Another Night in Ruins

1
In the evening
haze darkening on the hills,
purple of the eternal,
a last bird crosses over,
‘flop flop,' adoring
only the instant.

2
Nine years ago,
in a plane that rumbled all night
above the Atlantic,
I could see, lit up
by lightning bolts jumping out of it,
a thunderhead formed like the face
of my brother, looking down
on blue,
lightning-flashed moments of the Atlantic.

3
He used to tell me,
"What good is the day?
On some hill of despair
the bonfire
you kindle can light the great sky—
though it's true, of course, to make it burn
you have to throw yourself in ..."

4
Wind tears itself hollow
in the eaves of these ruins, ghost-flute
of snowdrifts
that build out there in the dark:
upside-down ravines
into which night sweeps
our cast wings, our ink-spattered feathers.

5
I listen.
I hear nothing. Only
the cow, the cow of such
hollowness, mooing
down the bones.

6
Is that a
rooster? He
thrashes in the snow
for a grain. Finds
it. Rips
it into
flames. Flaps. Crows.
Flames
bursting out of his brow.

7
How many nights must it take
one such as me to learn
that we aren't, after all, made
from that bird that flies out of its ashes,
that for us
as we go up in flames, our one work
is
to open ourselves, to be
the flames?

poem by Galway KinnellReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Related quotes

Men with a Heart

Who wrote lyrics for the songbird?
And who made music and the tune?
Have you got any idea of the meaning?
Do the war flames kindle again?
Dear men, you all are deaf.
Did you see the beauty of a flowing river?
And you feel the coolness of a pond.
Have you ever thought the nature is your friend?
Do the war flames kindle again?
Dear men, you all are blind.
Do you understand the dialects of trees and beasts?
And the secret murmur of the wind.
Have you ever tried to learn their language?
Do the war flames kindle again?
Dear men, you all are dumb.

poem by Nimal DunuhingaReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

The Shag

"What is that great bird, sister, tell me,
Perched high on the top of the crag?"
"'T is the cormorant, dear little brother;
The fishermen call it the shag."

"But what does it there, sister, tell me,
Sitting lonely against the black sky?"
"It has settled to rest, little brother;
It hears the wild gale wailing high."

"But I am afraid of it, sister,
For over the sea and the land
It gazes, so black and so silent!"
"Little brother, hold fast to my hand."

"Oh, what was that, sister? The thunder?
Did the shag bring the storm and the cloud,
The wind and the rain and the lightning?"
"Little brother, the thunder roars loud.

"Run fast, for the rain sweeps the ocean;
Look! over the light-house it streams;
And the lightning leaps red, and above us
The gulls fill the air with their screams."

O'er the beach, o'er the rocks, running swiftly,
The little white cottage they gain;
And safely they watch from the window
The dance and the rush of the rain.

But the shag kept his place on the headland,
And when the brief storm had gone by,
He shook his loose plumes, and they saw him
Rise splendid and strong in the sky.

Clinging fast to the gown of his sister,
The little boy laughed as he flew;
"He is gone with the wind and the lightning!
And -- I am not frightened, -- are you?"

poem by Celia ThaxterReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Katherine Mansfield

When I was a Bird

I climbed up the karaka tree
Into a nest all made of leaves
But soft as feathers.
I made up a song that went on singing all by itself
And hadn't any words, but got sad at the end.
There were daisies in the grass under the tree.
I said just to try them:
"I'll bite off your heads and give them to my little
children to eat."
But they didn't believe I was a bird;
They stayed quite open.
The sky was like a blue nest with white feathers
And the sun was the mother bird keeping it warm.
That's what my song said: though it hadn't any words.
Little Brother came up the patch, wheeling his barrow.
I made my dress into wings and kept very quiet.
Then when he was quite near I said: "Sweet, sweet!"
For a moment he looked quite startled;
Then he said: "Pooh, you're not a bird; I can see
your legs."
But the daisies didn't really matter,
And Little Brother didn't really matter;
I felt just like a bird.

poem by Katherine MansfieldReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Nils Finn

Now little Nils Finn had away to go;
The skis were too loose at both heel and toe.
--"That's too bad!" rumbled yonder.

