Dying in Harness
ONLY a fallen horse, stretched out there on the road.
Stretched in the broken shafts, and crushed by the heavy load;
Only a fallen horse, and a circle of wondering eyes
Watching the 'frighted teamster goading the beast to rise.
Hold! for his toil is over—no more labor for him;
See the poor neck outstretched, and the patient eyes grow dim;
See on the friendly stones how peacefully rests the head
Thinking, if dumb beasts think, how good it is to be dead;
After the weary journey, how restful it is to lie
With the broken shafts and the cruel load—waiting only to die.
Watchers, he died in harness—died in the shafts and straps—
Fell, and the burden killed him: one of the day's mishaps—
One of the passing wonders marking the city road—
A toiler dying in harness, heedless of call or goad.
Passers, crowding the pathway, staying your steps awhile,
What is the symbol ? Only death—why should we cease to smile
At death for a beast of burden? On, through the busy street
That is ever and ever echoing the tread of the hurrying feet.
What was the sign? A symbol to touch the tireless will?
Does He who taught in parables speak in parables still?
The seed on the rock is wasted—on heedless hearts of men,
That gather and sow and grasp and lose—labor and sleep— and then—
Then for the prize!—A crowd in the street of ever-echoing tread—
The toiler, crushed by the heavy load, is there in his harness—dead!
poem by John Boyle O'Reilly
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Heavy Load
Orbison/price
At times it seems too rough, things just drag me down
Its hard to find the strength to just one more round
When I need help, I know where to go
cos youre the best friend that I could ever know
Being taught the words from you .... from what is true
Someone to share the pain that Im going through
And its a heavy load that I bear and its a heavy crown that I wear
As I travel down this road, its a heavy load, its a heavy load
Its a heavy load that I bear and its a heavy crown that I wear
So help me one more time, its such an uphill climb
As I travel down this road, its a heavy load
Lord its a heavy load, lord its a heavy load, lord its a heavy load
Lord its a heavy load, lord its a heavy load....
song performed by by Roy Orbison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Parade-Song of the Camp-Animals
Elephants of the Gun-Teams
We lent to Alexander the strength of Hercules,
The wisdom of our foreheads, the cunning of our knees.
We bowed our necks to service--they ne'er were loosed again,--
Make way there, way for the ten-foot teams
Of the Forty-Pounder train!
Gun-Bullocks
Those heroes in their harnesses avoid a cannon-ball,
And what they know of powder upsets them one and all;
Then we come into action and tug the guns again,--
Make way there, way for the twenty yoke
Of the Forty-Pounder train!
Cavalry Horses
By the brand on my withers, the finest of tunes
Is played by the Lancers, Hussars, and Dragoons,
And it's sweeter than "Stables" or "Water" to me,
The Cavalry Canter of "Bonnie Dundee!"
Then feed us and break us and handle and groom,
And give us good riders and plenty of room,
And launch us in column of squadron and see
The Way of the War-horse to "Bonnie Dundee!"
Screw-Gun Mules
As me and my companions were scrambling up a hill,
The path was lost in rolling stones, but we went forward still;
For we can wriggle and climb, my lads, an turn up everywhere
And it's our delight on a mountain height, with a leg or two to spare!
Good luck to every sergeant, then, that lets us pick our road:
Bad luck to all the driver-men that cannot pack a load!
For we can wriggle and climb, my lads, and turn up everywhere,
And it's our delight on a mountain height, with a leg or two to spare!
Commissariat Camels
We haven't a camelty tune of our own
To help us trollop along,
But every neck is a hair-trombone
(Rtt-ta-ta-ta! is a hair-trombone! )
And this is our marching-song:
Can't! Don't! Shan't! Won't!
Pass it along the line!
Somebody's pack has slid from his back,
'Wish it were only mine!
Somebody's load has tipped off in the road--
Cheer for a halt and a row!
Urrr! Yarrh! Grr! Arrh!
Somebody's catching it now!
All The Beasts Together
Children of the Camp are we,
Serving each in his degree;
Children of the yoke and goad,
Pack and harness, pad and load.
See our line across the plain,
Like a heel-rope bent again,
Reaching, writhing, rolling far,
Sweeping all away to war!
