Licia Sonnets 29
Why died I not whenas I last did sleep?
O sleep too short that shadowed forth my dear!
Heavens, hear my prayers, nor thus me waking keep!
For this were heaven, if thus I sleeping were.
For in that dark there shone a princely light;
Two milk-white hills, both full of nectar sweet,
Her ebon thighs, the wonder of my sight,
Where all my senses with their objects meet,--
I pass these sports, in secret that are best,
Wherein my thoughts did seem alive to be;
We both did strive, and weary both did rest;
I kissed her still, and still she kissed me.
Heavens, let me sleep, and shows my senses feed
Or let me wake and happy be indeed!
poem by Giles Fletcher The Elder
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Poem for John around the camp-fire
Arthur with all his knights around
sleep the sweet sleep of time
under the green hills of Avalon;
this we believe; this comforts us.
We’ll call them when we need them..
unless, the sharp cold dark night-mists of time
make men forget to spell their children’s minds.
And not only knights, they say,
but all his court, to rise at time of need;
poets, singers, clowns and wise men too;
all sleep the sweet sleep of those
who know what waking is.
Tread the green hills of Avalon
on a balmy summer night
and the faintest sound of horse
snorting in its sweet-hay sleep
should send you back to tell the tale
to those who must one day know
just when to wake the sleeping court
before it’s then too late: wake,
golden; spurred; invincible like truth.
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Can't Sleep
I cannot sleep, cannot sleep!
My heart does not ache
But like a funeral drum
It is beating slowly to my grave...
I cannot sleep, cannot sleep!
Where is the moon that shone
And the star that was my guide?
My eyes are not wet,
I have no dreams tonight...
I cannot sleep, cannot sleep!
Yet, the wind whispers
'Come and fly with me,
Over the highest heavens
And sleep tight, sleep tight! '
poem by Jane Quijano
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Waking
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
poem by Theodore Roethke
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
The Waking (1953)
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me, so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
poem by Theodore Roethke
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I'm Losing Sleep Again
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not dream
The nightmares I dream
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not cry
When you wake up to reality
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not believe
You have woken up already
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not stop sleepwalking
Take things slow and steady
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not pretend
I'm sleeping soundly, dear friend
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not lament over
Why I’m losing sleep myself
Sleep soundly, dear
And do not leave me
When you wake up to reality
poem by Dyhanara Rios
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Dedicated to ppl who dont sleep
Sleep, sleep, sleep
It’s magnificent and nice,
With dreams beyond wonder,
Sleep! sleep! sleep!
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Eyes tightly closed,
A little smile on you r cheeks,
Feeling the ambiance
Of the pure and precious sleep,
Sleep! sleep! sleep!
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Forgetting insane things of the mixed world outside
Relax my dear, feel the gentle breeze,
Do not worry about tomorrow, do not weep,
Wake up fresh in the morning with a recuperate mind,
Fresh and blessed with a wonderful sleep,
SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!
poem by Tejaswini Iyer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Autopilot
I can sleep, but I won't rest
I'll try to rest, but I'll only sleep
My dreams were once my escape
My nights held my happy days
Awake, I was depresed
Alseep, I had energy
I'd cry myself to sleep
Then I'd cry no more
Spreading my wings
I'd laugh under night's sun
Flying around the world
I'd make a hundred friends
Throwing fire and ice
I'd defeat all my enemies
Then I would wake up
And happiness fled
Walking through autopilot
In a world that wasn't real
Looking but never seeing
I'd cry under day's moon
Existing but never living
I'd avoid everyone
Closing my eyes
I'd hide from any enemies
I once rested
In the chaos of my dreams
The loud sleeping happiness
Was better than the quiet waking sadness
But things have changed
In a moment, a lifetime
Awake, I am content
Asleep, I am upset
If I sleep, I dream
When I dream, I fear
Running in terror
Crying in death
I see faces unkown
And know pain unfelt
I once looked for sleep to find rest
Now I avoid sleep so not to lose rest
My heaven became my hell
My hallucination became my shelter
I do not sleep, I do not rest
Tired, but I am happy
A new kind of autopilot
Which existance is worse?
