With each other
(after T.T. Cloete)
Together we enjoyed evenings
in each other's company, dined out,
at times we talked and sometimes were silent;
for months we knew about our love,
we visited and drove around,
shared poems, stories and memories,
at times we only stayed peacefully at home,
we knew that love can never be boring
and we talked almost right through nights,
we went to church in suits and ties and coats,
we embraced every time that we got together,
even in rain showers and in muddy patches
while we were becoming much more in love.
[Reference: "die welkomsomhelsing" (the welcoming embrace) by T.T. Cloete.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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Related quotes
To a Dead Poet
I knew not if to laugh or weep;
They sat and talked of you--
"'Twas here he sat; 'twas this he said!
'Twas that he used to do.
"Here is the book wherein he read,
The room wherein he dwelt;
And he" (they said) "was such a man,
Such things he thought and felt."
I sat and sat, I did not stir;
They talked and talked away.
I was as mute as any stone,
I had no word to say.
They talked and talked; like to a stone
My heart grew in my breast--
I, who had never seen your face
Perhaps I knew you best.
I Love You Too Much
We talked and talked and talked and talked for hours
An ocean or two couldnt keep me away from you
We spoke about the time and place of our first meeting
Without a word I know you knew that I cared about you
I love you too much
I love you too much
I love you too much
I love you too much
Been one too many lonely nights without you
On one too many trains and boats and planes
I spent a thousand nights alone before I met you
And Ill spend many more until we meet again
I love you too much
I love you too much
I love you too much
I love you too much
song performed by by Human League

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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At the graveyard (in answer to T.T. Cloete)
It's exhausting, painful with tears
there at the grave,
old ladies blow their noses and cry, old men
pass away all of the time
with surreptitiously a big argument about who
will inherit everything,
when cousins glance at each other
sometimes kiss, embrace and reach out hands.
[Reference: "Ballade van die kerkhof" (Ballade of the graveyard) by T.T. Cloete.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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The Orange Tree
(after T.T. Cloete)
Where it stands drawing liquid from the earth,
through a system of roots, branches and leaves
while it gathers the sun, rain and wind
it forms fruit with a sour-sweet taste
that is symmetrical pressed into a membrane
of which the smell and taste catches you
when it breaks open in your hand as slices
as if a new wonder hangs around it.
[Reference: 'Lemoenboom' (Orange tree) by T.T. Cloete.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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The Gossiper
(9/15/12)
She was well to do, and had more
Money than me and you.
She loved to gossip and put people down
it mattered not- who was around.
She talked about everyone that she knew
And wouldn't let you leave till she was through.
She talked about her neighbors and her friends
And put them down to the bitter end.
They said she was lonely and didn't have a life
But who in the world would make her " his wife"?
Now the years have taken its toll
And she's gotten very old.
But! There was someone " who had done just that"
And she became bitter and fat.
She had married at a very young age
To a man who was twice her age.
After a few years he passed away
And she became even more bitter and enraged.
That is when she started to talk
About all who was around
And enjoyed the fact of putting people down.
Soon no one came to visit any more
For she had closed all the doors
They had gotten tired of trying
To be her friend, when she talked
About them - to no end.
There was nothing that could stop
Her wagging tongue, even as she
Was in her dying bed.
She talked about the living and the dead.
When the time came and she was laid to rest.
They said there was two coffins laid in the ground.
One for her body and one for her tongue
So she could not talk to anyone.
(the comical moral of this story)
: Don't talk without knowing- cause
Your tongue don't know where it's going.
© L. RAMS
poem by Louis Rams

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My father (in answer to T.T. Cloete)
My father lived for God, family, friends
and for his country,
just before his death, as a lay preacher
he gave a sermon in pain while trembling,
he was formidable, the kind of man
to emulate,
his word was true, more concrete than steel,
integrity did radiate from him.
[Reference: "Ballade van die patriot" (ballad of the patriot) by T.T. Cloete.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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I Believe
On the shreads
Of broken,
Defunct ties
Called relations
I lie.
My believe on love
A very distant cry.
My mind tells me
This is real,
And I am destined to live
"life"
A loveless,
Lonely lie.
But stupid heart
Refuses to give in
Still believes in the truth
Frilled in silent lies.
Still hopes
That there will be a
"tomorrow"
Where "you"
Stands "mine"
And a thread will bind
"us"
Ignorant of time.
That love will happen
And life will be beyond,
Broken,
Defunct ties.
And my believe on love
Would no longer be
A far distant cry.-anjali
poem by Anjali Kakati