While the men that walk beside,
Dusty, silent, heavy-eyed,
Cannot tell why we or they
March and suffer day by day.
Children of the Camp are we,
Serving each in his degree;
Children of the yoke and goad,
Pack and harness, pad and load!
poem by Rudyard Kipling
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Men With Broken Hearts
You'll meet many just like me upon life's busy street
With shoulders stooped and heads bowed low and eyes that stare in defeat
Or souls that live within the past where sorrow plays all parts
Where a living death is all that's left for men with broken hearts
You have no right to be the judge to criticize and condemn
Just think but for the grace of God it would be you instead of him
One careless step a thoughtless deed and then the misery starts
And to those who weep death comes cheap these men with broken hearts
Oh so humble you should be when they come passing by
For it's written that the greatest men never get too big to cry
Some lose faith in love and life when sorrow shoots her darts
And with hope all gone they walk alone these men with broken hearts
You've never walked in that man's shoes or saw things through his eyes
Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies
Some were propers some were kings and some were masters of the arts
But in their shame they're all the same these men with broken hearts
Life sometimes can be so cruel that a heart will pray for death
God why must these living dead know pain with every breath
So help your brother along the road no matter where he starts
For the God that made you made them too these men with broken hearts
song performed by by Hank Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Saw An Old Woman
I saw an old odd woman,
across a rough watery
street.
Odd as a ghost,
she was with an heavy load.
One on her head, another
on her left fragile hand.
I saw another load of cloth
on the ground.
The least one that fell from
her head. I guess.
She bent to lift it up,
but their was no strength.
I stared, wishing i could help.
She stretched her dying
hands towards me.
Voicelessly bade me to come.
Humble as a worm,
i went close to the
old odd woman.
She tried to communicate.
I tried to comunicate.
Like two deaf people,
we struggled to communicate.
She was saying something
with her gesture.
Yet i could not comprehend.
At last.
She spoke in words i understood.
She spoke in rare vernacular.
Surprise to hear such vernacular
from an old odd woman,
I hurrily put the load on her head.
I am going i said.
Thank you she said.
Hurrily i left.
Looked back again and again
to see if she was still there.
I feared.
poem by Enebeli Ifyprada
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Ease On Down The Road #1
(charlie smalls)
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Ease on down
Ease on down the road
Come on dorothy,
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
There it is!
Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down, down the road
Pick your left foot up
When your right foots down
Come on legs keep movin
Dont you lose no ground
You just keep on keepin
On the road that you choose
Dont you give up walkin
cause you gave up shoes, no
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
cause there maybe times
When you think you lost your mind
And the steps youre takin
Leave you three, four steps behind
But the road youre walking
Might be long sometimes
You just keep on steppin
And youll be just fine, yeah
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the
Oh, there maybe times
When you wish you wasnt born
And you wake one morning
Just to find that your courages gone
But just know that feeling
Only last a little while
You just stick with us
And well show you how to smile, yeah
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, get em up, ease on down the road
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, get em up, ease on down the road
song performed by by Diana Ross
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hey Now What You Doing
Hey now what you doing
Don't go down the road to ruin
Look back at where you came from
Count to ten before you go wrong
You have the brightest future
Writing songs on your computer
But you couldn't walk the extra mile
And now your life is running wild
You've gotta hold your head up high
You know it's not too late to try
You've gotta lift that heavy load
You've gotta get back in control
The days you've said to me
What is it that your eyes see
Is it love or is it hate
Banging on an opened gate
Hey now, who's that with you
What's that thing I saw him give you
Turn around don't come no closer
You took it from my shoulder holster
You've gotta hold your head up high
You know it's not too late to try
You've gotta lift that heavy load
You've gotta get back in control
You've gotta hold your head up high
You know it's not too late to try
You've gotta lift that heavy load
You've gotta get back in control
Why don't you put that gun right down
Before you kill the love you found
Hey now what you doing (what you doing)
Don't go down the road to ruin
song performed by by New Order
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ease On Down The Road
Come on and
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down, down the road
Pick your left foot up
When your right foots down
Come on legs keep movin
Dont you lose no ground
You just keep on keepin
On the road that you choose
Dont you give up walkin
cause you gave up shoes, no
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
cause there maybe times
When you think you lost your mind
And the steps youre takin
Leave you three, four steps behind
But the road youre walking
Might be long sometimes
You just keep on steppin
And youll just be fine, yeah
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Dont you carry nothing
That might be a load
Come on, ease on down
Ease on down the road
Well there maybe times
When you wish you wasnt born
And you wake one morning
Just to find your courages gone
But just know that feeling
Only last a little while
You stick with us
And well show you how to smile, yeah
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, goin down, ease on down
Get em up, get em up ease on down
song performed by by Michael Jackson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Road
The road is thronged with women; soldiers pass
And halt, but never see them; yet they’re here—
A patient crowd along the sodden grass,
Silent, worn out with waiting, sick with fear.
