A Horseman At Night
In the darkness without any clear moon
I suddenly hear the gallop, the thunder
of horse hooves and there far below
I see a black horseman passing by,
With some red sparks coming from the quarts rocks
as if it comes straight from revelation
or an ancient war, I am astounded,
struggle with some fear to go on my way,
maybe it is a wanderer from death
but with him I have nothing in common,
I see the rider hang over to me
and my need suddenly becomes great
but when the moon appears unexpected
there is nothing at the troubled old brook.
poem by Gert Strydom
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The tokkelossie
At night when the sun sets
and the dark night folds around the earth
a short man appears,
who is darker than the night
and he waits for the moon to disappear
before he slyly sneaks into places.
His hands are claws
like those of a baboon
and with his long nails
he draws sparks
out of quarts rocks
and as far as he walks,
it sounds like buck hooves trotting
and in his heart
he’s a demon.
At times the dogs see him
and bark and growl,
but far too fast he passes by,
that anybody
can really see him.
Where he strikes
there’s never another tomorrow
and his works is black like the night
and before Orion appears,
he is long gone
and the life of a woman
with him.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Comes The Changes
When the days are full of fun,
Bright, warm with a lovely sun,
Suddenly comes the changes,
There’s a mist across the moon.
When a face displays a smile,
And it’s trying to beguile,
Suddenly comes the changes,
There’s a mist across the moon.
When one’s heart begins to fly,
Finding love with a great guy,
Suddenly comes the changes,
There’s a mist across the moon.
Life’s full of times that shatter,
The things that really matter,
Suddenly comes the changes,
There’s no mist across the moon.
poem by Ernestine Northover
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Dark Man
I was in deep, profound sleep,
Suddenly, I heard a quick knock.
I got up and rubbed my eyes.
And oh! it was a great shock!
In thin darkness, I saw a horse-rider,
stood near my semi-dark door.
Who are you and whom do you come for?
'I came crossing the ocean's shore,
to take you there, to king's court.'
The thunderbolt voice replied, then.
Out of sheer fear, I reclined to go.
'I'm at my days end, nothing to gain-'
Told I but, no reply from his end came.
He turned back, and signaled to follow.
Mesmerized I leaving everything
rode on the horse, and bore the wallop.
How long the horse galloped,
I could not tell you all...
The night fell to days lap,
and at last the waning moon did fall.
I heard the sound of ocean's tide,
stopped the horse on its coast!
We, got down from the horse's back-
I saw his mouth's part most.
He was death, and none else,
the dark man took my hand...
A boat came, sailed us away from
the shore lagging behind dust and sand
poem by Nilakshi Das
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Ballade Of The Headless Man
(after A.G. Visser)
On a distant road through some hillocks
a young Boer greets his pretty wife
and the robust man
holds her against him for a moment.
Choir:
In the sky there’s a moon
hanging sickle,
when I pass the bottom of a cliff
where I notice a man on his horse biting at its bridle.
Later when the weather gets cloudy
and bolts of blue lightning fall like shots about me
something happens that can take away a brave man’s courage
before the first drops of rain come down like gunshots.
When the hoofs of a horse thunder past
while a church bell rings of midnight in the distance
and nobody still walks around in the streets,
when the doors of most of the houses are locked,
there’s something unearthly
that stands straight up in the stirrups.
Just a glace when another thunderbolt crashes down
is so frightening that I almost loose my faith
when I look at the horse and its rider
and that thunder crashes sinister
while a headless man leans forward
as he passes at a hell of a speed
while he fires his rifle that his fingers is clinging onto
and at a old dilapidated ruin near to me
there’s a women in white spectre form
whose shrill voice cuts through the night,
screaming at the passing horseman:
“Can nothing stop you? Jan van der Meer? ”
[References: “Die ruiter van Skimmelperdpan” (The horseman of Skimmelperdpan by A.G. Visser and “At a pan at night” by Gert Strydom. This poem is based on a myth of a horseman that had been decapitated by canon fire during the second Anglo-Boer war.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Sunset and Sunrise
As the sun behind the horizon descends,
bestows an orange upon the sea
makes the water glitter like gold,
but suddenly this fades,
and the sun disappears
leaving a black upon the sea.
But wait! the moon appears,
a different light,
mellow upon the sea.
Now silver is the sea like spotless snows
in a pleasant delight.
A cloud then appears and the moon conceals
the light dim disappears and never returns.
