James Stephens

Strict Joy

To-day i felt as poor O’Brien did
When, turning from all else that was not his,
He took himself to that which was his own
— He took him to his verse — for other all he had not,
And (tho’ man will crave and seek)
Another all than this he did not need

So, pen in hand he tried to tell the whole tale of his woe
In rhyming; lodge the full weight of his grief in versing: and so did:
Then — when his poem had been conned and cared,
And all put in that should not be left out — did he not find and with astonishment,

That grief had been translated, or was come
Other and better than it first looked to be:
And that this happened, because all things transfer
From what they seem to what they truly are
When they are innocently brooded on
— And, so, The poet makes grief beautiful.

“Behold me now, with my back to the wall,
Playing music to empty pockets!”
So, Raferty, tuning a blind mans plight,
Could sing the cark of misery away:
And know, in blindness and in poverty,
That woe was not of him, nor kind to him.

And Egan Rahilly begins a verse —
“My heart is broken, and my mind is sad …”
‘Twas surely true when he began his song,
And was less true when he had finished it:
— Be sure, his heart was buoyant, and his grief
Drummed and trumpeted as grief was sung!

For, as he meditated misery
And cared it into song — Strict Care, Strict Joy!
Caring for grief he cared his grief away:
And those sad songs, tho’ woe be all the theme,
Do not make us grieve who read them now —
Because the poet makes grief beautiful.

And I, myself, conning a lonely heart
— Full lonely ’twas, and ’tis as lonely now
Turned me, by proper, to my natural,
And, now too long her vagrant, wooed my muse:
Then to her — let us look more close to these,
And, seeing, know; and, knowing, be at ease.

Seeing the sky o’ercast, and that the rain had
Plashed the window, and would plash again:
Seeing the summer lost, and the winter nigh:
Seeing inapt, and sad, and fallen from good:
Seeing how will was weak, and wish o’erbearing:
Seeing inconstant, seeing timidity:
Seeing too small, too poor in this and yon:
Seeing life, daily, grow more difficult:
Seeing all that moves away — moving away
… And that all seeing is a blind-mans treat,
And that all getting is a beggars dole,
And that all having is bankruptcy …

All these, sad all! I told to my good friend,
Told Raferty, O’Brien, Rahilly,
Told rain, and frosted blossom, and the summer gone,
Told poets dead, and captains dead, and kings!
— And we cared naught that these were mournful things,
For, caring them, we made them beautiful.

poem by James StephensReport problemRelated quotes
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A Grief Message!

When grief stricken
And the heart is full of pain
Of loss of dear one
All beautiful things of Nature
And sweet things of life
Become a matter of no concern
However delightful
They all might have been once
And cannot be enjoyed again so!
Message of grief
Written in nice verse
Moves heart much indeed!

poem by Ramesh T AReport problemRelated quotes
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Grief Is Never Having To Say I Grieve

Your grief has been too heavy

I don’t know how much grief buries you down

Please let me weep with you

Please let me weep with you

Like the others, I adore you for keeping up with life

I could imagine how you cry in your thoughts

How like blade, grief cuts your heart, your throat,

the top of your skull - slowly

Like wars in history, there are no exits

and there are no choices

If you were there, you had to face those rattling guns

Plead, please plead

Remember “Our Lady of Sorrows'

Mary carried part of the grief Jesus has

been carrying to save us, during the crucifixion

Mary had no one with her

She was helpless, yet in those moments

God’s strength kept her unmovable and brave

How long does grief stay?

People are not things

How long does grief stay?

If you lost something, you can always build it again

How long does grief stay?

If you lost someone, and someone, and someone

again, in any way – they are part of you

For as long as you live, grief changes into

remembering happy days with each other

Grief becomes faithfulness

Grief changes unto faith

Those drops of blood, while Jesus prayed in the garden

Is grief

Grief is never having to say “I grieve, ”

but “I love, ”

This is how long grief stays.

poem by Rosalinda Flores MartinezReport problemRelated quotes
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A grief ago

'There is no grief
which time does not lessen
or soften' -
so said Cicero, a man so often right;
a Stoic, those for whom
all life presents a lesson
to be learned from,
and then, to move on from..

But I wonder about all this:
is grief ever lessened or softened?
Is it not, perhaps, overlaid
in our so various ways?

