Samson
While I walk blind round and round
chained with double copper chains
to the mill
a whip draws lines on my back
to force me to work still harder
and every lash cuts into me.
Sweat ooze through my long hair
and day after day I think back
to the lion
that I ripped apart with my bare hands,
how I killed a thousand of this enemy
with the jaw-bone of a ass,
how I let the gateway with door still in it
stand on top of mount Hebron
and chased three hundred foxes
with burning tails
into their fields
and had burnt everything down
and how I asked God for water
and the Lord cleaved the earth open
and a fountain appeared.
Outside I suddenly hear a fuss
and are led by soldiers
to a festival dedicated to Baal
of which I can hear the noise
from a distance
and the people tease and mock me
while I stumble along blindly
and they make a clown out of me
and I hear the laughter
of thousands of the enemy.
Then I ask the helper who holds my hand
to lead me to the pillars
on which this temple rests
and I call onto the Lord God
and in humility ask to have power again
to Him from whom my strength comes
and that He must forgive me
for all my sins
and suddenly there is great power
flowing through me
and I reach my hands out
and lock them
around the two middle pillars,
feeling them move
and then breaking in pieces
and crumbling as if mere dust.
[Reference: Judges 13-17.]
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Heart In Pieces
Only you can touch me with your dark eyes
With a look that burns like fire through the lonely night.
Sometimes I run, but I can never hide
From the pieces of my heart that fall like rain from the sky.
When you hear the thunder,
When you hear the sound of a mountain crashing down,
Its just my heart in pieces.
When I feel the hunger,
When Im reaching out with a hundred thousand hands,
Its my heart in pieces.
No one cuts through my soul like you can.
Im naked to the bone beside your empty hand.
I see your face and I remember.
Im a prisoner of your fate,
Im a loser in the race.
When you hear the thunder,
When you hear the sounds of a mountain crashing down,
Its just my heart in pieces.
When I feel the hunger,
When Im reaching out with a hundred thousand hands,
Its my heart in pieces.
I walk the fine line
Between fire and the ice.
The memory lives on.
Theres always something to remind me.
Every teardrop falling
When your voice keeps calling.
[chorus repeats until fade.]
song performed by by Chicago
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sonnets of the stone ruins
I
Long ago a mighty hunter
sailed on the river to look for medicine
and his canoe made from tree
was swept along with uprooted trees
by a river in flood.
He lost control over the boat
and in the distance
a thundering sound
hanged in the air
mighty smoke
rose ghostly out of the water
in a fine spray
and he could hear tons of water
flowing down a cataract.
II
While the canoe was spinning round
and round
he tied a long thin strong thong
to a arrow
and with all the power in his strong arms
he draws the bow’s string and set his aim
on a massive tree
standing on the shore.
The arrow caught speed
and hanged a moment in the grey air
before it hit the tree with great force
and the thong spanned stiff
and his arms with desperate power
overcame the river.
III
He passed the remains
of ancient mines
and villages declining
and overgrown by bushes
and suddenly there were rock walls and towers
and branches creeping
into the walls.
Cautiously he sneaked nearer
and shot a arrow through a spitting cobra
and suddenly a figure appeared behind a bush,
but before his rock could hit it
it disappeared into the nought
and against a niche another figure stared
deep into his thoughts
IV
When he stormed with assegai in his hand
onto that figure
it disappeared around a corner
into a dark passageway
and all at once
there was an animal with glowing eyes
breathing heavily in the dark in front of him
and he lifted his shield against it
And took a firm grip on the back of the spear.
With rotting breath and cruel anger
a lion leaped with stretched out claws
growling onto him,
but he was shield somewhat
While the assegai went deep past the animal’s ribs.
V
While the lion died in anger
the claws ripped deep into the hunter’s shoulder
and his sharp knife
slashed time after time
through the animal’s heart
and covered in blood
he came out
from under weight of the dead lion.
In horror he saw
the lion changing slowly
from animal to human
with a spear through his ribs
and a lion skin
around his shoulders.
VI
He was still busy
dragging the lion skin from the killed man
and felt the soft fur
in his hands,
when to more lions
in anger leaped on him.
