The Convert
After one moment when I bowed my head
And the whole world turned over and came upright,
And I came out where the old road shone white,
I walked the ways and heard what all men said,
Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,
Being not unlovable but strange and light;
Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite
But softly, as men smile about the dead.
The sages have a hundred maps to give
That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,
They rattle reason out through many a sieve
That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:
And all these things are less than dust to me
Because my name is Lazarus and I live.
poem by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
The Convert
After one moment when I bowed my head
And the whole world turned over and came upright,
And I came out where the old road shone white,
I walked the ways and heard what all men said,
Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,
Being not unlovable but strange and light;
Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite
But softly, as men smile about the dead.
The sages have a hundred maps to give
That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,
They rattle reason out through many a sieve
That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:
And all these things are less than dust to me
Because my name is Lazarus and I live.
poem by G.K. Chesterton
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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0046 Jewel of Blood
A fine morning and the side-streets empty
then turning the corner,
in the middle of the road
a pigeon - grey-mauve, plump and feather-perfect,
one wing half-spread in flight,
sprawled sideways,
dead
and at that moment the sun shone
cruelly
on the blood that shone on the dusty road by its head,
a jewel, redder than any red,
that shone like a message
as if it were the blood of the world itself
so rich, so rich...
and I felt guilty
that I saw it so beautiful,
that jewel from the heart of a dead dove
of peace,
and thought I should suppress the thought...
and, now, that further thought which hovered in its train
that this whole world in such a jewel of blood,
more precious than a ruby, or than gold, or much fine gold,
a jewel beyond price
is what a devotee at communion or at Mass...
while cool reason
(what has reason to do with this?)
countered
well you value your own blood above most things
don't you? Why not a pigeon's?
but all words spent and poets silent and associations dropped
and thoughts at rest,
that pool of blood
in the winter sunlight that shone on the dusty street
was just so beautiful.
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Cast My Net Into The Sea
In the morning I cast my net into the sea.
I dragged up from the dark abyss things of strange aspect and strange beauty -- some shone like a smile, some glistened like tears, and some were flushed like the cheeks of a bride.
When with the day's burden I went home, my love was sitting in the garden idly tearing the leaves of a flower.
I hesitated for a moment, and then placed at her feet all that I had dragged up, and stood silent.
She glanced at them and said, 'What strange things are these? I know not of what use they are!'
I bowed my head in shame and thought, 'I have not fought for these, I did not buy them in the market; they are not fit gifts for her.'
Then the whole night through I flung them one by one into the street.
In the morning travellers came; they picked them up and carried them into far countries.
poem by Rabindranath Tagore
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Autumn
Here it is autumn,
the leaves are turning
from green to gold and red.
As the days, get shorter
as we head
towards winter’s wonderland,
which is not that far ahead.
However, while we have it
lets enjoy the autumn sun
and the wonderful colours
that brings our way.
Lets enjoy it while we have it
for all too soon it will be gone
replaced by the winter
and its frosty song
when the world becomes
winter white again.
poem by David Harris
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Moment To Moment
Too many nights of isolation
Too many echoes in my head
Too many fires left burning
In this bed
Too many thoughts of desperation
So much pain deep down below
So mych a slave to my senses
I cant let go
From moment to moment
I live and I die
This cant go on anymore
Another day, another lie
From moment to moment
I stand and I fall
This cant go on anymore
Unless we both give it all
I ask you how can a man keep his distance
How can he reason with his heart
How can you hold me so near
Yet keep me so far
From moment to moment
I live and I die
This cant go on anymore
Another day, another lie
From moment to moment
I stand and I fall
This cant go on anymore
Unless we both give it all
Sometimes Id like to break you down
To see if theres a trace of woman in you that could be found
But I just keep prayin youll come around
And live from moment to moment
I live from moment to moment
I live from moment to moment
So much a slave to my senses
I cant let go
From moment to moment
I live and I die
This cant go on anymore
Another day, another lie
From moment to moment
I stand and I fall
This cant go on anymore
Unless we both give it all
You know I want to give it all
I live from moment to moment
Everyday of my life
I live from moment to moment
song performed by by Gino Vanelli
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Drying World
The world is dry
My world is getting dry
Dust flows ash flies
Tasted sweet and choked
like face powder
The grain sand's coarse
The stone and the sun
Road's burned by the heat
My tears vapour
Leaving a trace in my eyes
I was so close, I can't hide
Nobody knows
