Threnody
O ye who claim to be our loyal friends
Come now and build for us a funeral pyre,
And lay our emptied bodies on the fire,
Pray for our souls, murmur your sad amens;
And while the gold and scarlet flame ascends
Let he who best can play upon the lyre,
Pluck slow regretful notes of deep desire,
Sing subtle songs of love that never ends.
and when at last the embers growing cold
Gather ye up our ashes in an urn
Of porphyry, and seek a forest old
There underneath some vast and mighty oak
choose ye our grave, spread over us a cloak
Of woven violets and filmy fern.
poem by Harry Crosby
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Related quotes
From Anacreon
I wish to tune my quivering lyre
To deed of fame and notes of fire;
To echo, from its rising swell,
How heroes fought and nations fell,
When Atreus' sons advanced to war,
Or Tyrian Cadmus roved afar;
But still, to martial strains unknown,
My lyre recurs to love alone.
Fired with the hope of future fame,
I seek some nobler hero's name;
The dying chords are strung anew,
To war, to war, my harp is due.
With glowing strings, the epic strain
To Jove's great son I raise again;
Alcides and his glorious deeds,
Beneath whose arm the Hydra bleeds.
All, all in vain; my wayward lyre
Wakes silver notes of soft desire.
Adieu, ye chiefs renown'd in arms!
Adieu the clang of war's alarms!
To other deeds my soul is strung,
And sweeter notes shall now be sung;
My harp shall all its powers reveal,
To tell the tale my heart must feel;
Love, Love alone, my lyre shall claim,
In songs of bliss and sighs of flame.
Ashes
(lonnie wilson/chris waters/charlotte wilson)
Ashes
Hes nothing but ashes
No feelings have lasted
No love remains
Ashes
Thats all that our past is
Hes nothing but ashes
From a cold old flame
I saw your face when
He waltzed in here
But those old embers
Havent burned for years
The light thats shining
In my eyes
Is for the one that
Im with tonight
Ashes
Hes nothing but ashes
No feelings have lasted
No love remains
Ashes
Thats all that our past is
Hes nothing but ashes
From a cold old flame
No I dont blame you
For having some doubts
But when he left me
That fire burned out
So dont be thinking
Theres still a spark
cause he could never
Tear us apart
Ashes
Hes nothing but ashes
No feelings have lasted
No love remains
Ashes
Thats all that our past is
Hes nothing but ashes
From a cold old flame
Hes nothing but ashes
From a cold old flame
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song performed by by Martina Mcbride
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Great Fire of Rome
July eighteenth in 64’
Of the Common Era
Play Nero, play upon the lyre
While Rome Is fed into the fire
At the Circus near the Palatine
in some shops began the fire
You looked on impassively
And played upon your lyre
You sang about” The Sack of Troy”
The Trojans funeral pyre
While portions of your palace
Were themselves consumed by fire
Three Quarters of the city gone
The fire raged for days
Casualties kept mounting
as the Romans fought the flames.
You blamed the Christians for the deed
The lions lunched for days
You built yourself the house of gold
Upon the pauper's graves
poem by John F. McCullagh
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Love Bites
Do you know what a vampire is?
Whoa! love bites, love bites,
Love bites, love bites,
Love bites, love bites.
Come live forever with me, or transpire,
A flame alone, on a funeral pire,
Well build an empire, if we so desire,
Travel the world, and set it on fire!
Bite me babe, set my soul on fire!
Bite me babe, set my soul on fire!
Come taste my love baby,
Blood makes me hard to resist,
My soul burns like fire,
Kiss my hungry lips vampire!
Love bites, love bites,
Love bites, love bites,
Love bites, love bites.
Blood turns cold for mortals who wait,
Your coils unwinding, now choose you fate,
A flame alone on a funeral pire,
Or eternal life as my vampire!!
Bite me babe, set my soul on fire!
Bite me babe, set my soul on fire!
Come taste my love baby,
Blood makes me hard to resist,
My sould burns like fire,
Kiss my hungry lips vampire!
Love bites, love bites,
Love bites, love bites, [loves bites!],
Love bites, love bites, [my vampire].
Deep into the, deep into the, deep into the, night!
Deep into the, deep into the, deep into the, night! [love bites],
Deep into the, deep into the, deep into the, night!
Deep into the, deep into the, deep into the, night! [love bites].
[demonic laughing!].
Blood turns cold for mortals who wait,
Your coils unwinding, now choose you fate.
Love bites, love bites,
Love bites, love bites, [loves bites!],
Love bites, love bites, [my vampire],
Deep into the, deep into the, deep into the, night!