Suddenly the golden sun appears
upon the sea its light once more shines.
copyright@ 1994 by Mark Anthony St. Rose. All rights reserved.
poem by Mark Anthony St. Rose
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of Phobias
Are you that person whom when you walk,
to whom you talk and coming I am, independently?
Whereof the road where you are dark walking
and talking you passing by me in the park.
You by your thoughts then start changing.
And as for me, me for as when, you.
When you have occasion and strange is that,
what you feel a little slower you walk it is dark.
Worry naught of fear, fear of the darkness,
when as for you it is fear, fear of me, fear of the darkness.
Whether the night brings you fear of the darkness,
and fear of the darkness I am coming to soon, I am there waiting.
Someones fear, fear of it fixating upon you.
I whom always it is, must posses.
Someone shakes one finger deep under the wall.
Move the moon to one side, which do you wish it possesses?
You by my deepest, up to the neck darkest phobia.
Yonder over there and your neck it is tearing off the skin.
Lines inbetween which are felt when you cry out and the tears.
Just last night when you felt what you saw.
And the footsteps you heard, it is what it is, and you never thought. Something from the rear and you walking it was heard.
And it is done again and again to the smile on your face.
And your face is right there and for who to see but me.
Because early it you does, to see it for the second time.
It is secured, firmly wrapped around and you think that it is difficult.
Are you troubled with your heart beats the heart underneeth you?
Your fear of your fear, of the shadow it plays in the darkness.
And in your cave and it dances in it comes in from the rear.
Of the eye it is felt suddenly, penatratingly quick much to quick.
To be felt.
Your fear of me of the darkness and this fear of the darkness and fear of the darkness being that of it, will it come to you soon for you.
Someones, fear of fixing and as for me, whom it always it possesses.
Where someone walked out the road,
and to I, of that of whom you it posses and your always afraid.
Not of me, it's your darness you fear, open your eyes and it sees.
poem by Is It Poetry
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On one stormy winter morning
On one stormy winter morning,
I walked along Blouberg’s beach
and out of the soft falling rain
a figure on a horse appeared
coming out of the fog
and riding from the sea
to land.
The waves crushed with
all their might,
but nothing could touch
that rider and its horse.
There was more
than a mere man
and animal locked to that scene
and shallow water
hanged in a spray
and wet sand and seaweed
flew away
when the hooves
found solid ground.
Just for a moment
the horseman looked me in the eye
and integrity and bravery
was etched deep
into his face.
I could hear the great horse breathing
before they turned
and with speed
went back into the sea,
where far away
the mast of a sinking sailing ship
went up and down
in enormous waves.
[Reference: The heroic story of Wolraad Woltemade.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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At a pan at night
In the dark night I hear horse hoofs
coming on thundering
and there are sparks
bursting from the quartz rocks.
In the sky
there’s a sickle moon
and the hairs
on my arms raise
while blue thunder
fall like shots around me
and I can smell fire and sulphur
on the wind.
For a moment
while a church bell
rings of midnight in the distance,
there’s a horse standing neighing
on its back feet.
Just one look
frightens me past being awake
when another lightning bolt
strikes down next to us
and a horse
with a man without head
passes me at great speed.
In the distance at a ruin
I see an old woman in white
with a shrill voice
cutting through the night.
“Can nothing stop you
Jan van der Meer? ”
[Reference: Die ruiter van skimmelperdpan by A.G. Visser. A legend from the second Anglo-Boer war.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Horse and Rider
The prairie blows the grasses
And whips the horse’s mane.
They travel, horse and rider,
Through the sea of amber grain
Hills roll by, and clouds pass
But steady are the horse’s hooves
Upon the wind blown grass
As they travel, horse and rider
There is no trail that they follow
No path that can be seen
There they travel, horse and rider
Upon the endless blowing green
poem by Horse Poet
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Horse and Rider
The prairie blows the grasses
And whips the horse’s mane.
They travel, horse and rider,
Through the sea of amber grain
Hills roll by, and clouds pass
But steady are the horse’s hooves
Upon the wind blown grass
As they travel, horse and rider
There is no trail that they follow
No path that can be seen
There they travel, horse and rider
Upon the endless blowing green
Bible in Poetry: Revelation 6
The Seals:
1As I was watching Lamb open
The first of seven seals, by then,
I heard one of the creatures four
Utter in voice like thunder, 'Come! '
2 I looked, and there before me stood
A horse, all white! rider with bow;
He was given a crown, and then,
He rode out like a conqueror,
With mind and heart, on conquest bent.
3When Lamb opened the second seal,
The second creature said then, 'Come! '
4 A fiery horse, all red came out!
And to its rider was given,
The pow’r to take off peace from earth,
And make men slay one another.