Then little Nils Finn in the snow set his feet:
"You ugliest troll, you shall never me cheat!"
--"Hee-ho-ha!" rumbled yonder.

Nils Finn with his staff beat the snow till it blew
"Your trollship, now saw you how hapless it flew?"
--"Hit-li-hu!" rumbled yonder.

Nils Finn pushed one ski farther forward with might;
The other held fast,--he reeled left and right.
--"Pull it up!" rumbled yonder.

Nils' tears wet the snow, while he kicked and he struck;
The more that he kicked there, the deeper he stuck.
--"That was good!" rumbled yonder.

The birch-trees, they danced, and the pine-trees said "Hoo!"
They more were than one,--were a hundred and two.
--"Know your way?" rumbled yonder.

A laugh shook the ridge till it made the snow fly;
But Nils clenched his fists and he swore 't was a lie.
--"Now beware!" rumbled yonder.

The snow-field yawned wide, and the heavens came low;
Nils thought 't was now time for him also to go.
--"Is he gone?" rumbled yonder.--

Two skis in the snow looked about everywhere,
But saw nothing much; for there was nothing there.
--"Where is Nils?" rumbled yonder.

poem by Bjørnstjerne BjørnsonReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Purple Sun

I would often imagine the sun was purple and there existed another solar system
In some far off distance in this never ending universe-
If the sun did not shine upon our horizon and the moon was always nearby?
Clouds could be none but smoke emanating from our planet earth,
Having been caught on fire-
Fire from the hell beneath our feet,
Flames rising from this hell we have never seen?
I have been asked "Do you believe in heaven and
Is there a god who radiates goodness and answers all of our prayers?
Then I would ask "What made the sun turn purple? "
I hear a voice saying ‘The sun has never been purple-
Your delusions have cast shadows upon the horizon and
You are lost inside of a trance-
A trance where the world is burning and the moon is fading behind the clouds-"
I would wonder if I could only awaken from this frightening reverie and
I hear a siren loudening as a vehicle approaches me -all I can do is to glance upward-
I hear voices saying "We are coming to take you away-"
I feel metal clasping about my wrists as I look up into the sky-
Rain is falling now but will not quench the flames and I ask "Why? "
I hear a voice respond "Because you have escaped reality-"
Voices are calling me, voices are threatening and which are real and which are not
I cannot distinguish- What is truly burning are the tears falling from my eyes and I find
My spirit escaping to that other solar system in this never ending universe-
In this never ending universe, inside of the world of my fondest dreams,
In this place where the sun is purple and the moon is always nearby,
Rising above golden mountaintops, where there is no hell beneath my feet-
I hear the slamming of metal doors as sirens louden-
But all fear has abandoned me because in a moment I can lose my spirit inside
The world of my fantasies-
My spirit becomes a bird that can fly away to that place where
The sun shall be forever purple- never burning- perhaps my body shall burn in hell, but
My spirit shall dance amongst the clouds, singing songs of joy and freedom,
Because I believe in heaven and perhaps there is a god radiating goodness,
Answering my prayers and pouring rain down to quench those flames from hell-so
Perhaps that is why everybody is laughing, -
I am laughing and that laughter has set me and everybody free,
The moon and the clouds disappear behind the mountaintops and as another day begins,
The purple sun of my dreams appears on the horizon…

poem by Claudia KrizayReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Where Did Our Love Go

I hear the thunder rolling thru the skies
I see the lightning bolts pass my eyes
I see the sky completely gray
As I wonder if I should go or stay.

We haven't been getting along that well
And we seem to put each other through some hell.
Why is it that love can be like the sky?
Sometimes crystal clear and sunny and bright
And sometimes dark and gray like the night.

