Cattle in the rain
Although nothing is without end,
even the rain hammering down with hail,
it sometimes felt that way
with lightning bolts falling
down from the sky
like angry whip lashes
the young oxen milling around,
ready to stampede away
into the direction of the swamp
where the deadly tulips grow.
Your horse neighs frightened
drawing up her front hooves
with every thunder bolt lashing down
and you let her gallop at the edge of the cattle
to round them into the shelter of the camp,
cutting off the leading troublemakers
and the hail coming down in force
feels like buckshot from the old shotgun
and one ox, gigantic in size snorts
starts running on
crashing through small trees
of which the stems whiplash past your head
and when in anger you reach it,
it turns back and starts to walk back
into the direction of the camp
looking at you
with big eyes as tame as that of a cow.
[Reference: Cattle in the rain by Musaemura Zimunya.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Related quotes
That Rain
Thunder starts rolling in
As it fell from the skys
Rain
Oh how it knows me so
As I stand underneath it
While I welcomed it with wide open arms
With my head facing the lightning bolts up ahead
The rain drops upon my face
Like welcoming kisses
As the thunder roared louder than the mightiest lion
As the lightning bolts lit up the sky brighter than Vegas itself
I twirled in the rain
Not caring who saw
In that rain
That rain I welcomed ever so
That rain which had the softest touch I had ever felt
poem by Storm Pedersen
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Cloudburst (terzanelle)
The clouds are dark as the night
until the sky opens it sluices
with here and there light
pouring down gathered juices
with wild bolts of blue-white thunder
until the sky opens it sluices
with lightning falling with feelers, ready to plunder
splitting trees, setting the veldt alight
with wild bolts of blue-white thunder
bashing down, and people flee in fright
and hail, thunder and rain pelts down
splitting trees, setting the veldt alight
splattering in fury, causing people to drown
and man and beast is desolate
and hail, thunder and rain pelts down
with people struggling past fear, past hope, past hate.
The clouds are dark as the night
and man and beast is desolate
with here and there light.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Hail Will Hit My Back
Wind is changing, it's getting stronger
when rain starts wetting, hail will hit the ground
hail will hit my back, I'll be waiting
poem by Ilaria Boffa
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Thunder Touched (Cavatina Sequence)
There is a place with scorched molten earth
near some hillocks
where blue lightning lashes repeatedly
and there it knocks
anything that it can find with its fire,
where some big rocks
draws it somehow on that much higher ground,
that is cleared from anything around.
The sky was ominous grey and brooding,
intensely black
while static or maybe fear made hairs rise,
we did turn back
while some rain, bird egg size hail drilled down;
under attack
of great blue-white thunder that was falling
with a mighty whipping roaring blue sting.
Just in time we reached some safe cover,
we were drenched
while bolts of blue thunder fell threatening,
in fear clenched
were the fingers of both her tiny hands,
as if wrenched
the muscles of her arms moved in pain
while thunder lashed again and again.
Blue-white blazing light fell on closed lids;
her inner eye
remembered decimating scorching
from some times by,
when medical staff unleashed a bolt
let fury fly,
torching some synapses of her own mind,
experimenting they acted unkind.
poem by Gert Strydom
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The Rain Storm
I can see the tears run down your cheek
But I still throw my words around
Like the cloud does when it rains outside
The rain is falling
And there's no shelter to hide under
So you keep getting wet by the rain
Then you hear the thunder of my words
As I seem to get louder
Then I strike you down
Like the lightning hits the ground
You eventually see the rainbow
After the rain
But the rain will come back
For another round
You can count on that
But your never ready for the rain storm
That comes with the storm that I've created
You would think it would get easier each time
But somehow it get harder to deal with
But I made my choices and I made up lies
To cover up the truth that I didn't want you to see
So your stuck in the rain with me
Until I let the rainbow shine again
Heartbreaker
One look and you know shes trouble
Ruby red lips and flashing eyes
Cant resist, you just gotta have her
Ooh its a feeling that you cant disguise
Youre booked on a one way ticket
I can tell you that youre going nowhere
Shes a drug and youre not gonna kick it
Heartbreak city, shell take you there
I know Ive been here before
I read the script, I know the score
Theres no rules, she plays her own game
Shes a real heartbreaker and she brings on the rain
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Thunder, cant you hear it crashing?
Storm clouds are waiting for you up ahead
Lightning, cant you see it flashing?
