but you aint lost a pound
While youre out jogging with your other friends
Im home feeding the kids again
You call it joggin I call it running around
You call it joggin I call it running around
Its the best release you say youve ever found
Your friends all smile and agree yeah you were running around on me
You call it joggin I call it running around
Somebody said they saw you down at the corner getting out of some strangers car
You come home after running for hours aint even breathing hard
Hmmm
You call it joggin I call it running around
The soles of your running shoes they aint wearing down
While youre out running up and down the streets
Im at home trying to get the kids to sleep
Shhh
You call it joggin I call it running around
(lets take a lap or two)
You been out since 5pm
Its now 30 minutes past 10
You blow in all out of breath
Honey you been drinking gin again?
You call it joggin I call it running around
Draggin that silly old towel all over town
You come home grinning with your hair all wet
Smelling like shampoo instead of sweat
Mmm mmm mmm
You call it joggin I call it running around
Oh yeah
You all it joggin I call it running around
Yeah
song performed by by Jimmy Buffett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Unread
Unread the faces in the street
That cross and cross the path
Where they meet, and do not meet
The eyes unseen
There, there are windows without souls
But two feet mark the spot
And on they go
casting their lot beneath them
Like an afterthought
Can you see the lines in her skin?
See the colour fading from his hair?
The old lady in the street who talks to her imaginary friend?
The lover and the stranger
Share the same seat in the park
Exchanging looks and numbers
The old man with a parting centrefold
'I grow old I grow old'
Do you see these unseen things?
The automatic gestures?
The tarnished rings?
The bell that tolls?
Ringing in the godless?
Ringing in the godly?
They all share the same seat
Break bread
But do not speak
Or see
The wonder of their skin
The same blood shared
The same hunger
Just beneath the all seeing
Unseen eye
The window without a soul
The souless window
All pressing in
crossing paths
line upon line
Written on skin
faces without maps
Feet without direction
catching the last bus home
After 'callling time'
So much crowding in
So much being alone
yvette smith june 09
poem by Yvette Smith
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Nothins Gonna Stop Us Now
He was lost, uncertain.
Only she could see
He was waiting for the night to end.
And with just one kiss
Brought him back into the light again.
He said nothins gonna stop us now.
He said baby, nothings gonna stop us now.
But tonight, shes waiting
For a strangers touch at the dark end of a street
And the whispered words from the sidewalk
They sound so sweet
He says nothins gonna stop us now.
She said baby, nothins gonna stop us now.
Look out now, cause shell break your heart again
No one sees what the years have failed to mend, yeh.
Standin there beneath the street lights.
Telling secrets in the darkest night.
Heavens just a stolen kiss away.
And her look, it lingers
On a restless night when youre back on the street again.
With his empty dreams, theres another broken heart to mend.
He says nothings gonna stop us now.
They said baby, nothings gonna stop us now.
Im telling you baby, nothins gonna stop us now.
They said baby, nothin gonna stop us now.
And tonight, shes waiting
On
song performed by by Chicago
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Paperbag Writer
Blow into this paper bag
Go home and stop grinning at everyone
Blow into this paper bag
Go home and stop grinning at everyone
It was nice when it lasted but now it's gone
It was nice when it lasted but now it's gone
Blow into this paper bag
Take your armor off, you're not under attack
Take your armor off, you're not under attack
Come on, come on
Blow into this paper bag
Go home and stop grinning at everyone
Blow into this paper bag
Go home and stop grinning at everyone
They were honeybees on a blade of grass
Take your armor off, you're not under attack
Blow into this paper bag
Blow into this paper bag
song performed by by Radiohead
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Great Empty
closed!
out of business!
building for rent,
or sale!
22 vacant buildings on one street!
small-town America.
even the sidewalks are deserted...
except for paper cups,
and cigarette butts blowing
in the breeze...
empty windows,
boarded up doors....
the echo of voices
from the past,
from another day...
lost to the great empty!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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