It was too much for him
since both knife and spear
still wedged into the dead man
and with the fighting
he had lost
his bow and arrows
and he was cornered
by lions ripping from both sides.
VII
l’Envoi
It is told
than when the air is open
and the moon takes long to rise
a mighty hunter appears
with the rain gods
where they bash their shields
and spears against each other
and that the air
is now his hunting ground
You can see stripes of thunder
when his arrows with thongs
dropp down to earth,
before the new season’s
first raindrops fall.
[Reference: With thanks to “The ivory trail” by T.V. Bulpin that gave me the idea of this poem.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Psalm 86
O Lord I cry to thee
All day long I make my plea
Your mercy is what I long to see
Hear my cry O God
In the day of trouble I call to you
Where else could I go, what else could I do?
O Lord there is none like you
Hear my cry O God
I will glorify your name forever-more
I will answer your knock and open up the door
You're the Lion of Judah and I hear the lion roar
Come now O Lord I pray
You are my comfort and you see my need
You are my glorious King, you are glorious indeed
In your light the darkness will recede
Come no O Lord I pray
poem by Frank McEleny
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Hear Me Lord
(hear me lord)
Forgive me lord
Please, those years when I ignored you, hmm
Forgive them lord
Those that feel they cant afford you, hmm
Help me lord, please
To rise above this dealing, hmm
Help me lord, please
To love you with more feeling, hmm
At both ends of the road
To the left and the right
Above and below us
Out and in, theres no place that youre not in
Oh, wont you hear me lord
(hear me lord)
(hear me lord)
(hear me lord)
(hear me lord)
At both ends of the road
To the left and the right
Above and below us
Out and in, theres no place that youre not in
Oh, wont you hear me lord
Help me lord, please
To rise a little higher, hmm
Help me lord, please
To burn out this desire, hmm
Hear me lord, please
Hear me lord, please
Oh, wont you please, please
Hear me lord
Oh, hear me lord
Hear me lord
Oh, wont you please, please
Hear me lord
My lord, my lord, my lord
(hear me lord)
Now, wont you please (hear me lord)
My lord, my lord, my lord
Wont you please / (hear me lord)
Oh, hear me lord, hear me lord
(hear me lord)
[*]
song performed by by George Harrison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The death of Samson
They wanted to make a mockery
of the man that was once mighty
and the thousands that were there
each one wanted to spit on him, to touch him
and in his blindness they forced him
to dance before them,
to jump away from their blows
but he objected to this and waited,
asked when things became a little calmer
that his helper led him to the central pillars
and he prayed to God, prepared himself,
when he apparently just found a place to rest.
Then the muscles in his body tensed
while he pulled with all of his might
and his arms strained to quivering
while the crowd waited, suddenly were afraid,
before the pillars that held the building up cracked,
broke to smithereens under his power
and for his God he made an end to his enemies,
when that temple, that building came down with a thundering sound
and in the last moments Samson realized
that God was still with him, when his vengeance was on his enemies.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Power
Sometimes a smile can deceive the one who has made you promise
Suddenly you can't believe, the truth only leaves you cold
Sometimes the answers you fear are there on the face in the mirror
Something the world needs to hear but no one is even listening
Power It takes Power Power It takes Power
To back up the things you say
Power It takes Power Power It takes Power
To cut through the chains Breakaway
Fortune can wear a disguise Pride is a grand illusion
And when it's your name up in lights fate proves this one conclusion
Sometimes the answers you fear are there on the face in the mirror
Something the world needs to hear the truth only leaves you cold
Power It takes Power Power It takes Power
To back up the things you say
Power It takes Power Power It takes Power
To cut through the chains Breakaway
Power It takes Power Power It takes Power
To fight back and not be afraid
Power It takes Power Power It takes Power
To cut through the chains Breakaway
All that you see someday will be
Lost in the shadows of time
Mountains must fall someday this all
Will be darkness where light used to shine
song performed by by Kansas
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Psalm 44
Oh Lord we hear the tales
Of saints from long ago
Who came into your presence
And in your Spirit, flow
Your Shekinah fell like morning dew
Upon them one and all
Your glory and your majesty
Before your throne they fall
Its by the light of countenance
That we take the promised land
Its by your strength and your right arm
That we walk hand in hand
But now o Lord you've cast us off
And put us all to shame
The enemy comes and takes from us
And we shall never be the same
Arise O Lord, please do not sleep
Why do you hide your face
Our souls are bowed down to the dust
We cry out for your grace
poem by Frank McEleny
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a Ray of sunlight
It was in the middle of the day
and the sun was high and bright,
in the deep blue African sky.