You havent listened to a word Ive said
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
Rain (shes a real heartbreaker, a heartbreaker)
Rain (falling from the skies, falling from your eyes)
song performed by by Electric Light Orchestra
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rain from my Eyes
The rain that falls, upon my cheek
Is brought by you, your love that shakes
Always saying, I will love you more than anyone
Turning your back, to see you gone
Never thought, I would be left, without you
Seeing her with you, just makes me mad
I start to realize, maybe I'm wasting my rain
Cause every tear that starts to dwell
It only turns to rain
The rain comes down on a sunny day
Those memories I have of you
Sitting on the beach, laying in the sand
Now I'm alone left on my own
To survive with no one to help
I start to tear and that one tear
Turns to rain
Rain that is missing you
Missing you, because I am now alone
With watching the world
From the slightest distance
It is just enough to see me through
I walk around and see them there
Love
And I remember and start to rain
The rain falls from my eyes
My eyes are blurred and blood shot
Because of you. I am alone
Because of you. I miss you
Everyday I pass on by with
Rain falling from my eyes! !
poem by Miranda Dodge
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China Town Shuffle
Take it, you can have it, what I got baby, I can't hold
and if you find the secret tell me how to build the mold.
And I can't handle your problems so don't try to handle mine,
get yourself a shotgun, a pocketful of shells
and we can while away the time.
Look up the wall, do it right, make a mistake,
you're going to pay for it twice,
but if you need it, got to have it get yourself
a shotgun and bring it back home
Look up the wall, you know you got to call
before you start falling, get ready to fall.
and if you fallin my direction
don't expect no help at all....don't
Get it right, do it nice
and if you make a mistake, you're going to pay for it twice,
but if you need it, got to have it get yourself
a shotgun and bring it back home
Look up the wall, you know you got to call
but if you start falling, be ready to fall,
and if you fall in my direction
don't expect no help at all, don't expect no help at all,
don't expect no help at all, and if you fall in my direction
don't expect no help at all
song performed by by Grateful Dead
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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At the red sea
In the distance he see them coming,
war chariots filling the horizon
and the rumbling of horse hooves
are getting louder
as they are getting nearer.
Caught between the deep blue sea
and the desert
men, women and children stand
around him
and fear is in their eyes
for the vengeance of Pharaoh
who regards himself equal to God.
They glance away
from the cloud that gives shelter
and the morning’s manna
that was sweet on their lips,
are also already forgotten
and most are truly convinced
that he is leading them
to utter destruction.
Horses neigh a lot closer
when he hits the sea
with his mighty staff,
the sea cleave open
and walls of water glide away
and gather at two sides
till a dry road
leads right through to the other side.
There are thunder rumbling ominous
from the cloud above them
and a strong eastern wind
spraying water
like vapours of rain from the sea
and blowing it to the enemy.
While Pharaoh and his soldiers
witnesses these things
they come at speed
following the path through the sea
and in the middle of the waters
they begin to sink in
and the last
of his people are through
and he lift his eyes up
to where more lightning bolts
now come from the column of cloud.
Then he reaches his hand out
over the red sea
and hold that mighty staff
into the air
and everywhere
thunder hits reaching over the sea
and suddenly walls of water break
with angry power
and enemy chariots, horsemen,
horses and men are gone,
covered by water
and every one there
know from where
their salvation comes.
[Reference: Exodus 14: 1-31.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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It’s the second day that I visit
It’s the second day that I visit
on the farm near Reivelo,
just past Vryburg.
They farm with cattle, goats,
a few sheep, muscovy ducks, turkeys
and chicken.
The scrambler bumps up and down
right through the field
and go past rocks and bushes,
while we drive along the rough field
and the hot wind
cut across my face
and there are places
where it cannot go.
It’s time to transform
young bulls to oxen,
to brand cattle
and to cut their horns
and I get a black stallion
to ride into the field.
My cousin rides in front
with a brown Arabian mare
and there are bushes
and flat slabs of rock
and small hillocks that we past
to try and round up young cattle
to the corral.
It’s nice to be a cattle herder
for a time
and to use legs and heels
and reigns,
to round up cattle in the field.
Every thing goes well until
I chase a young black bull
just to the entrance of the fold,
where it stops stubbornly
and doesn’t want to move
a feet further.
I jump out of the saddle,
fasten the reigns
to a small branch
and rush to the obstinate bull.
It stands and snorting
and stamp its feet
and when it sees me,
it rushes confused
at the horse.
That faithful horse stands firm
while the bulls horns swishes
onto the reigns
and the horse
stops that bull in its tracts,
that a piece of the bridle
breaks right off.
Then I am at the bull
and pull the reigns
out of its horns
and it walks meek
into the corral,
while in astonishment
I stand and look at that animal.
With a knee-strap
and pliers in the nose
we draw the bull to the ground
and when we shear it,
it moans like a heifer
and there’s a burning smell
that goes up from the branding iron
and I see the horns
dropp at my feet
and it’s another beast
when it stand on its feet.