For some, grief framed and falsified
to ease that grief;

For some, like hyacinths and crocus bulbs,
left in a dark cupboard in the autumn of our grief
to respond to time, and
become at last
themselves?


gently, gently, the covers pulled
over the loving bed,
the true, the pure, the lovely painful grief,
the memory deep cherished,
gently, gently, folded
into the cupboards of the heart

there to be known, without the door disturbed
until the time - 'a grief ago' as Dylan wrote -
the cupboard opened only for love's sake
without grief...:
those carefully folded memories
brought out and loved
and lived a while...

not grief, not grief...but
the pure memory of grief

and behold,
life.

poem by Michael ShepherdReport problemRelated quotes
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Hope in Heaven's Day

Grief be mine, I ask you so,
If not for you, I wouldn't know,
How life once was and then be still,
How so precious, that death do steal.
Because that grief, won't go away,
Learn to let it have its way.
The link to love, a precious one,
Is met with grief and still not done.
The days do come, and nights do go,
Grief will stay as time is so.
And so a loved one passes on,
And grief comes in and carries on.
Does grief get better, I will ask,
It's hard to say, while at its task.
There is grief to help us cope,
There is God to give us hope.
Grief will surely go away,
On that glorious heaven's day.
But while its here, there's just one thing,
Pray our Lord, for peace he'll bring.

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Crying out

I miss you
in no articulate way
no civilized words for now
and though my lips curl around their mournful sounds
My heart, through a ragged hole, howls, Why? and What If?
and
I'm lonely, lonely, I'm lonely
Now there is nothing to do but put my wailing child to bed
and wait..
for reason or a numbing sleep to overtake this grief
grief that is unquietly working over all the little broken things

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Grief Promise Me To Leave ' Part 2

“”After three months of lying and illusions””


GRIEF PROMISE ME TO LEAVE ' PART 2’

My heart: come back to me grief
My grief: I’m not grief any more I developed to MISERY
My heart: whatever just come?
My misery: I’m coming my friend
My heart: you were right
My misery: as I told you before but you won't believe me
My heart: I believe in you now
My misery with a 'happy tone': tell me what's happened
My heart: what should I tell you! ? I’m stupid.... I’m foolish
My misery: I agree cause every one think in his heart he is big idiot and you are idiot
My heart: she destroyed my soul
My misery: like always
My heart: I don't want that any more
My misery: what do you want?
My heart: I wanna death
My misery: not in your hand, it's our life happiness & sadness
My heart: but my life always painful, what should I do, may I blame the fate or what?
My misery: no, blame your self? You were so nice toy in other hands you are idiot, so blame yourself.
My heart: she lied to me, she gave me hope, life and happiness in months and toke it from me in a little moments.
My misery: that's because of your kindness, and there is no place for you in this world.
My heart: you are the only one who can understand me well.
My misery: I know that cause we borne together.


'My misery thinking'

My misery: you shouldn't keep moving in your life
My heart: I know! ?
My heart: I just wanna the honest from her not anything else
My misery: you won't get it
My heart: she thought me a little nice toy in her hands
My misery: with all my regret, you were and you will still always


‘My heart thinking about ending his misery’

‘My heart saw a knife near from him, he carry it to suicide and end his cruel life’
My misery ' with happy voice ': what you doing?
My heart: I can't be idiot anymore, cause I believed in something silly doesn’t existed ' love '.
My misery: you are right.
My heart: I’m sorry for keeping you away from me.
My misery: its ok, as I told you before, something from me will still inside you.
My heart: you are my faithful friend.
My misery: we had borne together.


‘My heart I s going to suicide now’

My misery: any last words?
my heart: before I leave this life forever I want you promise me that you will never go to live in her heart ever, cause she make me live in the most beautiful illusion I’ve seen.
My misery: do you know that you are stupid?
My heart: I know cause she kept telling me this word.
My misery: ok I promise you but you have to end your life now
My heart: ok i will


‘When my heart tried to stick the knife in his heart’
‘The 'happiness whisper' came to him in hurry again but she barely breathing’

Happiness whisper: what you doing? Are you crazy?
My heart: yes I’m crazy cause I loved someone in crazy way but, she failed me, and the misery controlling me forever.
My misery: let him rest of his cruel life.


‘Happiness whisper trying to convince misery to make him not killing him self’

My heart: it's too late, that's my choice.