To him was given a large sword.
5When Lamb opened the third seal then,
I heard the third creature say, 'Come! '
I looked, and there before me stood
A horse, all black! Its rider held
A pair of scales in his one hand.
6And then, I heard a voice amongst
The four living creatures, saying,
'A quart of wheat for a day's wage;
Three quarts of barley, for a day's wage;
Do not damage the oil and wine! '
7When Lamb opened the fourth seal then,
I heard the fourth creature say, 'Come! '
8 I looked, and lo, before me stood,
A horse, all pale! rider named Death;
Hades followed him, closely behind.
They’ere given the power to kill,
Over a fourth of the earth’s men,
By sword, plague, famine, and wild beasts.
9 And when He opened the fifth seal,
I saw under the altar, souls
Of those, who had been slain because
Of testimony to God’s Word,
That they ‘ad maintained until their end.
10They all called out in loud a voice,
'How long, Lord, Sovereign, holy, true,
Until You judge the earth’s peoples,
Avenging blood of ours, they shed? '
11 Each one received a robe of white,
And told to wait a bit longer,
Until the number of fellow
Servants and brothers to be killed,
Was completed as expected.
12 And when He opened the sixth seal,
There was a great earthquake on earth.
The sun had turned so black, as if
It was a sack-cloth of goat-hair,
And moon in full had turned blood-red,
13 And stars from sky fell onto earth,
Like late figs dropping from fig-tree,
When shaken by a strong, fierce wind.
14 The sky then rolled up like a scroll,
And every mountain and island,
Was taken off its place on globe.
15The earth’s kings, princes and generals,
The rich, the mighty, and all slaves,
And every free man hid in caves,
And ’mongst the rocks of the mountains.
16They called the mountains and the rocks,
'Oh, fall on us and hide us please,
From face of Him, who sits on throne,
And from the wrath of Lamb of God!
17For, Day of wrath great has now come,
And who can ever, ever stand? '
Copyright by Dr John Celes 7-14-2007
poem by John Celes
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Brown Horses
The brownness of a rider and his horse carried his horse,
A major and great horsemanship approached the brown horse.
There was magnetism, speech of behaviour, with the horseman
Who was riding his animal of great pleasurableness.
To please this pleasure was great, but the riding housed a rider
Who had spectators looking in this and that direction.
An insect was a smaller kind of animal, housing a rider,
But animals like horses of brown worked hard and fast,
Too praiseworthy, in a gamble, far too important and big.
The brown horses had shadows with the hospitals,
A novel became written of them, of their health and waists.
poem by Naveed Akram
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Heroin
Death is a rider on a pale horse, Honey.
Yah roll up your sleeve and yah lay down your money.
Death is a rider on a pale horse.
A cord around your arm and the needle hunts your vein.
You'll starve in your dreams with the lotus in your brain.
Death is a rider on a pale horse.
There's blood in your eyes, and your time's not free.
Selling it like that will get yah HIV.
Death is a rider on a pale horse.
Death is a rider on a pale horse, Honey.
Yah roll up your sleeve and yah lay down your money.
Ya, death is a rider on a pale horse.
Suddenly
Orbison/melson
Suddenly, my heart stood still
Suddenly, the sight of you gave me a thrill
Suddenly
Suddenly, i see you everywhere
Suddenly, all at once i seem to care for you
Suddenly
So suddenly i found you
To think you were near all the time
I've often been around you
I don't know how i could have been so blind
Suddenly, my world is new
Suddenly, suddenly there's only you
Suddenly
So suddenly i found you
To think you were near all the time
I've often been around you
I don't know how i could have been so blind
Suddenly, suddenly you're my dream come true
Suddenly, suddenly there's only you
So suddenly
song performed by by Roy Orbison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The thunder storm came suddenly
The thunder storm came suddenly; the air was drawing close,
with grey and black clouds covering the heaven
and suddenly there was no more blue
with the whole day being only grey
while leaves were falling in yellow and brown everywhere,
with the wind cutting icily, trying to grab onto jackets,
untimely the rain came without respect
for the rules of nature,
the thunder storm came suddenly.
Suddenly the weather was in each conversation
of the doctor, lawyer and architect,
as if it contained something incomprehensible and evil
nobody trusted the sudden bad weather;
early in the afternoon people left for home,
the thunder storm came suddenly.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Nightly visitor
While I dreamed last night
I suddenly awaked
and through the window in the moon
saw a grey horse snort at the fountain
and fire glowed in that animal’s eyes.