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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Rain,rain
Why am I here if youre there
So far away its not fair
To be without you like this
I miss you more than you know
The nights are long
The days slow
Without the warmth of your kiss
Wish you were back here with me
Cause out my window
All is see is
Rain , rain in the sky
Everywhere I look my eyes see
Rain , rain fallin down
Crying as it hits the ground
Rain , rain in my heart
Every day that were apart
Rain , rain
Falling rain , rain
Rain , rain
Only rain , rain
The sun is strong when youre near
But when youre gone it disappears
Behind an ocean of blue
The telephones not good enough
It cant reach out it cant touch
Me like the way you do
Wish you would knock at my door
Cause only you can stop the pouring
Rain , rain in the sky
Everywhere I look my eyes see
Rain , rain fallin down
Crying as it hits the ground
Rain , rain in my heart
Every day that were apart
Rain , rain
Falling rain , rain
Rain , rain
Only rain , rain
Maybe ill go outside
And walk beneath the clouds
Pretend its you thats watching over me
This isnt the only thing that comes
Between us now
Baby soon well be together
Oooo
( everywhere I look I see rain )
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Rain
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Everywhere I look I see rain
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Rain
( everywhere I look I see rain )
Rain
( rain , rain in the sky )
( everywhere I look my eyes see rain )
Rain
( rain falling down )
Down
( crying as it hits the ground )
Dont , dont let it hit the ground
( rain , rain in my heart everyday that were apart )
( rain , rain )
Rain
( falling rain, rain )
Rain
( rain, rain )
Everywhere I look I see rain
Everywhere I look I see rain
But I dont see you
Youre not near me
I need you ooo
Rain
Itll never be the same
If you dont stop the rain
song performed by by Cher
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Poem on my birthday
I see lightning bolts hammer-flaming down
before the rain
falls down in force like drops of hail
and on my forty seventh year
under a white hot sun
while the autumn is already busy
to skeleton at places around me,
rays burst through the steel grey clouds
while the storm subsides right there
swallows, finches and sparrows
flying up and down are calling
and some are sitting a lamppost full
and it feels as if my life’s cloak
is starting to unravel
and the cotton thread of it is thinning out
until it is almost worn through
and then you come
to decently wish me well
and it’s as if everything round me changes
to fit into this scene
and suddenly life is open and free
while we embrace
and I smell the freshness around us
and look deep
into your loving eyes.
[Reference: Poem on his birthday by Dylan Thomas.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Like The Rain
I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you
Every thunder cloud that came was one more I might not get through
On the darkest day theres always light and now I see it too
But I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you
I hear it falling in the night and filling up my mind
All the heavens rivers come to light and I see it all unwind
I hear it talking through the trees and on the window pane
And when I hear it I just cant believe I never liked the rain
Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you
Liked the rain always calling for you Im falling for you now
Just like the rain
When the cloud is rolling over thunder striking me
Its as bright as lightning and I wonder why I couldnt see
That its always good and when the flood is gone we still remain
Guess Ive known all along I just belong here with you falling
Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you
Liked the rain always calling for you, Im falling for you now
Just like the rain I have fallen for you
Im falling for you know just like the rain
And when the night falls on our better days
And were looking to the sky
For the winds to take us high above the plains
I know that well find better ways to look into the eye
Of the storms that will be calling
Forever well be falling
Like the rain I have fallen for you, and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, Im falling for you now just
Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, Im falling for you now just
Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you
Like the rain always calling for you, Im falling for you now just
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
Like the rain
song performed by by Clint Black
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A brave Field Cornet
From a hillock
two Boer commandoes
ride into an English camp
and a few of the British are shot,
a lot are caught
and most flee away.
In the direction of the Tuli river
the enemy are followed in haste
where they join comrades
driving a ox wagon
and the Boers are marksmen
and the English flee again
to find shelter in a farmhouse.
The house is shot to pieces
and for the third time on one day
the British flee again
and the next day,
the Boer commando captures nine wagons
with food and ammunition.
The day following Boer scouts
find an abandoned enemy camp
with burned out fires,
tents, horses and mules
and see a big cloud of dust
coming along in their direction.
There’s a Field Cornet
that does not ride away,
while two Boer commandos
escapes to safety.
At dusk Jacobus Potgieter
finds more men with a canon
set on a hillock
and with just more than twenty men,
he prepares
to give resistance to a huge enemy force.
The darker the night gets,
the nearer the cloud of dust comes
and Jacobus Potgieter and his men
are ready to shoot killing shots
and to let no Englishmen past them
and there’s a rambling sound,
but no enemy appear
and they are invaded
by a swarm of locusts.