The dark in my heart's shrieking
Another reason to run
No other reason to smile
poem by Maria Sudibyo
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All I Ask
All I ask
Is to live each moment
Free from the last
Take the road forgotten
Dont leave me here
Oh, please let me stray
Far from familiar things
All I ask
Is to live each moment
All I ask
Is to live each moment
Free from the last
Strange roads
Going nowhere
Going nowhere in particular
All I ask
Is to live each moment
All I ask
Is to live each moment
Free from the last
Free from the last
All I ask
song performed by by Crowded House
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You Might Die Trying
I'll walk halfway around the world
To change the world
Just to sit down by your side
Starts with one step
And I would do most anything, girl
How ever small
To be the apple of your eye
First step is hardest of all
Well troubles, they may come and go
Once you get your gauge
But good times, they're the gold
You'll be walking tall
And if the road gets rocky, girl
You said you never did
Just steady as we go
Cause you might die trying
Any place you wanna go
Cause you might die trying
Know I'll be next to you
Cause you
If it's treasure, baby, you're looking for
I'll search the whole world through
If you close your eyes
I know troubles, they may come and go
Cause the house is on fire
But good times, they're the gold
And think you couldn't move
So if the road gets rocky, girl
Until the fire dies
Just steady as we go
The things you never did
When the storm comes down you shelter me
Cause you might die trying
When I don't say a word and you know exactly what i mean
Cause you might die trying
In the darkest times, oh, you shine on me
You'd be as good as dead
You set me free and keep me steady as we go
Cause you might die trying
So if your heart wrings dry, my love
Cause you might die trying
I will fill your cup
And if your load gets heavy, girl
If you give
I will lift you up
you begin to live
Well troubles, they may come and go
if you give
But good times be the gold
begin to live
So if the road gets rocky, girl
you begin
Just steady as we go
you get the world
If you give you begin to live
Shine, shine, shine
you get the world
shine on me
If you give you begin to live
You might die trying
You might die trying
You might die trying
The things you never did
Cause you might die trying
You'd be as good as dead
The things you never did
song performed by by Dave Matthews Band
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Someone Missing? Someone Gone?
I listened to the old man’s sighs,
he bowed his head and closed his eyes.
Back in time his memories went.
His shoulders and his back were bent.
His face took on a haunted look,
as he scrolled through his minds scrapbook.
A smile appeared and up he glanced,
remembering some time enhanced
by pictures entering his mind,
something that he had left behind
in those faint far away spent days,
recollected down distant ways.
And then his countenance turned grim,
a stark event came back to him,
forgotten for a long, long spell,
making the shining tears to dwell,
within those seeing orbs that shone.
Is someone missing? Someone gone?
I saw before me a man wise,
and watched him as he tried to rise.
Stumbling, weary, along the road,
carrying such a heavy load
of sorrows, pain and things now past.
On cobblestones his shadow cast.
So slowly he advanced towards,
a shelter made of plywood boards.
And climbing in, was out of view,
his name, his age, I never knew.
I turned and walked across the square,
thinking that life was so unfair.
Next day I heard that he had died,
and that’s when I sat down and cried.
poem by Ernestine Northover
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Let's Get Free
I went searching
For something I could believe
So I turned on the TV
I was fed hypocrisy
Leading me towards the sea
Of confusion
I heard a voice
Ringing like music in the air
Breaking hearts most everywhere
All the people in despair
Cry out for justice to be fair
To every people
(Chorus)
Saying lets get free, lets get free
Dont just believe in what you hear
Dont just believe in what you see
Lets get free, lets get free
You gotta open up your mind
Cause truth is what ya need, oh truth is what you need
Our love
Can prop you up and make you stand
Some are sinking in the sand
With all that silver in their hand
Take a message to that man
That wisdom is power
And tell me now
You have Allah on your side
Or is it Jesus or your pride
Will it get you through the night
Every man has to have something to believe in
(Chorus)
Lets get free, lets get free
You gotta believe in what you feel
And feel what you believe
Lets get free, lets get free
oh love is all you need
Before the dawn
Comes the darkest hour of night
Either walk into the light
Or you turn and close your eyes
And fade into a dreamless sleep and hide
Every human
Is gonna laugh and sometimes cry
Every tear that fills your eyes
Falls with the weight of sacrifice
Forgiveness hears the pain of disappointment
(Chorus)
Lets get free, lets get free
Dont just believe in what you hear
Dont just believe in what you see
Lets get free, oh lets get free
Everythings as it should be
So faith is all you need, oh peace is all you need, oh truth is all you need
yeah oh
What the world needs now is love love love
What the world needs now is love love love
What the world needs now is love love love
song performed by by Sheryl Crow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rockin In The Free World
Theres colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin their feet
People sleepin in their shoes
But theres a warnin sign on the road ahead
Theres a lot of people sayin wed be better off dead
Dont feel like satan, but I am to them
So I try to forget it, any way I can.