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Intimacy
I hear people say, "I love my iPhone, "
Or, "I love drinking a Starbucks coffee."
Sometimes: "I love my Versace cologne, "
And also: "I love having this money."
I hear people say, "I love my Walmart, "
Or, "I love the drive-thru at Taco Bell."
"I love my TV. It's state of the art."
"I love the shoes that Nike has to sell."
I hear this: "I love American Idol, "
And, "I love a nice, cold Budweiser."
"I love medicines such as Demerol."
And, "I love my internet provider."
Yet, one thing I don't hear is, "I love you."
Saying that is too intimate to do.
poem by Tim Stensloff

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That our love must be lost (in answer to N. P. van Wyk Louw)
That our love must be lost,
at a time will have to end
that there is an end to all things,
is something that I find sorrowful and amazing
that no one can stop the coming of the night,
when sometimes I see your sunny glances
tags at my mind as I do know
that nothing, nobody can stop death
when at times I hold you tenderly
as if love can last eternally.
[Reference: "Dat alle liefde" ("That all love") by N. P. van Wyk Louw.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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Sonnet V: Nothing But No
Nothing but "No," and "Aye," and "Aye," and "No"?
How falls it out so strangely you reply?
I tell ye, Fair, I'll not be answer'd so,
With this affirming "No," denying "Aye."
I say, "I love," you slightly answer "Aye";
I say, "You love," you pule me out a "No";
I say, "I die," you echo me an "Aye";
"Save me," I cry, you sigh me out a "No";
Must woe and I have nought but "No" and "Aye"?
No I am I, if I no more can have;
Answer no more, with silence make reply,
And let me take myself what I do crave.
Let "No" and "Aye" with I and you be so;
Then answer "No," and "Aye," and "Aye" and "No."
poem by Michael Drayton

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At play
Play that you are mother dear,
And play that papa is your beau;
Play that we sit in the corner here,
Just as we used to, long ago.
Playing so, we lovers two
Are just as happy as we can be,
And I'll say "I love you" to you,
And you say "I love you" to me!
"I love you" we both shall say,
All in earnest and all in play.
Or, play that you are that other one
That some time came, and went away;
And play that the light of years agone
Stole into my heart again to-day!
Playing that you are the one I knew
In the days that never again may be,
I'll say "I love you" to you,
And you say "I love you" to me!
I love you!" my heart shall say
To the ghost of the past come back to-day!
Or, play that you sought this nestling-place
For your own sweet self, with that dual guise
Of your pretty mother in your face
And the look of that other in your eyes!
So the dear old loves shall live anew
As I hold my darling on my knee,
And I'll say "I love you" to you,
And you say "I love you" to me!
Oh, many a strange, true thing we say
And do when we pretend to play!
poem by Eugene Field

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Winter (in answer to D. J. Opperman)
Through dark nights I am alone,
I am still missing you in this bleak season
while the storm wind blows strong in the rain,
I forget everything that love could do,
while I hear the storm moaning like a beast,
when the weather trembles wet against the windows,
then the naked trees do not have any leaves
and then suddenly everything around me gets silent,
over your life so completely wasted.
[Reference: "Voorwinter" "Pre-winter" by D. J. Opperman.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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Mom
"Hello mom, " I said "It's me"
"California set me free"
She just laughed and said "I knew"
Said I was one of the few
Who could make it anywhere
Go through life without a care
Which I can I know for sure
For in my heart I am pure
We talked for a long, long while
Which is really not my style
Then just before our goodbyes
She started in with the lies
About how good life had been
How she gave up on the gin
Then I heard a word she slurred
That moment my world was blurred
Was I to ignore the call
Or stop her from her sure fall
It pains me every day
That I didn't even pray
For we never spoke again
That's the source of all my pain
poem by Paul H Nelson

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Talked Me Into It
I'll stand and hold onto
everything I wished for
I'm stubborn, but you talked me into it
You have the key to my mind
I melt in front of you
You turn me on without trying
You talked me into it
And I let you, at that time
I could have believed
anything you said
You ignored me before that night
but I was desperate for your attention
If I was psychic,
woulda wished for anything but you
You talked me into it
Into everything I wished for
I'm stubborn, but you talked me into it
Wondered if you knew I existed
I was enchanted with you
Never felt more forgotten
I'm stubborn, but you laughed
Said, I'll never leave you in the rain
I took your word, let you
Talk me into it
You're the only one that has
enough of me to love
and wish
You talked me into it
Banished me to the back of your mind
after all these years
Never felt more forgotten
I'm stubborn, but
I remember that night
When you talked me into it
But I stood and held onto
everything I wished for
I'm stubborn, but you talked me into it
She Loves Him
He sees her when she leers seductively
Of all maidens in the cottage he saw her lovely
He was a friend to all yet a little to her, shy
She liked him and he knew not why
She asks, "For me a cho'late, would you buy? "
For her the oceans he would cross sightlessly
He knew much well; a smile wry
"I love you, Jessie" he said, never heard with ears
"Do you, really? Please tell me why? ! "
A feeling my heart has lived on these year
Against their love were many; did leave hearts to tear
Elope! He would've with her to the cold hills
To a distant land of the unknown deserts
Never to return, never to love again- she scribes
And ever seeks broken within, never an auxiliary…ever relentless!
poem by Nicholas Boateng