[Reference: The “JJ Potgieter manuscript.” Second Anglo-Boer war. Boer commando= A group of Boer farmers in a citizen force militia under a Commandant (Lieutenant-Colonel) .]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Thunderbolt
As a child I saw lightning
making blue sparks
on the back porch
and running over the iron rocks
into the old house against the hillock.
I could smell the thunderbolts
and it smacked down, much louder
than a gun
and as a small child
lightning did not scare me
and I walked in the rain
in a thunderstorm.
Until a day
where cattle fell dead around me
and then I got the real significance
of thunder
and now they press a thunderbolt
right into your head
and you are belted down
by people with white coats
who look very clinical,
who look at you from a distance
when they press a lever
who look at your fear and disconcertment
without feeling
and I see that you are still alive
and breathing,
when they push the lever again
and suddenly yesterday is gone
and your brain burnt out by half
and you can remember almost nothing
of your childhood days
and they believe
that you are halfway cured
and there’s a hell of a pain
that I see in your eyes.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Storm
Cattle egrets in the dry grass waded
like white clerics at the hooves
of brood cows, heifers, and new calves.
Forked lightning. Calm.
The darkness in the cattle tank welled up
and flooded the reflection of the trees.
Turkey vultures wheeled, and wheeled away.
No swifts, no swallows, children gone indoors.
Rain seethed into the willowtops,
sky flashing, while the black bull
under the water locust glowed
with an inward surge of darkness
poem by Brooks Haxton
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It Looks Like Rain
I stand at the window
Looking out, looking out at the grey
After getting up and reading the paper today
Sometimes I just want to crawl back in bed
Pull the covers over my eyes
This world is so full of trouble
All the war planes in the sky
Chorus:
And it looks like rain
Cant you hear the thunder
And it looks like rain
Dont it make you wonder
Killers make the front page
Good deeds go unnoticed
Seems like, like theres no change
No matter what the vote is
It used to be we were
All looking out for everybody else
But now it seems the only law is
Every man for himself
(chorus)
And it looks like rain
Cant you hear the thunder
It looks like rain
Dont it make you
And it looks like rain
Falling down my eyes
It looks like rain
Dont you wonder why
I hear, hear it pounding
In the courtrooms and halls
I hear, hear it sounding
Through these paper-thin walls
I can hear people lying under oath
Lovers breaking their vows
I dont want to give up hope
Is it too late now
Chorus:
And it looks like rain
Cant you hear the thunder
It looks like rain
Dont it make you
And it looks like rain
Falling down my eyes
It looks like rain
Dont you wonder why
And it looks like rain
Cant you hear the thunder
It looks like rain
Dont it make you
It looks like rain
(repeat chorus and fade)
song performed by by Toto
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Ghost and Her horse
Everynight in the dark she walks
Everynight in the meadow he neighs
She walks out to her horse
He raises his ghostly head, spots his owner
And neighs
Only true people can hear this frost filled noise
To her ear it sounds of peace and stillness
To people around it sounds spoky filled with wondering souls
Like the wind
Or the soft rain
Everynight in the dark she walks
Everynight in the meadow he neighs
The ghost walks with her silver hair blowing
In the pony tail that shall never change
She carries his halter in one hand her other hand
Hangs open ready to stroke his transparent maine
Down his silver back
Everynight in the dark she walks
Everynight in the meadow he neighs
The horse to his girl
They are still, his head and long neck
Rested on her shoulder, her arms around his neck
Running her fingers through his maine
The ghost and her horse.
poem by Bethany Maxwell
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Barefoot Children In The Rain
Scratch my back with a lightning bolt
Thunder rolls like a bass drum note
The sound of the weather is heavens ragtime band
We all fell down from the milky way
Hangin round here till judgment day
Heaven only knows whos in command
Barefoot children in the rain
Got no need to explain
Wed be swingin on a ball and chain
Its always understood by those who play the game
Barefoot children in the rain
Show me yours and Ill show you mine
Take me back to days full of monkeyshines
Bouncin on a bubble full of trouble in the summer sun
Keep your raft from the riverboat
Fiction over fact always has my vote
And wrinkles only go where the smiles have been
Barefoot children in the rain
Got no need to explain
Wed be swingin on a ball and chain
Its always understood by those who play the game
Barefoot children in the rain
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la
Barefoot children in the rain
Scratch my back with a lightning bolt
Thunder rolls like a bass drum note
The sound of the weather is heavens ragtime band
The sky turns blue and the sun appears
But the questions still what are we doin here
I dont think the answers close at hand
Barefoot children in the rain
Got no need to explain
Wed be swingin on a ball and chain
Its always understood by those who play the game
Barefoot children in the rain
In the rain...
In the rain...
song performed by by Jimmy Buffett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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