The LMG was getting heavy
and hot in my hands
and gnats were turning
round the piece of grass
in my brown bush hat.
Sweat were running
down my face
and like any other day,
a patrol in the hot
African bush was great fun
especially when your water
bottle was near empty
and your throat started to burn
and the going was fast.
The bushman tracker
was hot on the enemy spoor
and where the terrain
got more open,
we halted for a moment.
a Ray of sunlight
reflected bright like a flash light,
somewhere to the left
and pointed out an enemy ambush.
We half circled past
and attacked from their rear
and the LMG stuttered
from my hip
and suddenly the bush was clear
and the firefight was over
and an ominous silence hanged
deep in the African bush.
[Reference: => LMG=> Light machine gun. Spoor=>Track]
poem by Gert Strydom
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Don’t Cry For Me Africa
Don’t cry for me Africa
Because I will never let you out of my mind
I hear your voices people of Africa
I hear your cries people of Africa
I see pain in your eyes people of Africa
It is hard to describe what you people of Africa are going through
Poverty strikes you all people of Africa
Don’t cry for me Africa
Because I will keep you in my prayers people of Africa
Power to the people of Africa
People of Africa lift your spirit higher
Lord is the light and truth people of Africa
The Lord sends you a message from his heart to you people of Africa
He said because I love you
I will answer your prayers
I hear your prayers
Don’t cry for me Africa
Because you have a friend that is the Lord
People of Africa continue doing the Lords work
Make a wish people of Africa
The people of Africa are looking at the Lord face to face
Lord here is no paradise
We dream a little dream said the people of Africa to the Lord
The People of Africa Pray that the Lord will give each other strength every day
Don’t cry for me Africa
Save the people of Africa
Strengthened the people of Africa each day
Because I’ll be there in your dreams people of Africa
The people of Africa tells The Lord how much they love him
Don’t cry for me Africa
Lord comes when you are ready people of Africa
Feelings you have for your Lord People of Africa
And I know you will never let it die
Nothing but flowers the people of Africa will plant in the sea shore for the Lord
Don’t cry for me Africa
The people of Africa needs hope to heal there land
The Lord rose up on you people of Africa
Don’t cry for me Africa
My heart will go on
Once I close this door of the ship I will sail across the Atlantic Sea
poem by Aldo Kraas
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Today... 'The Captain of the Lord's hosts
When to Joshua You first appeared
Worshipping You he trembled and feared
For he was standing on Holy ground
And the shoes from his feet he unbound.
No enemy on earth or in hell
can withstand Your power or prevail
Satan and his minions take flight.
and flee with great trembling from the fight.
Over death You've won the victory
receiving all the honour and glory
The Captain of the Lord's Hosts arose
and conquered Satan and all His foes.
When I stand on the holiest ground
and there in Your presence I am found
'My Lord and my God' I will declare
and remove my shoes as I stand there.
With my face turned to the ground in fright
lost in wonder at my Captains sight
Then as Your comforting word I hear
it will removes all my guilt and fear.
The Captain of the Lord's hosts has died
To make me His own was crucified
Then in mighty power He arose
winning victory over His foes
Great Captain of the Angel armies
when You advance the enemy flees
No foe can withstand The Captains might
and Satan is banished from His sight
(see also the additional information in the Poet's notes box below)
Take My Hand, Precious Lord
(words & music by thomas a. dorsey)
Precious lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
Im tired, Im weak, Im lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
When my way grows drear precious lord linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
When the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
Precious lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
Im tired, Im weak, Im lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In The End
Jesus stands
With the very scourge in hand
That ripped his own flesh
So very long ago.
It's the end of all time
When every woman and man trembling stands
Awaiting - certain to receive each their own due.
As all walk, or crawl, to his side
Meekly expecting to get the endless lash...
What a surprise, when he hands it to them
Turns and offers his own deeply scarred back.