Keep on rockin in the free world,
Keep on rockin in the free world
Keep on rockin in the free world,
Keep on rockin in the free world.
I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away, and shes gone to get a hit
She hates her life, and what shes done to it
Theres one more kid that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool.
Keep on rockin in the free world,
Keep on rockin in the free world
Keep on rockin in the free world,
Keep on rockin in the free world.
We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
We got department stores and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive.
Keep on rockin in the free world,
Keep on rockin in the free world
Keep on rockin in the free world,
Keep on rockin in the free world.
song performed by by Neil Young
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Strange Tree
There’s a strange tree which lives near me,
And this strange tree could not agree,
That if this tree could ever see,
A stranger tree it sure would be.
There’s a strange tree which topples me,
For this strange tree was tall, you see,
And then this tree would use its knee,
To break in three, the clouds who flee.
There’s a strange tree which lives near me,
The northern tree, its branches free,
The southern tree, no limb to see,
For this strange tree, was strange, you see?
There’s a strange tree which I can see,
And this strange tree (against my plea)
Was sent to sea, its roots now free,
And now this tree… A ship is he.
End.
Your Every Color
I can see the red, white and free in you
You light the night up like the moon
And underneath your clouds, I see the blue
You're hopeless 'cause you tell the truth
The stars are jealous of your shine
If you were mine
There's not a thing I wouldn't do
You're black and beautiful, yellow, tan
You're white as light and soft as sand
With greens and greys and oh for days
A silver lining on the way you cover everyone
Just like a morning sun
You turn me into someone I would rather be
OOO- I love your every color
OOO- I love your everything
You wear the day around you
Like it's yours to stay around you
Maybe I could stay around you too
If that's alright with you
You're coffee brown and bubble gum pink
And oh I think the shade of you is on the brink
Of changing all the ways I see the world
I could drown inside a single drop
Of all the kinds of things you got
And all the kinds of things I'm not
Might just give me a chance to see
From way up where you are
Above the silent stars
Just dancing in the sky
You're better than any rainbow
You're brighter than the sun
You look like my first day of summer
When my spring is on the run
You're gold and more gold
And you're platinum too
With snow toned, copper attitude
I don't know what I'd do without you
I don't know what I'll do about you
song performed by by Train
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Ballad of God-Makers
A bird flew out at the break of day
From the nest where it had curled,
And ere the eve the bird had set
Fear on the kings of the world.
The first tree it lit upon
Was green with leaves unshed;
The second tree it lit upon
Was red with apples red;
The third tree it lit upon
Was barren and was brown,
Save for a dead man nailed thereon
On a hill above a town.
That right the kings of the earth were gay
And filled the cup and can;
Last night the kings of the earth were chill
For dread of a naked man.
'If he speak two more words,' they said,
'The slave is more than the free;
If he speak three more words,' they said,
'The stars are under the sea.'
Said the King of the East to the King of the West,
I wot his frown was set,
'Lo; let us slay him and make him as dung,
It is well that the world forget.'
Said the King of the West to the King of the East,
I wot his smile was dread,
'Nay, let us slay him and make him a god,
It is well that our god be dead.'
They set the young man on a hill,
They nailed him to a rod;
And there in darkness and in blood
They made themselves a god.
And the mightiest word was left unsaid,
And the world had never a mark,
And the strongest man of the sons of men
Went dumb into the dark.
Then hymns and harps of praise they brought,
Incense and gold and myrrh,
And they thronged above the seraphim,
The poor dead carpenter.
'Thou art the prince of all,' they sang,
'Ocean and earth and air.'
Then the bird flew on to the cruel cross,
And hid in the dead man's hair.
'Thou art the sun of the world,' they cried,
'Speak if our prayers be heard.'
And the brown bird stirred in the dead man's hair,
And it seemed that the dead man stirred.
Then a shriek went up like the world's last cry
From all nations under heaven,
And a master fell before a slave
And begged to be forgiven.
They cowered, for dread in his wakened eyes
The ancient wrath to see;
And the bird flew out of the dead Christ's hair,
And lit on a lemon-tree.
poem by G.K. Chesterton from The Wild Knight and Other Poems (1900)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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The Ballad of God-Makers
A bird flew out at the break of day
From the nest where it had curled,
And ere the eve the bird had set
Fear on the kings of the world.