[...repeat & fade...].
song performed by by Grace Jones
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Funeral for love
Funeral for love
~
In the night it rains
Cold and heavy against my skin
Running into my eyes
Almost blinding me completely
I am in the garden
Digging a hole to be a grave
The burial of my love
An old shoebox sits by my feet
Filled with the letters and pictures
The poems I wrote in her name
Tonight they shall fall away
Into the silence of a watery grave
Never to be seen or heard again
I would have burnt them all
Built a funeral pyre for them
But for the rain which falls
No flame would have took
Like the fire in my heart
Washed away into nothing
In the cold rain of the night
I leave my love laying unmarked
In the silence of a watery grave
poem by Matthew Holloway
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A Coronal
WITH HIS SONGS AND HER DAYS TO HIS LADY AND TO LOVE
Violets and leaves of vine,
Into a frail, fair wreath
We gather and entwine:
A wreath for Love to wear,
Fragrant as his own breath,
To crown his brow divine,
All day till night is near.
Violets and leaves of vine
We gather and entwine.
Violets and leaves of vine
For Love that lives a day,
We gather and entwine.
All day till Love is dead,
Till eve falls, cold and gray,
These blossoms, yours and mine,
Love wears upon his head,
Violets and leaves of vine
We gather and entwine.
Violets and leaves of vine,
For Love when poor Love dies
We gather and entwine.
This wreath that lives a day
Over his pale, cold eyes,
Kissed shut by Proserpine,
At set of sun we lay:
Violets and leaves of vine
We gather and entwine.
poem by Ernest Christopher Dowson
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Phoenix Reborn
From the Great Fire’s ash, a new Phoenix shall rise
It’s glory is born from another’s demise
It’s mighty wings spread, as the Fire Bird sings
It’s voice heals the world, as it spreads it’s great wings
It rises above, a new King of the Skies
To the ends of the Earth the great Phoenix flies
Reborn from ashes, the Great Flame of the Sky
But in a burst of flame, this Phoenix shall die
Reduced to but ash, 'til the fire is stoked anew
This is the fate of the Phoenix, King of Skies Blue
From the ashes of death, shall a great flame be born
From the Great Fire’s ash, mighty Phoenix reborn
poem by Tim Vallie
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Passion's Pyre
Shivers transcend over my body when PASSION whispers in my ear,
Then PASSION gently caresses my skin and electricity fills the air!
Insatiable PASSION takes control and lights the flame of desire,
I am but kindling set at the base of PASSION'S growing pyre.
When PASSIONS' pyre roars to life it's FIRE I become,
Wild with desire in PASSIONS' PYRE I burn until I am done...
poem by Wyatt Morrison
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Passing Over
No comfort for me in
The valley of Scorn
So little empathy for
Me in the grave
Treaded upon by the
Mighty men
From the Ruling Nth
Brigade
Savage eyes they burn me
Melting me stoic as stone
And in the Flash Of Thunder Dance
My body becomes charred bone
Soon it will be: ashes to ashes
Underneath a Mourning Veil
Dust-to-Dust will haunt both of us
But in the end-goodness shall prevail
The funeral pyre-it rattles me
And insenses my psyche's whole
Broken in my heart of hearts
Death-it takes its toll
In life-i always the victim
The calvary could see through me
A dauntless and tenacious lot
They were
Driven as the deep blue sea
But Goodness and Mercy will come
Upon the Heaven's Opening Gate
And forever i-to be bathed in light
Of God's pre-ordained loving fate
poem by Theodora Onken
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The Lute And The Lyre
Deep desire, that pierces heart and spirit to the root,
Finds reluctant voice in verse that yearns like soaring fire,
Takes exultant voice when music holds in high pursuit
Deep desire.
Keen as burns the passion of the rose whose buds respire,
Strong as grows the yearning of the blossom toward the fruit,
Sounds the secret half unspoken ere the deep tones tire.
Slow subsides the rapture that possessed love's flower-soft lute,
Slow the palpitation of the triumph of the lyre:
Still the soul feels burn, a flame unslaked though these be mute,
Deep desire.
poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne
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What The Captain Said
They made the fire so they want it to spread
the fire, the fire, the fire
They fan the flame to the forest bed
and the flames grew
higher, and higher, and higher
Remember what the captain said by the oceanside
where we took our ride
'We want no more soldiers dead, so come see us by the fire; '
Prometheus desire, the fire
by the fire, as the flames grow higher
We lay upon our riverbed, upon the Styx
the mosh pit Styx upon the pyre
Eyes wide, quartered dry, heads to the sky
and they watch the flames grow higher, and higher,
the fire
poem by Jay Bradley
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All Souls Day: The Faithful Departed
Today, we think of all souls dead, some dear;
Some were so near, now gone afar, we fear;
Some were our friends, both good and bad, we knew;
But they all vanished like the morning dew!