‘Happiness whisper started to vanish’
Happiness whisper: you don't deserve that, you are good heart
My heart: forgive me I’m not belonged to this world


‘The happiness whisper start crying and after a while she vanished’
‘My misery was standing and waiting’

My heart: goodbye and don't forget what you promised me don't forget


my heart stick the knife in the center and he begin bleeding to death, his tears freeze on his eyeball, he begin trembling, his color turned from the puce to the dark blue, and then he is died.


The misery: it was his end but, it was the beginning for other broken hearts so be careful cause I’m coming.........

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Softly, O! dropp mine eyes

Softly, O! dropp mine eyes, lest you be dry,
And make my heart with grief to melt and die.
Now pour out tears apace,
Now stay, O heavy case!
O sour sweet woe!
Alas! O grief! O joy! Why strive you so?
Can griefs and joys at once in one poor heart consent?
Then sigh and sing, rejoice, lament.
Ah me! O passions strange and violent!
Was never poor wretch so tormented:
Nor joy, nor grief can make my heart contented.
For while with joy I look on high,
Down, down I fall with grief, and die.

poem by John WilbyeReport problemRelated quotes
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What old sadness can I let go of by sharing it today

How can we measure the grief we feel and and how we could put up with it. Doesn't the grief of death weight a ton or more. Doesn't it strenth out to a month a year or still longer. Is the grief of failture lighter then then the grief of empyness. Wheather we try to ingore or make light of it our grief like a ton of feathers or a ton of rocks is all the same to us. This much is sure if we lock our grief it will weight more on us. Andlengthen out if we open our hearts with weeping and words others will help carry it away. written and Posted 1/1/10

poem by Susie SunshineReport problemRelated quotes
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Life Songs

When a child is born into this world,
what kind of song will his or her life be?
A song of joy?
A song of hope?
A beautiful rhapsody?

One of sadness, or of grief?
A song of misery?
When a newborn cries and opens its eyes,
what will its song be?

A song of greatness, a song of wealth,
or one of poverty?
When trouble comes, and surely it will,
what will that child's song be?

When we are born our song begins
and we enjoy its pleasant tune.
We sing its melody in the innocence
that leaves us all too soon.

As we grow we hear the songs of
people in various places.
Songs of pride, songs of hatred
and of conflict among the races.

The songs of children playing together
are very pleasing to hear.
Regardless of race, status or color,
their sweet songs don't cause fear.

The Master told us that with childlike qualities
we'll see God's heavenly city.
To miss such a goal because of hearts so cold
would be a tragic pity.

We hear life songs every day and
like smoke they fade away.
But lives that are sung with childlike meekness
will 'inherit the earth' someday.

To sing a song of wonder and worth
is how this life should really be-
with all the innocents throughout the earth
and with love as our constant key.

When a child is born into this world,
what kind of song will his or her life be?
A song of joy?
A song of hope?
A beautiful rhapsody?

****************
Matthew 18: 3
****************

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In my grief

In my grief
I have forgotten I have a friend
I have not remember there is YOU
Who are willing to wipe away my tears.

In my grief
I have hurt you my friend
I run hiding in my own cocoon
And left you alone wandering where I am

In my grief
I ignore you calling my name
I have close my eyes for your need of a friend
And left you alone in your lament

After my grief
I look for where you are
But couldn’t find you anymore
Coz you grew tired waiting for me

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Joy that's half too keen, and true

Joy that's half too keen, and true,
Makes us tears.
Oh! the sweetness of the tears!
If such joy at hand appears,
Snatch it, give thine all for it;
Joy that is so exquisite,
Lost, comes not new.
One blossom for a hundred years.

Grief that's fond and dies not soon
Makes delight.
Oh! the pain of the delight!
If thy grief be love's aright,
Tend it close and let it grow:
Grief so tender not to know
Loses Love's boon.
Sweet Philomel sings all the night.

poem by Augusta Davies WebsterReport problemRelated quotes
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Unknown Grief

Unknown Grief
Mark Kelly Wassenaar (AKA Wazzy)

You never expect to know the word grief
Until it comes to you
It comes in, like a thief
Then you take a critical review

Who really knows what grief is
It could be you, or me, or your teddy bear
If only we could see his
Come with me, I’ll give you a dare

All I ask is that you’ll see
What grief does to you and me
Maybe at the end we’ll all agree
That it need not be all for thee

Have you seen death of one or more
Have they been of love or worse
Does it cause a whole body war
Does it put you in a hearse

If all these apply to you
Maybe you know what grief may be
All this time you withdrew
It makes you feel like abductees