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The Same Mother
They each shared
the same mother
shared the same loss of her
when the time came
gave the same
last wave
when she was
driven off
to crematorium
and then grave
but each had
their own mother
whom they shared
with no other
one with whom
they shared
a particular time
or place
sitting quietly
face to face
sharing a secret
or confessing
a deed done
or just
the mother to child meeting
with just the two
at some given time
at some particular place
some given year
to share a problem
or tears or anxieties
or deeper fears
and knowing
she would listen
as only mother's can
or do
sharing the time and love
with each particular
person called you
whether daughter or son
she shared
her equal love and time
and yet each knew her
each thought
they knew her best
and carried away
their own best times
in her company
without the rest
their own moments shared
but deep down
they knew
she had her love for each
and each was equal
to the rest
for she never had
a favourite
nor considered
any one the best
so they all shared
the same mother
in the end
all grieved her going
each in their own way
hoping or believing
they would share her
once again
some better place
some future day.
poem by Terry Collett

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Love's Message
"I LOVE YOU" HAS THREE SEPARATE PARTS
THAT TAKEN TOGETHER WILL BIND LOVING HEARTS.
IF ONE PART IS MISSING, THERE'S NO LOVE AT ALL.
SO OUT-OF-LOVE IS THE SAD AND EVENTUAL FALL.
THE "I" FIRST MUST KNOW AND LOVE ITSELF FOR SURE.
ONLY THEN CAN IT GIVE SELFLESS "LOVE" THAT IS PURE.
THE "YOU" CHOSEN WITH NO RESTRAINT OR COMPLAINTS
IS "I LOVE YOU, " A MESSAGE FROM GOD AND THE SAINTS.
poem by Gregory Huyette

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Gacela of Unforseen Love
No one understood the perfume
of the dark magnolia of your womb.
Nobody knew that you tormented
a hummingbird of love between your teeth.
A thousand Persian little horses fell asleep
in the plaza with moon of your forehead,
while through four nights I embraced
your waist, enemy of the snow.
Between plaster and jasmins, your glance
was a pale branch of seeds.
I sought in my heart to give you
the ivory letters that say "siempre",
"siempre", "siempre" : garden of my agony,
your body elusive always,
that blood of your veins in my mouth,
your mouth already lightless for my death.
poem by Federico García Lorca

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Concerning The Synthetic Unity Of Apperception
"Trash, trash!" the king my uncle said,
"The spirit's smoke and weak as smoke ascends.
"Sit in the sun and not among the dead,
"Eat oranges! Pish tosh! the car attends.
"All ghosts came back. they do not like it there,
"No silky water and no big brown bear,
"No beer and no siestas up above."
"Uncle," I said, "I'm lonely. What is love?"
This drove him quite insane. Now he must knit
Time and apperception, bit by tiny bit.
poem by Delmore Schwartz

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Lets Talk About Us
We talked about the birdies
That fly up in the trees
We talked about the moon
And the stars we couldnt see
But you keep on pretending
You dont know whats wrong with me
Come on, lets talk, about us
We talked about the good times
That made us laugh and sigh
We talked about the bad times
That brought tears to our eyes
Now, I think its about time
For you to realize
Come on, lets talk, about us
(hey)
Dear, I swear Ill love you, til the very end
But I dont plan on stickin around
If its just to be your friend
Weve talked, an talked, an talked, an talked
But theres been nothin said
The things that youve been talkin about
Just dont stick to my head
Sometimes I think, little girl
That your heart is filled with lead
Come on, lets talk, about us
Well, dear I swear Ill love you
Oh, til the very end
Well, I dont plan on stickin around
If its just to be your friend
Weve talked, an talked, an talked, an talked
And theres been nothin said
The thing that youve been talkin about
Just dont stick to my head
My darlin little girl
I think that your heart is made of lead
Come on, lets talk, about us
Come on, lets talk, about us
Well, well, well, well, well
Come on, lets talk, about us
song performed by by Van Morrison

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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