The first tree it lit upon
Was green with leaves unshed;
The second tree it lit upon
Was red with apples red;
The third tree it lit upon
Was barren and was brown,
Save for a dead man nailed thereon
On a hill above a town.
That night the kings of the earth were gay
And filled the cup and can;
Last night the kings of the earth were chill
For dread of a naked man.
‘If he speak two more words,' they said,
‘The slave is more than the free;
If he speak three more words,' they said,
‘The stars are under the sea.'
Said the King of the East to the King of the West,
I wot his frown was set,
‘Lo, let us slay him and make him as dung,
It is well that the world forget.'
Said the King of the West to the King of the East,
I wot his smile was dread,
‘Nay, let us slay him and make him a god,
It is well that our god be dead.'
They set the young man on a hill,
They nailed him to a rod;
And there in darkness and in blood
They made themselves a god.
And the mightiest word was left unsaid,
And the world had never a mark,
And the strongest man of the sons of men
Went dumb into the dark.
Then hymns and harps of praise they brought,
Incense and gold and myrrh,
And they thronged above the seraphim,
The poor dead carpenter.
‘Thou art the prince of all,' they sang,
‘Ocean and earth and air.'
Then the bird flew on to the cruel cross,
And hid in the dead man's hair.
‘Thou art the son of the world.' they cried, `
‘Speak if our prayers be heard.'
And the brown bird stirred in the dead man's hair
And it seemed that the dead man stirred.
Then a shriek went up like the world's last cry
From all nations under heaven,
And a master fell before a slave
And begged to be forgiven.
They cowered, for dread in his wakened eyes
The ancient wrath to see;
And a bird flew out of the dead Christ's hair,
And lit on a lemon tree.
poem by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Creation of the Moon
The man cut his throat and left his head there.
The others went to get it.
When they got there they put the head in a sack.
Farther on the head fell out onto the ground.
They put the head back in the sack.
Farther on the head fell out again.
Around the first sack they put a second one that
was thicker.
But the head fell out just the same.
It should be explained that they were taking the head
to show to the others.
They did not put the head back in the sack.
They left it in the middle of the road.
They went away.
They crossed the river.
But the head followed them.
They climbed up a tree full of fruit
to see whether it would go past.
The head stopped at the foot of the tree
and asked them for some fruit.
So the men shook the tree.
The head went to get the fruit.
Then it asked for some more.
So the men shook the tree
so that the fruit fell into the water.
The head said it couldn't get the fruit from there.
So the men threw the fruit a long way
to make the head go a long way to get it so they could go.
While the head was getting the fruit
the men got down from the tree and went on.
The head came back and looked at the tree
and didn't see anybody
so went on rolling down the road.
The men had stopped to wait
to see whether the head would follow them.
They saw the head come rolling.
They ran.
They got to their hut they told the others that the head
was rolling after them and to shut the door.
All the huts were closed tight.
When it got there the head commanded them to open the doors.
The owners would not open them because they were afraid.
So the head started to think what it would turn into.
If it turned into water they would drink it.
If it turned into earth they would walk on it.
If it turned into a house they would live in it.
If it turned into a steer they would kill it and eat it.
If it turned into a cow they would milk it.
If it turned into a bean they would cook it.
If it turned into the sun
When men were cold it would heat them.
If it turned into rain the grass would grow and the
animals would crop it.
So it thought, and it said, "I will turn into the moon."
It called, "Open the doors, I want to get my things."
They would not open them.
The head cried. It called out, "At least give me
my two balls of twine."
They threw out the two balls of twine through a hole.
It took them and threw them into the sky.
It asked them to throw it a little stick too
to roll the thread around so it could climb up.
Then it said, "I can climb, I am going to the sky."
It started to climb.
The men opened the doors right away.
The head went on climbing.
The men shouted, "You going to the sky, head?"
It didn't answer.
As soon as it got to the Sun
it turned into the Moon.
Toward evening the Moon was white, it was beautiful.
And the men were surprised
to see that the head had turned into the Moon.