The road goes crawling up a long hillside,
All ruts and stones and sludge, and the emptied dregs
Of battle thrown in heaps. Here where they died
Are stretched big-bellied horses with stiff legs,
And dead men, bloody-fingered from the fight,
Stare up at caverned darkness winking white.
You in the bomb-scorched kilt, poor sprawling Jock,
You tottered here and fell, and stumbled on,
Half dazed for want of sleep. No dream would mock
Your reeling brain with comforts lost and gone.
You did not feel her arms about your knees,
Her blind caress, her lips upon your head.
Too tired for thoughts of home and love and ease,
The road would serve you well enough for bed.
poem by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Road
The Road is thronged with women; soldiers pass
And halt, but never see them; yet they’re here—
A patient crowd along the sodden grass,
Silent, worn out with waiting, sick with fear.
The Road goes crawling up a long hillside,
All ruts and stones and sludge, and the emptied dregs
Of battle thrown in heaps; here where they died
Are stretched big-bellied horses with stiff legs,
And dead men, bloody-fingered from the fight,
Stare up at cavern'd darkness winking white.
You in the bomb-scorched kilt, poor sprawling Jock,
You tottered here and fell, and stumbled on,
Half-dazed for want of sleep: no dream would mock
Your reeling brain with comforts lost and gone.
You did not feel her arms about your knees,
Her blind caress, her lips upon your head:
Too tired for thoughts of home and love and ease,
The Road would serve you well enough for bed.
poem by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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If I Run
Morning comes and morning goes
Now it's me against the sun
The day goes by and darkness grows
And it's over before it's done
Well I know it'll be alright if I just get on the road
If I run I can free my worried mind
Yeah I know on the day I die I will lose my heavy load
But I wouldn't want to leave you behind
All my time keeps creeping on
Now I've grown into a man
But Mr. Child still wants to run
From the cradle to the van
Keep thinking it'll be alright if I just get on the road
If I run I can free my worried mind
Keep thinking of the day I die when I lose my heavy load
But I wouldn't want to leave you behind
song performed by by Semisonic from Great Divide
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Come Down This Road
Past this place in the road,
You shall see many people carying great load,
You may think to help, or just pass by,
It is up to you to know why.
Why you pass, why you stay,
But, caeful, from this road do not stray.
They shall show you how to learn how to know.
Some shall have their load taken, yet some shall never go,
The pain of it, the pain of trying.
Yet none shall know what it's like to be dying,
The laod shall never be gone, yet it could be lifted.
Each is different, each is gifted,
To your mind it is a burden, to your sould it is a part of you
You can not trade, for your soul is who you are, you can't start new.
As you travel down this road you will see,
That where it ends,
is eternity.
poem by Bethany Maxwell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Weight (feat. The Staple Singers)
(The Band)
I pulled in to Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
''Hey mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?''
He just grinned and shook my hand, ''No'' was all he said
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me
I picked up my bag, I went looking for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walking side by side
I said ''Hey Carmen, come on, let's go downtown''
She said ''I gotta go but my friend can stick around''
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me
Go down Miss Moses, there's nothing you can say
It's just old Luke, and Luke's waiting on the judgement day
''Well, Luke my friend, what about young Anna-Lee?''
He said ''Do me a favour son, won't you stay and keep Anna-Lee
company?''
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me
Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said ''I will fix your rat if you'll take Jack my dog''
I said ''Wait a minute Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man''
He said ''That's okay boy, won't you feed him when you can?''