-One by one we all lay the flagra down
And dropp to our knees upon this holy ground
Overcome with joy
Of the final sanctification
As God himself lifts up everyone
Issuing each their own true name
In this the last and greatest eternal Revelation.
The last to arrive
On this the Great Day
Are a few Roman soldiers
From so very far away
These the same
Who in ignorance flogged Jesus at will
With nothing more, nor less
Upon their devious minds...than to kill.
But now the tides of time have turned,
For in great glory Christ has returned.
As here he stands over all creation,
King and Lord of all nations.
These Centurians who beat him long ago
Kneel at his feet, bent so low;
Many centuries before
These few came to understand
In the aftermath of all they'd seen and done
Truly the One they had killed
Was far more than mere man
Indeed he was, and is, God's own beloved Son.
So, they bow at his pierced feet
Fully aware that the one they murdered then
Now holds the souls of all men.
Does he wield the whip
In divine justice done?
No.
With a tender spirit and compassionate heart
He tenderly lifts them
One by one
Up from the cold hard ground.
He wipes away the tears and says
'You are forever forgiven,
Welcome Home, to this
Your eternal heaven.'
-If God refuses salvation, through Christ,
To even one who truly asks
Then how could any of us
Ever stand a chance?
Thank God he does forgive,
Thereby we all, by grace, can
Finally and forever, truly live.
poem by Smoky Hoss
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I Was Young When I Left Home
Written by Bob Dylan
Recorded on the Minnesota Hotel Tape (Dec 22, 1961)
Tabbed by Eyolf strem
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open G tuning (DGdgbd')
G 000000
G' 000430
D 000210
C 002010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I sorta made it up on a train. Huh, oh I'm here. This must be good for somebody, this sad song. I know it's good for somebody. If it ain't for me, it's good for somebody. I just talked about it, huh huh.
G
I was young when I left home
G' D C
and I been a-rambling 'round.
D
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
G G' D C
To my home, lord to my home.
D G
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
It was just the other day,
I was bringing home my pay
when I met an old friend I used to know.
Said your mother's dead and gone,
baby sister's all gone wrong
and your daddy needs you home right away.
Not a shirt on my back,
not a penny on my name.
But I can't go home thisaway.
Thisaway, lord lord lord.
And I can't go home thisaway.
If you miss the train I'm on,
count the days I'm gone.
You will hear that whistle blow a hundred miles.
Hundred miles, honey baby, lord lord lord,
and you'll hear that whistle blow a hundred miles.
I'm playing on a track,
ma would come and whoop me back
on them trussels down by old Jim McKay's.
When I pay the debt I owe to the commissary store,
I will pawn my watch and chain and go home.
Go home, lord lord lord.
I will pawn my watch and chain and go home.
Used to tell ma sometimes
when I see them riding blind,
gonna make me a home out in the wind.
In the wind, lord in the wind.
Make me a home out in the wind.
I don't like it in the wind,
I go back home again,
but I can't go home thisaway.
Thisaway, lord lord lord,
and I can't go home thisaway.
I was young when I left home
and I been all rambling 'round.
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
To my home lord lord lord.
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
song performed by by Bob Dylan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Lord Hold My Hand
Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Refrain
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.
When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:
Refrain
When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:
Refrain
song performed by by Dolly Parton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Take My Hand Precious Lord
Precious lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
Im tired, Im weak, Im lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
When my way grows drear precious lord linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
When the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
Precious lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
Im tired, Im weak, Im lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious lord, lead me home
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Everything
You got your blind indecisions of all the things they say
This is your life this time live it how you know.
Give one man power to kill
And one man hands to heal
Left one man suffering
All I want is everything
All I want is
All I want is
All I want is everything
They got the door wide open, won't you walk on in?
We're goin for a freak ride, won't you take a spin?