Some were our neighbours, righteous or quite bad;
Nevertheless, they’re dead, which seems so sad;
Some were just strangers whom we met sometime;
They are no more with us in life and time.
Many we heard of, now no longer live;
Some men violent to violent ends did give;
Many unknown are gone forever too;
We pray, the love of God must all souls woo.
Some bodies lie in earthy dampness cold;
Some met a watery grave or in urns hold;
Some killed by beasts or men-demonic, died;
Many were holy, in God did abide!
Some were burnt, their ashes scattered by wind;
Some as mummies in pyramids, we find;
The end of many, we can’t imagine;
For myriads dead and worm-eaten, we pine!
The world of dead exceeds the living one;
Who thinks of orphans and who lived alone?
Kings, queens, lords, ladies, paupers too are gone;
Let living pray for God’s mercy and moan!
‘May the souls dead all, rest in peace;
May God forgive sinners with ease! ’
Copyright by Dr John Celes 02-11-11
poem by John Celes
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Sorry
There is much in life that makes me sorry as I journey
down life’s way.
And I seem to see more pathos in poor human
Lives each day.
I’m sorry for the strong brave men, who shield
the weak from harm,
But who, in their own troubled hours find no
Protecting arm.
I’m sorry for the victors who have reached
success, to stand
As targets for the arrows shot by envious failure’s
hand.
I’m sorry for the generous hearts who freely
shared their wine,
But drink alone the gall of tears in fortune’s
drear decline.
I’m sorry for the souls who build their own fame’s
funeral pyre,
Derided by the scornful throng like ice deriding
fire.
I’m sorry for the conquering ones tho know not
sin’s defeat,
But daily tread down fierce desire ‘neath scorched
and bleeding feet.
I’m sorry for the anguished hearts that break with
passions strain,
But I’m sorrier for the poor starved souls that
Never knew love’s pain.
Who hunger on through barren years not tasting
joys they crave,
For sadder far is such a lot than weeping o’er a
grave.
I’m sorry for the souls that come unwelcomed
into birth,
I’m sorry for the unloved old who cumber up the
earth.
I’m sorry for the suffering poor in life’s great
maelstrom hurled,
In truth I’m sorry for them all who make this
aching world.
But underneath whate’er seems sad and is not
understood,
I know there lies hid from our sight a mighty
germ of good.
And this belief stands firm by me, my sermon,
motto, text –
The sorriest things in this life will seem grandest
in the next.
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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The Funeral Song
Who will sing the funeral songs of mine?
O my dear heart
Think and observe all the elements
Than answers the question truly
Who will sing the songs of funeral for you?
Who will congratulate you on your ultimate success.
I sing the song of love,
The songs of my heart,
The ultimate pronounce for the sake of love.
Then who will sing the songs of my innocence heart
When all the songs of mine will stop for ever.
Lives comes, lives goes,
Death gives birth of new souls.
Behold the history of the love
The heart which processes the love
Acquire the immortality of heart.
Behold the history of love,
The heart which can love like those
Achieves the immortality of soul.
Only for the ability to worship the heart of love
Those can’t attain by any eternal senses.
Only the nominated, elected and selected souls
By the mercy of Heaven
Can have the power to love.
Love, earnestly love thy souls
And in return you will have the love.
The love will as sanctified as the love of you,
The love will concern with heart
As much as concern with your heart.
The heart will sing the funeral song for you,
The love will sing the love song for you,
The love will make you alive
In the mortal days of lives,
Worship your heart,
Remember your songs,
Nothing else nor the others
But only love, only love.
Only the love can survive you
After the thousands years of your death.
Though died, possesses a newer mortal life
I perceive the fact, I do perceive of fact.
The love will sing for you
I do confidently declare by the Lord’s name
The love will congratulate at your conquer
The love will sing the joyous song of your joy.
O love,
O the love,
I know, I hear and I behold.
The love,
The eco of love,
The alliteration of love.
I heed the echoes of love
From the origin of soul
To the present day of the life
From Adam to the computer.
I hear the echo,
I do hear the echo.
O the loving soul
Hold your ear in the air,
You also have the sound of the echo,
The sacred echo – love, love and love.
The love will sing the song for my funeral,
The love will congratulate me
With heartiest affection of love,
The love will remember me in the earth,
The love will give a newer birth of mine
After the death of my earthen form.
I do proud in this sense
I have the heart
And I have the potency,
The mighty Lord’s mercy
To love, to love earnestly.
The love, the ability to love,
This love will sing my funeral song
And alive me in this earth
Until the last day of the light of the sun.
I sing for this love,
I do sing for this love.
poem by Md. Moniruzzaman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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From The Spanish Of Placido
Enough of love! Let break its every hold!