Who Am I
Who am I to understand
The ways of love a grain of sand
To fall between these fingers
That I hold
Who am I that you should trust
A wind that turns a stone to dust
A mountain to surrender all its gold
And who am I to say, you should believe in me
And who am I to say I love you
One reason why love cannot die
Tell me who am I
Who am I, I never knew
My heart was roaming from or to
(I don't know where we are going to)
The different arms between my day and night
(All I want is just to be with you)
Who am I, a distant sun
A thought before the moment's gone
(Just a thought before the moment's gone)
And I will never let you from my side
(You will always be the only one)
And all I have to say you can believe in me
For who am I to say I love you
One reason why love cannot die
You are on my heart remembers
Tell me who am I
And who am I to say I love you
One reason why love can not die
Tell me who am I
For who am I to say I love you
One reason why love cannot die
You are on my heart remembers
Tell me who
Tell me who am I
song performed by by Air Supply
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Nine from Eight
I was drivin' my two-mule waggin,
With a lot o' truck for sale,
Towards Macon, to git some baggin'
(Which my cotton was ready to bale),
And I come to a place on the side o' the pike
Whar a peert little winter branch jest had throw'd
The sand in a kind of a sand-bar like,
And I seed, a leetle ways up the road,
A man squattin' down, like a big bull-toad,
On the ground, a-figgerin' thar in the sand
With his finger, and motionin' with his hand,
And he looked like Ellick Garry.
And as I driv up, I heerd him bleat
To hisself, like a lamb: 'Hauh? nine from eight
Leaves nuthin' -- and none to carry?'
And Ellick's bull-cart was standin'
A cross-wise of the way,
And the little bull was a-expandin',
Hisself on a wisp of hay.
But Ellick he sat with his head bent down,
A-studyin' and musin' powerfully,
And his forrud was creased with a turrible frown,
And he was a-wurken' appearently
A 'rethmetic sum that wouldn't gee,
Fur he kep' on figgerin' away in the sand
With his finger, and motionin' with his hand,
And I seed it WAS Ellick Garry.
And agin I heard him softly bleat
To hisself, like a lamb: 'Hauh? nine from eight
Leaves nuthin' -- and none to carry!'
I woa'd my mules mighty easy
(Ellick's back was towards the road
And the wind hit was sorter breezy)
And I got down off'n my load,
And I crep' up close to Ellick's back,
And I heerd him a-talkin' softly, thus:
'Them figgers is got me under the hack.
I caint see how to git out'n the muss,
Except to jest nat'ally fail and bus'!
My crap-leen calls for nine hundred and more.
My counts o' sales is eight hundred and four,
Of cotton for Ellick Garry.
Thar's eight, ought, four, jest like on a slate:
Here's nine and two oughts -- Hauh? nine from eight
Leaves nuthin' -- and none to carry.
'Them crap-leens, oh, them crap-leens!
I giv one to Pardman and Sharks.
Hit gobbled me up like snap-beans
In a patch full o' old fiel'-larks.
But I thought I could fool the crap-leen nice,
And I hauled my cotton to Jammel and Cones.
But shuh! 'fore I even had settled my price
They tuck affidavy without no bones
And levelled upon me fur all ther loans
To the 'mount of sum nine hundred dollars or more,
And sold me out clean for eight hundred and four,
As sure as I'm Ellick Garry!
And thar it is down all squar and straight,
But I can't make it gee, fur nine from eight
Leaves nuthin' -- and none to carry.'
Then I says 'Hello, here, Garry!
However you star' and frown
Thare's somethin' fur YOU to carry,
Fur you've worked it upside down!'
Then he riz and walked to his little bull-cart,
And made like he neither had seen nor heerd
Nor knowed that I knowed of his raskilly part,
And he tried to look as if HE wa'nt feared,
And gathered his lines like he never keered,
And he driv down the road 'bout a quarter or so,
And then looked around, and I hollered 'Hello,
Look here, Mister Ellick Garry!
You may git up soon and lie down late,
But you'll always find that nine from eight
Leaves nuthin' -- and none to carry.'
poem by Sidney Lanier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Pen And Ink
If all the world were pen and ink
And all the folk were sorrow,
If all the trees were burly breeze
And Wednesdays, come tomorrow,
If all the stars were out of sight
And snow fell softly overnight,
If all we woke to morning white
Who’d lantern light the morrow?
If all the earth were beaten gold
And all the fields were fallow,
If all the bees were try-to-please
And all the mud marshmallow,
If all the children walked away
To never change from day to day
But gambolled in the autumn hay,
Who’d taper light the tallow?
29 November 1972
poem by David Lewis Paget
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Pirouetting Autumn
The tree blushed - a rude blast of air
Betrayed a shapely bough.
My saddened heart aware
That Nature's clock was chiming,
I froze upon the twelfth
Clanging tone, caught alone,
Staring at a creaking door -
Left ajar for dancing, coloured Autumn,
Pirouetting in her leaves,
While agitated summer creatures
Backed away resignedly,
Sighing in protracted breves.
I turned; gave company;
We stood together, watching
Summer slowly blow away.
Copyright Mark R Slaughter 2009
A utumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
Autumn autumn autumn autumn
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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