If you like, you may join my cause
Get together with your bands
To end all grief within our paws
To clear our enemy from our hands

poem by Mark WazzyReport problemRelated quotes
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Grief Promise Me To Leave ' Part 1

It’s a conversation between my heart and my grief at the same time
GRIEF PROMISE ME TO LEAVE (PART 1)

My heart: you promised me in the last days that you are leaving me
My grief: I loved your spirit; I found my settlement and safe in it and I
Think I will stay forever
My heart: but you promised me, and here you are broken your promise to me
My grief: I felt that you always need me so I took eternal place inside you
My heart: I didn’t need you in fact I’m tired of your vicinage to me
My grief: no you didn't see anything from me until now, it's just the beginning
My heart: what's wrong with you, you always by my side? Why you prevent the happiness to get inside my heart? And if it came in, you you will gave her only five seconds why?
My grief: I used on your broken heart
My heart: isn't there another hearts to live in it why mine?
My grief: yes there is, but I (ardent love) your soul
My heart: please go away; go away, my yearning will kill me...
My grief: ask your self? Is it possible leaving a heart his desire grief?
My heart: find another me, there is a lot of hearts are waiting
My grief: I can't? Because I lived in a heart his beatings get used on me
My heart: please mercy my wounds
My grief: I’m sorry, but this is our life
My heart: mercy my tears, my eyes dry out cause of you
My grief: I can't leave you
My heart: my friends abandon me
My grief: then they are not your friends
My heart: they left me alone and broken sitting on your chair
My grief: don't worry you are the victorious
My heart: I miss them
My grief: they are not useful for you? Cause I reside in you when you know them

Quiet
My grief controlling totally in my heart now

My heart: you are like the sword cutting me every time you come near, but I will be patient, yes I will be patient for you grief, I will...
My grief made a mockery laughing

My grief: the age rewarding me for this

My heart closed his eyes in a silent way... wait... there is a (happiness whisper) comes and cross me silently, but its mute cause the grief was controlling me totally.

happiness whisper: forgive me my friend i have no place between you, I’m died from along long time, I just came to see is grief still in your heart or he left you so I can take a place between your heart, forgive me my friend the grief is my master.

The conversation is so quiet and the calmness spread through them

My heart: don't leave me like that, come to me just for a moment I wanna taste your happiness that you got between your whispers.

Happiness whisper has left me in silent and quiet way

my heart: where are you my grief come to me, come to my heart that you used to be always, give me new promise, then may be you will reside in a heart for someone else me.
My grief: I will leave you just in one case? When I see the world opened his armful for happiness, love, and safe. In that time I want you give me the signal to leave you! !

My grief is killing my heart now

My grief: now I want you hear me your words about love that you kept torturing me in it
My heart: ok. You are the only one I’ve got now

Trust me
Cause I know the pain...
The pain is over here and over there,
Pain in my heart pain in my soul,
Pain in my skin pain in my bones...
Trust me
Cause I know the cold nights...
It’s when my heart freezing, my eyes clouded and I won't close it,
Cause I scared to see the darkness and fell the silence,
oh my God I’m closing my eyes, I can't take it any more ahhhh.....
Now I’m afraid to open it cause I don't want be alone again...
Trust me
Cause I know the loneliness...
It’s when I don't get to hear from you,
Loneliness when I know you are not here by my side,
Loneliness when I’m thinking silently about you...
Trust me
Cause I know my soul...
It’s smashed to three parts,
The first is happy,
The sec is sad,
The third is full of misery,
Ahhh... now I can fell in my soul,
Happiness was never meant for me...
Trust me
Cause I know my heart...
Aches...
Broken...
Scattered around...
Ahhh.... my heart is killing me...
My heart need to heal by some glue...
All of that because of.... ahah (keep chocking) .

My grief: enough, enough, what is all that! !
My heart: you put in me the eternal grief, you put in me the unceasing yearning, you put in me all the kinds of illusions and more, so take it it's yours....
My grief: I will leave you now my friend; I will leave you my friend.
But I want you remember that a part of me will stay in you forever…

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Threats To Keep A People In Grief

How can we seek solutions...
When our denials love to bask,
In a pleasing done by deceit.

How can we non-fictionalize our lives,
When fiction is all we seek.

How can we ever expect to accept the truth,
When none of it is believed.

And how is a greatness once perceived,
So willing to feed decadence...
And allow conflict and division succeed.