Ended my youthful folly! for I know
That, like the dazzling, glister-shedding snow,
Celia, thou art beautiful, but cold.
I do not find in thee that warmth which glows,
Which, all these dreary days, my heart has sought,
That warmth without which love is lifeless, naught
More than a painted fruit, a waxen rose.
Such love as thine, scarce can it bear love's name,
Deaf to the pleading notes of his sweet lyre,
A frank, impulsive heart I wish to claim,
A heart that blindly follows its desire.
I wish to embrace a woman full of flame,
I want to kiss a woman made of fire.
poem by James Weldon Johnson
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Gather Violets O Narcissus
Rain has come, and fields and fruit trees sing,
Spring has come, and Love, the Lord of Spring,
Dandelions have lifted up their faces,
Cold has gone and every wintry thing!
Forget-me-not the forest graces,
Iris and the lily spring will bring.
Gather violets, O Narcissus,
Winter's ashes from our door I fling!
The water bird the lake embraces,
How can frost upon your petals cling?
[Translated by Nilla Cram Cook]
poem by Habba Khatoon
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To Self I Die
I pray my God a robe of white
I pray I do no wrong
That I may serve The Living Light
That I may sing Your song
I know no self can graduate
No self can rise on high
I pray all self I’d learn to hate
And to myself I’d die
I choose instead to walk Your way
To follow Christ Your Son
I choose that self would have no say
To see the battle won
You see the fool You see the proud
You see who seek for gold
You see who’s heart would please the crowd
But to Your Son stay cold
If self my God would see demise
If self You’d close life’s door
With Christ Your servant then would rise
And live forever more
I know that I’m forgiven Lord
I know I’ve found Your love
But still I’d never flee the sword
If self would rise above
Its hard for me to live like this
I see how much I fail
To so remain, I’d surely miss
The chance to flee this jail
So help me die to self my King
Stretch forth Your mighty hand
That I may rise on eagles wing
And dwell Your Promised Land
poem by Michael P. Johnson
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Shadow river
MUSKOKA
A stream of tender gladness,
Of filmy sun, and opal tinted skies;
Of warm midsummer air that lightly lies
In mystic rings,
Where softly swings
The music of a thousand wings
That almost tones to sadness.
Midway 'twixt earth and heaven,
A bubble in the pearly air, I seem
To float upon the sapphire floor, a dream
Of clouds of snow,
Above, below,
Drift with my drifting, dim and slow,
As twilight drifts to even.
The little fern-leaf, bending
Upon the brink, its green reflection greets,
And kisses soft the shadow that it meets
With touch so fine,
The border line
The keenest vision can't define;
So perfect is the blending.
The far, fir trees that cover
The brownish hills with needles green and gold,
The arching elms o'erhead, vinegrown and old,
Repictured are
Beneath me far,
Where not a ripple moves to mar
Shades underneath, or over.
Mine is the undertone;
The beauty, strength, and power of the land
Will never stir or bend at my command;
But all the shade
Is marred or made,
If I but dip my paddle blade;
And it is mine alone.
O! pathless world of seeming!
O! pathless life of mine whose deep ideal
Is more my own than ever was the real.
For others Fame
And Love's red flame,
And yellow gold: I only claim
The shadows and the dreaming.
poem by Emily Pauline Johnson
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Lovely Lap
Vavroovahana patra
River valley beneath the palm trees
glows with funeral pyre.
Hymns reverberates the air
with the marital fire.
The soul searches ‘Lord Siva’s realm;
The bride ties the bride groom’s palm.
She smiles on the altar,
Lustrous radiant silvery face glitters.
Conjugal life blooms with desire;
Like the morning sun’s fire.
Eternal love is pregnant with dream.
Like the blow of a wood land stream.
Lovers find love
as devotees pray God.
Its as to ‘Siva linga’ an offering of
Garland of champak and from him desire a perennial
brook of nectar to flood.
Bridal songs and cradle songs
Have cadences of sorrow;
The laughter of the sun today,
The wind of death tomorrow.
Child’s love is motherly lap’s solitude.
Beloved’s Heaven is lover’s gratitude.
THANK YOU
poem by Vavroovahana Patra
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Hearts Desire
I seek to find your hearts desire,
So I may set your soul on fire.
Lonely days once filled with sorrow,
The flame of love lights up tomorrow.
Burned into my soul by passions fire,
There is no other heart I dare desire.
I bring my love to quench your thirst,
I'll feed your need and put you first.
So drink of me in angels glow,
Then all my secrets you shall know.
And share with me your hearts desire,
Then we shall set this night on fire...
Spread the love... The peace will follow...
poem by Cosmic Dreamer
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