A woman that’s really beautiful
and white, rigid and merciless
glided out of the saddle
and around me every thing was deadly silent
and the look in her dark eyes
cut right through me
without any life.
I still wanted to ask her
how she got to stand so suddenly
next to me, but she already walked
right through the walls and were gone.
l’Envoi
Next door where the wasted away woman
that had AIDS lived
I heard half chocked
a last rattling cough,
before horse hoofs
hit sparks out of the tar road
and the white women
rode away in haste.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Suddenly
Suddenly, I have eyes that now may see;
That which I never fathomed before, now may be;
Suddenly, I have ears that now may hear,
Which call me toward you, without any form of fear;
Suddenly, I have a heart, no longer coffered-
That longs for the love, you long ago offered.
Suddenly, I have a soul that needs for its mate,
Which embraces the exaltation she does create.
Suddenly, my mind is unafeared, and in accord;
Any further resisitance is something I cannot afford;
Suddenly, mere sight of your visage takes my breath away-
Thought of a life lived with your grace keeps death away!
Suddenly, I am a humble appreciant, and in awe
Of the love I feel in my heart, which has not, a flaw!
-Maurice Harris,15 August 2011
poem by Maurice Harris
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When Winter Suddenly Comes
When winter suddenly comes
year upon year I am caught by it,
when there is an end to growth,
when sudden change in age
strip branches, let's them hang lonely,
when winter suddenly comes
and it seems as if all of nature is dying,
when you long back to summer,
when there is an end to growth,
when with the ripe every spring flower wilts
and that an end is coming scares you,
when winter suddenly comes
you are astonished by the yellow-brown creeping death,
when even the bright bird songs wither,
when there is an end to growth,
and subtle even death claims its own property,
after years of decline of a life,
when winter suddenly comes,
when there is an end to growth.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Some Silence Hanged Wordless Between Us
Next to a silver river, a clear stream
you were dreaming against a willow,
with a small smile, silent and satisfied
as if something great happened in the past
when your bright eyes suddenly caught mine,
words hang silently between us.
In your eyes light sparkled like stars,
a leave fell and glided away
when suddenly a plover called from the marsh
with others answering from far away
when your bright eyes suddenly caught mine,
words hang silently between us.
Where the water flows endlessly
you got quickly to your feet,
your glance went deep into my soul
and we could not evade our feelings,
when your bright eyes suddenly caught mine,
words hang silently between us.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Me And The Night Moon
since i was achild i was looking for the sky and see the moon in the night and asking my self what is this?
and when i was in my youth and my heart started to be mature i was asking why lovers always speak about the moon?
but suddenly i met her
suddenly i loved her
and suddenly i forgot sleeping
and suddenly i got why the lovers look to the sky and look to the moon
but the new something in my story that iam speaking to the sky moon
like now iam waitting him ooooooh its here
me: -goodevening my friend
the moon: -good evening mr lover
me: -i miss you too much
the moon: -me two my friend
me: -why you came too late tonight?
the moon: - i was there caring about your woman
me: -oooooooooh really you saw her?
the moon: -sure i know that you are waitting me to bring news
me: - very good my moon then tell me haw is she?
the moom: - she is sad beacuse you are far away
me: - oooooooh my babe then what else?
the moon: - her eyes is wandering looking for you
me: - god ill cry my little bird is sad now
the moon: -i can tell her any message if you want it
me: - really my friend i need you help
the moon: - its ok what do you want to tell her?
me: - tell her that he cant sleep he is scared to sleep and you are there
alone tell her that i wish to touch her hair now and talk to her till the morning and ill love her till ill die
the moon: - ooooooooh you love her?
me: -as much as u can immagine more than any thing and more than my life
the moon: - ok ok my friend i told her and she said! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
me: - what what what what? what she said pleaze pleaze tell me
the moon: - she said i was waitting you mr moon to bring me this message to know that my sweet heart is thinking about me now i can sleep with more comfort please kiss him for me
me: - wow she is kissing me?
the moon: - she is giving you melions and melions of kisses but oooooooooh
me: - what is the matter my friend?
the moon; - another couples now waiiting me to transfere their messages
me: - so you are planning to leave me?
the moon: - i have to ill see ypu tomorrow as i help you iam helping also another lovers
me: - ok mr moon ill waite for you tomorrow with anew messages
the moon: - ok my friend see you soooooooon
me: - see you sooon my good friend and take care about my sweet heart be like an angel around her
poem by Ayman Ghamry
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