All of these may be questions!
But the opportunity to answer them,
Become threats to keep a people in grief.

Threats to keep a people in grief.

'Why no one answers them? '

They're threats to keep a people in grief!

'Why? '

They're threats to keep a people in grief!

Threats to keep a people in grief.
'Why no one answers them? '
They're threats to keep a people in grief!
'Why? '
Threats to keep a people in grief.
'Why no one answers them? '
They're threats to keep a people in grief!
'Why? '

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Deep Song

George cory / douglass cross
Lonely grief is hounding me
Like the lonely shadow hounding me
Its always there just out of sight
Like a fragling tree on a lightening night
Lonely wind cries out my name
Sad as haunted music in the rain
Its born of grief and born of woe
But I hear it call and Ive got to go
Where can I be headed for
The blues call in my north
To lick my heart once more
Love lives in a lonely land
Where theres no helping hand to understand
Why does it bring this hate to me
Why it dont matter why
I only know misery has to be part of me
Never hope to count on love
To be a partner of that heaven above
Never hope to understand
Love is a barrel land
A lonely land, a lonely land

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Words for Sergeant Dakota Meyer, USMC – CMH

Someday when your construction job has helped you heal
I hope through google and the further mystery of the internet
These words will find you
The President did not speak falsely
In your dark valley you are far from alone
Your comrades - living and dead – are not alone
Indeed a nation grieves with you
Your truth is proofed
Your honor is secure
You are not alone
You are not alone
The medal is our grief
It is not your grief
Keep your grief – keep your grief
It will heal you
It will heal you
Keep your grief
The Medal is a souvenir from a place
Where there are no shops

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Because Today

I have to play my role
But my heart is full of dole
I don't know what to do
For things are right now blue
I wish I can explain
Why always I get pain
That fills my heart and soul
With grief and so much dole
For life cannot run smooth
And nothing can today soothe
The pain and agony's sleep
That is all running deep
Because today my life's pole
Is full of grief and dole.

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The Itching Stays

Conceiving of love as an ocean of felicity, I sprang to bathe in it;
Then looking back, I felt sorrows getting about to wind around me.
I wonder whoever has created this clear-watered lake of love!
My heart’s pretty shaking: here roam the insects of grief forever.
My elders’ reproaches feel as lichens, neighbors as catfishes,
And my lineage like thorny water-chestnuts floating far and wide.
Waterworts my blemishes against me; it’s tough to drink from here.
In and outside of me the itching stays, God brought grief into joys.
Says Chandidas, “O Beautiful, grief and happiness are two brothers;
Grief goes to whoever falls in love with happiness, lured by it.”


Translator’s Note:

I translated this poem by Chandidas a few days back but it’s better for you to count on this translation as a draft on which I may have to work a bit as well. The following information about the poet is from Wikipedia:

Chandidas (born 1408 CE) refers to (possibly more than one) a medieval poet of Bengal. Verse written by at least four different Chandidas have been found, and it is not clear whether they refer to the same person or not. The name Chandidas is usually attributed to Baru Chandidas, who has been more or less indentified as a historical figure born in the 14th century. He was born in Birbhum district of what is now West Bengal. Chandidas wrote the lyrical Srikrishna Kirtan (Songs in Praise of Krishna) .

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Song Of Noble Grief

Oh, noble grief of the suffering soul
That into free verse bursts out...
Would you perchance take comfort
In adorning the world with jewels?

Oh, noble grief in free verse,
Which sincerely sounds and resounds,
Will you ever move the feelings of men,
Or wither and die like the autumn leaves?

Oh, song worthy of noble grief...
Never rest! But with your twin,
Lamentation, sing out your suffering,
For time will be your consolation.

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John Donne

The Triple Fool

I am two fools, I know,
For loving, and for saying so
In whining poetry;
But where's that wise man, that would not be I,
If she would not deny?
Then as th' earth's inward narrow crooked lanes
Do purge sea water's fretful salt away,
I thought, if I could draw my pains
Through rhyme's vexation, I should them allay.
Grief brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For he tames it, that fetters it in verse.

But when I have done so,
Some man, his art and voice to show,
Doth set and sing my pain;
And, by delighting many, frees again
Grief, which verse did restrain.
To love and grief tribute of verse belongs,
But not of such as pleases when 'tis read.
Both are increasèd by such songs,
For both their triumphs so are published,
And I, which was two fools, do so grow three.
Who are a little wise, the best fools be.

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