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me
Catch a cannonball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinking low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me
song performed by by Sheryl Crow
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fallen, Empty, And Broken
fallen soldier
fallen sky
fallen angel
from on high
fallen heartache
fallen soul
fallen man
losing control
empty bed
empty arms
empty dreams
empty heart
empty wallet
empty hands
cant take nothin'
from an empty man
broken promises
broken vows
broken spirit
wont allow
broken fences
broken lives
broken tomorrows
broken nights
fallen, empty, and broken
every road is the same
bent, bruised, and shaken
still numb from the pain
now you dont answer
when i call out your name
fallen, empty, and broken
walking in the rain...
fallen, empty, and broken...
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A Man Like Me
Should you ever meet
A man like me
On a road or some busy street
With a back so scared
Head bent low
And eyes that have seen defeats
With a soul that fight the past
Where sorrow's play their broken harps
A living death, and all that's left
It this man with a broken heart
My family? Well? They've no right
To judge, or critize, nor even condemn
Because, sometimes their actions
Are just like them
Oh such careless steps, such thoughtless deeds
Oh how my misery starts
For I have faced, so much abuse
And that's what gave this broken heart
So humble, I think you could be
When I come passing by
For even the greatest...(God) ...
Was never so great
That He didn't stop to help and cry
I've tried not to lose my faith
I've held to love, all my life
Even when among all that strife
So even when sorrow throws, all those poison darts
Or when I've seen hope, all gone
I've walked alone and continued on
With broken heart
My family you've never walked in
this man shoes
Or seen the things, these eyes
have seen
Nor stood and watched with helpless hand
While the heart inside of you dies and stings
I never was a rich man, or master painter
Or had any words of art
Yet I still claim
I Love you same
Even with this broken heart
Life sometimes been so terribly cruel
There was a time I even prayed for death
There was a time of pain... when pain...
Was with every pain filled breath
So I say help that man, or friend
Or even your brother, along this road
It matters not... from where you start
For it was God...whom made you
To help that man, with a broken heart
poem by Clyde Bryson
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They put me in a harness, like a horse, to learn the back somersault. It was weird up there when I put on that harness for the first time. The courage came with practice.
quote by Donald O'Connor
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Good Friday, A.D. 33
Mother, why are people crowding now and staring?
Child, it is a malefactor goes to His doom,
To the high hill of Calvary He's faring,
And the people pressing and pushing to make room
Lest they miss the sight to come.
Oh, the poor malefactor, heavy is His load!
Now He falls beneath it and they goad Him on.
Sure the road to Calvary's a steep up-hill road --
Is there none to help Him with His Cross -- not one?
Must He bear it all alone?
Here is a country boy with business in the city,
Smelling of the cattle's breath and the sweet hay;
Now they bid him lift the Cross, so they have some pity:
Child, they fear the malefactor dies on the way
And robs them of their play.
Has He no friends then, no father nor mother,
None to wipe the sweat away nor pity His fate?
There's a woman weeping and there's none to soothe her:
Child, it is well the seducer expiate
His crimes that are so great.
Mother, did I dream He once bent above me,
This poor seducer with the thorn-crowned head,
His hands on my hair and His eyes seemed to love me?
Suffer little children to come to Me, He said --
His hair, his brows drip red.
Hurrying through Jerusalem on business or pleasure
People hardly pause to see Him go to His death
Whom they held five days ago more than a King's treasure,
Shouting Hosannas, flinging many a wreath
For this Jesus of Nazareth.
poem by Katharine Tynan
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He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy he's my brother
He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
song performed by by Hollies
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
song performed by by Neil Diamond
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.
quote by John Newton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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With Nothing Underneath
You should've called out,
made amends, broken hearts breathe unison.
I was trying to gather mine.
All my tragedies are my enemies,
all my enemies are mine.
And we carry on, just to lighten the load.
Never had I been such outsider,
eyes of the blamed,
while I was trying to reclaim.
All my tragedies are my enemies,
all my enemies are mine.
And we carry on,
just to lighten the load,
and silently we sleep with nothing underneath.
With weary hands and driven nails,
I begin to rebuild myself.
The bruises uncover the scene,
the taste of the clean.
And we carry on, outlasting,
just to lighten the load,
silently we sleep
with nothing underneath.
With your voice I keep you.
Never used like this gently.
song performed by by 36 Crazyfists
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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