Awake, I fear sleep coming
Asleep, I cannot wake
Never resting, only existing
Life on autopilot
poem by Juvela Obi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Norse lullaby
The sky is dark and the hills are white
As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,
And this is the song the storm-king sings,
As over the world his cloak he flings:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:
"Sleep, little one, sleep."
On yonder mountain-side a vine
Clings at the foot of a mother pine;
The tree bends over the trembling thing,
And only the vine can hear her sing:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
What shall you fear when I am here?
Sleep, little one, sleep."
The king may sing in his bitter flight,
The tree may croon to the vine to-night,
But the little snowflake at my breast
Liketh the song I sing the best,--
Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
Weary thou art, anext my heart
Sleep, little one, sleep.
poem by Eugene Field
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
As I Lay Me Down
It felt like springtime on this February morning
In a courtyard birds were singing your praise
I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel alright
I carry them with me today now
As I lay me down to sleep as I pray
that you will hold me dear
Though I fall away I whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy
I wonder why
I feel so high although I am not above thy sorrow
heavy-hearted 'till you call my name
And it felt like churchbells
or the whistle of a train on a summer evening
I want power to meet you barefoot
Barely breathing
As I lay me down to sleep as I pray
that you will hold me dear
Though I fall away I whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy
No doubt that
As I lay me down to sleep as I pray
that you will hold me dear
Though I fall away I whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy
Its not too near for me
Like a flower I need the rain
No its not clear to me
Every season has its change
and I will see you when the sun comes out again
As I lay me down to sleep as I pray
that you will hold me dear
Though I fall away I whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy... uhuh yea
As I lay me down to sleep as I pray
that you will hold me dear
Though I fall away I whisper your name into the sky
And I will wake up happy
I wonder why
The sun comes out again
song performed by by Sophie B. Hawkins from Whaler
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Stanza # 28
I kissed the one that love denies
Where passions flare the truth defies
Tis only here faining realaity
Can a sweet embrace a prelude be
To a song wake I shan't e'er sing
E'en though thoughts of you a melody brings
To life as erotic music plays
Whilst our bodies in perfect rhythm sway
Sleep O' sleep irony is thy jest
To fullfill a dream must be at rest
poem by John A. Hancock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Something Childish, But Very Natural
If I had but two little wings
And were a little feathery bird,
To you I'd fly, my dear!
But thoughts like these are idle things,
And I stay here.
But in my sleep to you I fly:
I'm always with you in my sleep!
The world is all one's own.
But then one wakes, and where am I?
All, all alone.
Sleep stays not, though a monarch bids:
So I love to wake ere break of day:
For though my sleep be gone,
Yet while 'tis dark, one shuts one's lids,
And still dreams on.
poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
When We Are All Asleep
WHEN He returns, and finds the world so drear,
All sleeping, young and old, unfair and fair,
Will he stoop down and whisper in each ear,
“Awaken!” or for pity’s sake forbear,
Saying, “How shall I meet their frozen stare
Of wonder, and their eyes so full of fear?
How shall I comfort them in their despair,
If they cry out, ‘Too late! let us sleep here’?”
Perchance He will not wake us up, but when
He sees us look so happy in our rest,
Will murmur, “Poor dead women and dead men!
Dire was their doom, and weary was their quest.
Wherefore awake them into life again?
Let them sleep on untroubled—it is best.”
poem by William Cosmo Monkhouse
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Sleep, Sleep
Sleep, sleep lazy fool
You’ve fought to long
And now you’re free to tool
Don’t wake blind maiden
Sleep, sleep small child
There are terrors to come
You won’t sleep forever
Cause you’ll never be done
Sleep, sleep little blossom
Because that’s all you can do
Sleep, the sleep of dreamers
And wake again a new
poem by Eric Andrew James
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!
SLEEP
Sleep, sleep, sleep
It’s magnificent and nice,
With dreams beyond wonder,
Sleep! sleep! sleep!
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Eyes tightly closed,
A little smile on you r cheeks,
Feeling the warm sensations
Of the pure and precious sleep,
Sleep! sleep! sleep!
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Forgetting insane things of the mixed world outside
Relax my little one, feel the gentle breeze,
Do not worry about tomorrow, do not weep,
Wake up fresh in the morn with a recuperated mind,
Fresh and blessed with a wonderful sleep,
SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!