Okay thisll be the last chance so now make it right
If someone tries to stop you stand your ground and fight
Give one man power to kill
And one man hands to heal
Left one man suffering
All I want is everything
All I want is
All I want is
All I want is everything
Everything, everything
Everything, everything
Everything, everything
Everything, everything
Give one man power to kill and one man hands to heal
Give one man everything still others left suffering
Thrill of livin' stay on the right path
When death is calling you cant take it all back
Can't take it all back
Can't take it all back
Give one man power to kill
And one man hands to heal
Left one man suffering
All I want is everything
Give one man power to kill
And one man hands to heal
Left one man suffering
All I want is everything
All I want
All I want
All I want is everything
All I want
All I want
All I want is everything
song performed by by Zug Izland
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Songs of the Lathes
The fans and the beltings they roar round me.
The power is shaking the floor round me
Till the lathes pick up their duty and the midnight-shift takes over.
It is good for me to be here!
Guns in Flanders--Flanders guns!
(I had a man that worked 'em once!)
Shells for guns in Flanders, Flanders!
Shells for guns in Flanders, Flanders!
Shells for guns in Flanders! Feeds the guns!
The cranes and the carriers they boom over me,
The bays and the galleries they loom over me,
With their quarter-mile of pillars growing little in the distance--
It is good for me to be here!
The Zeppelins and Gothas they raid over us.
Our lights give warning, and fade over us.
(Seven thousand women keeping quiet in the darkness!)
Oh, it's good for me to be here.
The roofs and the buildings they grow round me,
Eating up the fields I used to know round me;
And the shed that I began in is a sub-inspector's office--
So long have I been here!
I've seen six hundred mornings make our lamps grow dim,
Through the bit that isn't painted round our sky-light rim,
And the sunshine through the window slope according to the seasons,
Twice since I've been here.
The trains on the sidings they call to us
With the hundred thousand blanks that they haul to us;
And we send 'em what we've finished, and they take it where it's wanted,
For that is why we are here!
Man's hate passes as his love will pass.
God made Woman what she always was.
Them that bear the burden they will never grant forgiveness
So long as they are here!
Once I was a woman, but that's by with me.
All I loved and looked for, it must die with me;
But the Lord has left me over for a servant of the Judgment,
And I serve His Judgments here!
Guns in Flanders--Flanders guns!
(I had a son that worked 'em once!)
Shells for guns in Flanders, Flanders!
Shells for guns in Flanders, Flanders!
Shells for guns in Flanders! Feeds the guns!
poem by Rudyard Kipling
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Before And After Christ (BC/AD)
I was blind and I could not see
I was dead by the trespasses in me
I was insensitive and devoid of feeling
I was sick and in need of healing
I was deaf and could not hear
I was lost in a world of fear
I was dumb and unable to talk
I was lame and could not walk
I was dim and unable to perceive
I doubted and I could not believe
Lord, I was blind and unable to see
Your loving arms outstretched at Calvary.
Lord, I was dead in trespasses and sin
unaware You had died my love to win.
Lord, I was lame and unable to walk
to enter your presence and hear You talk.
Lord, I was deaf and could not even hear
Your Gospel message ringing out so clear.
Lord, I was callous devoid of feeling
lost in sin and in great need of healing.
Lord, I was dumb and unable to shout
as You walked on by I could not call out.
********
It was while I was in this wretched state
You came for me before it was too late.
Reached out and touched me with healing power
transforming my life that very same hour.
You raised me from the dead by Your grace
opening my eyes to behold Your face.
I leapt with joy and used my lips to sing
of Your great love and wondrous healing.
Now, no more is my soul condemned to death
since You breathed into me life giving breath.
I now have eternal life by rebirth
alive in You I'm no more confined to earth.
A Beggar's Prayer
Precious Lord;
I have much to ask,
and you have much to do;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I know my place is humble,
and you are the King of Kings;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I'm certain that I am unworthy,
of your mercy and saving grace;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I walk the road that I choose,
and stumble most of the time;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I want to walk your path,
and help others along the way;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I ask for your guidance,
in setting my feet back straight;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I turn to you O Lord,
with open arms and bleeding heart;
Because Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for You alone know what to do.
poem by George Aul
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Power She Holds
Slowly she'll open her hand
she knows the power she holds
she look him right in the eyes and smile
she know his end will come soon
seense she release the power the she holds
on him
he knows know to look over his shoulder
her ears hears all and she see all
now that he made this enemy the wrath of
the power she holds is released on him
the second he turns his back she'll be there to
remind him what he did wrong
poem by Aiyanna Ortiz
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