I recall when our love was fresh and new
And as soft as the morning dew
When our love was like the clear blue sky
So deeply in love was you and I.

Now it seems like all that has changed
And our feelings are not the same.
Where did our love go- I'd like to know
Now it's dragging as if in tow.

Let's try to re-ignite that fire
And make our love grow even higher
Let's sit and recall every moment that we have known
Of when our love had truly shown.
Of every pleasure and every desire
That made the flames create this fire.

Memories can make a person continue to exist
Recalling moments of eternal bliss
So with those memories that burn in my heart
I am going to give our love a brand new start.

poem by Louis RamsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Old Flames Cant Hold A Candle To You

Downtown tonight, I saw an old friend, someone who
I use to take comfort from long before I met you
I caught a spark from his eyes of forgotten desire
With a word, or a touch, I could have rekindled that fire
Old flames cant hold a candle to you
No one can light up the night like you do
Flickering embers of love
Ive known one or two
But old flames cant hold a candle to you
Sometimes at night, I think of old lovers Ive known
I remember how holding them helped me not feel so alone
Then I feel you beside me and even their memories are gone
Like stars in the night lost in the sweet light of dawn
Old flames cant hold a candle to you
No one can light up the night like you do
Flickering embers of love
Ive known one or two
But old flames cant hold a candle to you
Old flames cant hold a candle to you
Mmmm...

song performed by by Dolly PartonReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

245

like the dry cogon in flames

Like the dry cogon
That I burn
This evening
On the ricefield
All myself
Is flaming

Waiting for
You

Who never
Comes

I understand
Now
the meaning

Of instant flames

And the ash
They are leaving

poem by Ric S. BastasaReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Soul of Flames

I sit and watch as the flames lick at the bricks
The red, and orange tipped beauty
The tongues of fury lick
As it burns through the wood and metal preforming its duty

The red hipmotizing, the orange bright
I watch the light fill the black
What a wonderful sight
Bringing the memories back

The house falls to pieces as I sit and stare
My tears falling to the ground
My eyes filled whith the flames glare
My tears fall to the ground without a sound

I sit and watch as the flames lick at the bricks
The red, and orange tipped with beauty
The flames swirl and mix
As I sit in silence intranced with love and lust

The flames so wonderful so bright
The night dark as coal
My eyes filled with stars, with light
The flames licking at my soul

poem by Bethany MaxwellReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Loop De Loop

(laughter)
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Have you ever been in airplane
When the flyin circus comes to town
Count your change
You can come and walk the wing with me
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop take away an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Peepin and a-hidin in and out of the cloud
The leader lost a hanky wavin down at the crowd
The barnstorm down but the rooster on the weather vane
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop take away an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Huffin and a-puffin flyin high as she can
A patchwork quilt stretches over the land
Well toss and tumble and sail her right in to the sun
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop gotcha in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
(loop de loop flip flop flyin in an aeroplane)
Loop de loop flip flop fly away
Ha ha

song performed by by Beach BoysReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Siren Of Fire

Fire:
When the water turns to mist
And the flames are rising high
I'll appear to you my darling
To wipe the tears from your eyes
I'll dance around the fire pit
Running wild with the flames
But as soon as the fire is out
I'll leave you without so much as my name

Water:
When water extinguishes the flame
It will also extinguish me
I will leave you to yourself
To soak in memory
When the land is watered down
And you stand beside the sea
Look for the bonfires
For that is where you'll find me

Burned:
Don't play with fire dearest
You know you will be burned
Leave the flames to me my love
They remind me of how I've yearned
For the sensation of my fire
That keeps our passions hot
I'll stay with you until the tide comes in
But after, I cannot

Drowned:
They douse the flames with water
Putting out the light
I drown with the flames
That ensnared you all night
I cannot stay with you now
My flames have been drowned out
But remember whenever you need me
Fire will bring me about

poem by Tatianna Rei MoonshadowReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Girl On Fire