JERINE JAMES (3RD JULY 07)
poem by Jerine James
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Cope
She needed to sleep, sleep for a little,
to see him, feel him, hear him say.
Come lovely, come and rest your
head on my pillow, She had to rest,
rest of her own self, of her many
miseries that shattered her dreams.
But how to rest? or dream a sweet dream.
To wake up to an empty bed, with nothing
but his scent, his last touch, his last sleep,
his last words, and his last kisses. She adorned
her bed with broken sadness, dropping
her tears, and picking up more for the next day.
Her veins draining a river of pain. Her heart all
weary with multiple wounds. Her will refrained
from hope, her feelings with fears,
to love another man, and die all over again.
poem by Elenushka Toledo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Every Morning's Mourning.
Watch you sleep
Dream and roll over
avoid the monsters
and the light
Watch you sleep
Watch you sleep
when the noise
of fifteen
floors above you
crashes in
and wraps you deeper
in your sheets
Watch you sleep
Watch you sleep
through every squeak
and smash and ping
as I serenade you
with my awake
and my breakfast
Watch you sleep
Watch you sleep
with a half-turned
smile on your face
an exposed and naked leg
your hair escaping you
like spilling starlight
Watch you sleep
Watch you sleep
when I kiss
the tiniest sample
of skin on your cheek
and know you wake
when I'm gone
and am gone
until again you sleep
When you wake
Watch you wake
Watch you sleep
poem by Q.R. Gibson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
When we sleep...
Before we go to sleep, we blame our conscience
When we sleep, we become unconscious
When we sleep, we dream
When we sleep, we may scream
When we sleep, we may cry
When we sleep, we may fly
When we sleep, we see our wishes
but when we get up to the reality, actually we wash the dishes
But sometimes, we see nightmares
and from the fear we feel like the snails
When we sleep, we feel relaxed
and to the bed we are waxed
We don't want to wake up
and drink the coffee cup
When we sleep, we can't resist
the tiredness that always exist.
Sleeping is a bless,
that everyone possess
But I hope human would not make it a curse,
and then we would need a nurse.
poem by Merna Ibrahim
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Sleep
She lay sleeping
like Beauty
awaiting a kiss.
Leaning close
I feel the warmness
of her breath,
her eye lids
flutter occasionally
in butterfly sleep;
up they flick
and down again
to pause
and then
flutter again.
The shoulders bare
below spaghetti straps,
the neck
in its curvature
roll across
the shoulders where
it meets that rounded curve
atop
the arms peak.
The collar's place
swoops away
to right and left
before
floating down
to that space
above her breasts
where a slow breath
gives the topography
of brown rolling hills.
Can there be here
heavens' heights
traversing these gentle slopes;
up toward that crimson mouth
topped by haired piled
high
arrayed on the pillow-scape
cloud like?
Can it be the cheeks
are mountain flanks
kissed summer red
by my mouth?
I have no more
of wealth or need
than to lie here
and watch you sleep,
the sleep that lovers sleep
complete;
and notice how my
adorning eyes
become sugar plums
dancing.
poem by Lonnie Hicks
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Work, Sleep, Work, Sleep, Work
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work:
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work, sleep, work, sleep,
Work.
Oh free me please with gentle ease
From work, sleep, work, sleep, work!
This odium, pounding tedium
Of my work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
Just whisk me off to lands afar
From work, sleep, work, sleep, work -
That grinding train of rhythmic pain
Called ‘Work, sleep, work, sleep, work.’
Poor neural circuits fizzle and pop
In work, sleep, work, sleep, work,
In trying to make some sense of all this
Work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
But Hark! I see a golden gleam -
A saving spirit of hope:
‘You’re fired! ’ He screams. What news to bear,
This wondrous hangman’s rope!
So now I’m free, released from all this
Work, sleep, work, sleep, work -
Eternal peace and rest for me, no
Work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Dear love, good-night
DEAR love, good-night. And, tender sleep
,Seal up her lids like these drowsed flowers,
To make day fair when they unclose.
Be hushed around her, Night, and keep
Thy silent guard on her repose;
But speed thine hours.
Dear love, sleep on. This weary space
I wake and long for day and thee,
And count the slow stars from their west.
Sleep while I hunger for thy face,
Sleep, dearest, in unbroken rest;
But dream of me.
poem by Augusta Davies Webster
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!