(the margarita horns: bill runge (baritone sax), paul baron & derry byrne (trumpets),
Tom keenlyside (tenor sax & arranger))
I just landed
Girl on fire
I felt the heat
From sydney to london
Well she shut my mouth
With her repartee
I opened hers
With the rest of me
Girl on fire
Baby burn burn burn
Girl on fire
Baby burn burn burn
Outta the shadows
Comes a dirty song
The same old faces
Try to keep you in line
I saw you laughing
At the very first show
You lit up the city
From the twenty-sixth floor
Girl on fire
Baby burn burn burn
Girl on fire
Whats saving her
Baby burn burn burn
Baby burn burn burn
Baby burn burn burn
I just landed
Girl on fire
I felt the heat
From new york to london
Well she shut my mouth
With a repartee
I opened hers
With the things that I say
Girl on fire
Thats the heat that burns
Girl on fire
How the flames make you learn
Girl on fire
Baby burn burn burn
Girl on fire
How the flames make me yearn
Girl on fire
Girl on fire
Girl on fire
Girl on girl on
Flames are rising
Flames are rising
Flames are rising
Flames are rising

song performed by by INXSReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Hot Burning Flames

She left me almost burned out
I couldn't feel a thin'
A walkin' talkin' statue
Afraid to love again
She did everything to kill a flame
But a little spark got through
If she'd a got her way I'd be gone today
If it hadn't been for you
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burning flames
I'm alive with love because of you
When you came to light the fire you knew just what to bring
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burning flames
--- Instrumental ---
She thought she had me down and out
But at the count of nine
A livin' lovin' angel showed up just in time
She thought that I would surely die
Sometimes I wanted to
She had no doubt the fire was out
But she didn't count on you
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burning flames
I'm alive with love because of you
When you came to light the fire you knew just what to bring
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burning flames
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burning flames
I'm alive with love because of you
When you came to light the fire you knew just what to bring
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burnin' flames
You turned cold gray ashes into hot burnin' flames...

song performed by by George StraitReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Dreams and Shadows

Flames, dreams, candles, shadows,
All dance in sight.
Flames on a far, dim hill, or near,
Close, in the night.

Torches, running in shadows,
Across the dry valley.
Candles nearby, flames alike,
Join in swift memory.

Lost wanderers, walking in realms,
Realms of cold darkness.
Stars fly to us, and dance, on the white,
Cold, flowing stillness.

Flames, and light, leap high, in the far,
Gray, hopeless distance;
On a ridge, hidden away, and dance,
Dance their reckless dance.

poem by Jerome BrookeReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

When Once We Were Stars

my
name was written
in the stars
brightness
complimentary to yours
turning
leisurely
beside
me
i orbited
your planet
but your gravity force
ripped me in two
half of me
left
and i felt empty
for forever
and my light
extinguished
under yours
weeping stars
shooting
and darkening
and dying
arrived in my orbit
like
a meteor shower
uncontrollable
and bursting with yellow light
i was only a shadow
next to the magnificence
they described you
as you once were
i slept
under your light
i was possessed
by your
light
dark moths
that fly to flames
never have possessed fully
flames
of their own

poem by Ms. QueenieReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Flashpoint

I lied
Right to your face
And I'll burn
Eternally in flames
In flames...

Instinct
Has failed me now
Enslaved
By my deceit

Lies sink in like gasoline
Saturates my body
One last spark of dishonesty
And that will be the death of me

Damned
In flames
Damned
In flames (2x)

Lies engulf me
Lies they burn me
Lies they purge me
Lies they free me
Lies sink in like gasoline
Saturates my body
One last spark of dishonesty
And that will be the death of me

Damned
In flames
Damned
In flames (2x)


song performed by by Fear Factory from DemanufactureReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Flames

Every man is a flame
God the hands that lights us
Satan the lips that blow the wind that seeks to quench us
Our destiny
To stay aflame

We are all flames
Though from different races
Our mission
To ensure that in our desire
To stay flames
We keep as many flames aflame

Together as flames
Our vision burns brighter
Our mission clearer
And the lips that blow the wind
Will only spread us
Never quench us

As flames
We stay close to the hands that light us
And together we remain aflame

poem by Onyeka OmenyeReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Down In Flames

Christians, we're all afraid of fire.
We prefer to suck on pacifiers.
Baby pacifists, we're throwing fits.
We don't shake hands, we shake our fists.
We're cannibals.
We watch our brothers fall.
We eat our own, the bones and all.
Finally fell asleep on the plane.
To wake up and see we're going down in flames.
We're going down, down, down in flames.
We're gonna drown, drown, drown insane.
We see the problem and the risk,
but nothing's solved.
We just say, "Tisk, tisk, tisk." and "Shame, shame, shame."
Finally fell asleep on the plane.
To wake to see we're going down in flames, down in flames.
Christians, we mourn, the thorn is stuck in the side of the body.
Watch it self-destruct.
The enemy is much ignored when we fight this Christian civil war.
We're cannibals, We watch our brothers fall.
We eat our own, the bones and all.
Finally fell asleep on the plane.
To wake to see we're going down in flames.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Na na na na na, na na na na.
Banana na na, na na na.
Let me pause to clarify
('cause I'm sure you're asking, "Why?").
I stand before you,
and proudly claim to belong to what this song complains.
I'm part of the problem I confess,
but I got to get this off my chest.
Let's extinguish the anguish for which we're to blame,
and save the world from going down in flames.

song performed by by Relient KReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Power And Glory Part II

I was visited by The Power and The Glory
I was visited by a majestic hymn
Great bolts of lightning
lightning up the sky
Electricity flowing through my veins
I was captured by a larger moment
I was seized by divinity's hot breath
Gorged like a lion on experience
Powerful from life
I wanted all of it -
Not some of it
I saw a man turn into a bird
I saw a bird turn into a tiger
I saw a man hang from a cliff by the tips of his toes
in the jungles of the Amazon
I saw a man put a red hot needle through his eye
turn into a crow and fly through the trees
swallows hot coals and breathe out flames
and I wanted this to happen to me ...
I wanted all of it -
Not some of it
We saw the moon vanish into his pocket
We saw the stars disappear from sight
We saw him walk across water into the sun
while bathed in eternal light
We spewed out questions waiting for answers
creating legends, religions and myths
Books, stories, movies and plays
all trying to explain this
I wanted all of it -
Not some of it
I saw a great man turn into a little child
The cancer reduced him to dust
His voice growing weak as he fought for his life
with a bravery few men know
I saw isotopes introduced into his lungs
trying to stop the cancerous spread
And it made me think of Leda and The Swan
and gold being made from lead
The same power that burned Hiroshima
causing three legged babies and death
Shrunk to the size of a nickel
to help him regain his breath
And I was struck by The Power and The Glory
I was visited by a majestic Him
Great bolts of lightning shooting up his veins
as the radiation flowed through him
He wanted all of it
Not (

song performed by by Lou ReedReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Schizophrenia

And so I closed my eyes, my soul shielded
They'll never find me through the smoke.
by the darkness. Protected by the warmth
Like a blanket. I should rest here.
of the wildfire that lay before me.
The flames smell of Blood and Hope
The ashes blanketed the ground:
and the ashes float with my footsteps
a ground made from layers of dust
The dust will swallow me.
left by countless fires of the past.
I must find Home.
By flames only quenched by suffocation.
Suffocation! My suffocation!
And I felt the heat of those flames, too.
But Home is hiding from me.
They licked at my fingers, but I ran.
My fingers were frozen. Red and frostbitten
And no matter how fast I ran, they ran
Home will be gone soon. I must find it.
faster. A Labyrinth of flames.
I am lost,
Where my thread was burned and the Minotaur
never to be found:
would never be found, just as I was.
Home destroyed by the flames with me.

poem by Zoe GuilloryReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share