Life's Tragedy
i am water
swept by the wind
to become waves
i am a consciousness
swept by god
to become man
inundated by
waves of
trials and tribulations
swirling, crushing,
always rushing onward to shore
soldiers on field
advancing to claim
a piece of victory they
consider theirs
the sand a smooth plain
after each swipe of the waves
i leap on towards this survival
again and again
pondering over the meaning
of this breath, life, miracle,
a blank in my life
i beg god would fill out for me
those masterful footsteps
in my life
those guiding steps on
the beach after each lap of wave
that i am still waiting for
inspired by
Life's Tragedy
It may be misery not to sing at all,
And to go silent through the brimming day;
It may be misery never to be loved,
But deeper griefs than these beset the way.
To sing the perfect song,
And by a half-tone lost the key,
There the potent sorrow, there the grief,
The pale, sad staring of Life's Tragedy.
To have come near to the perfect love,
Not the hot passion of untempered youth,
But that which lies aside its vanity,
And gives, for thy trusting worship, truth.
This, this indeed is to be accursed,
For if we mortals love, or if we sing,
We count our joys not by what we have,
But by what kept us from that perfect thing.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Life's Tragedy
It may be misery not to sing at all,
And to go silent through the brimming day;
It may be misery never to be loved,
But deeper griefs than these beset the way.
To sing the perfect song,
And by a half-tone lost the key,
There the potent sorrow, there the grief,
The pale, sad staring of Life's Tragedy.
To have come near to the perfect love,
Not the hot passion of untempered youth,
But that which lies aside its vanity,
And gives, for thy trusting worship, truth.
This, this indeed is to be accursed,
For if we mortals love, or if we sing,
We count our joys not by what we have,
But by what kept us from that perfect thing.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Imperfect Song
It may not be a misery to sing at all,
To sing life's imperfect song,
For if us mortals love or sing,
It is what keeps us from our perfect dream
Life's imperfect song goes on day by day,
But our grief may be set best that way,
As if a music box lost its key,
That's is my life long song of Misery
Misery leaves you like a broken frame,
Guilt and sorrow swallows the pain,
You run from it, but knowing that you can't hide,
Until, the day you run insane
As time passes, I watch you grow,
Still refusing to sing of tomorrow,
Your life long song, now complete,
My child don't wish, go to sleep.
Sing Your Life
Sing your life
Any fool can think of words that rhyme
Many others do
Why dont you ?
Do you want to ?
Oh...
Sing your life
Walk right up to the microphone
And name
All the things you love
All the things that you loathe
Oh, sing your life
The things that you love
And the things you loathe
Oh, sing your life
Oh, sing your life
La, la-la, la-la, sing your life
La, la-la, la-la, sing your life
Others sang your life
But now is a chance to shine
And have the pleasure of
Saying what you mean
Have the pleasure of
Meaning what you sing
Oh, make no mistake my friend
All of this will end
So sing it now (sing your life)
All the things you love (sing your life)
All the things you loathe
Oh, sing your life
The things that you love
And the things you loathe (sing your life)
Oh, sing oh...
Oh, sing oh...
La, la-la, la-la, sing your life
La, la-la, la-la, sing your life
Dont leave it all unsaid
Somewhere in the wasteland of your head, oh
Head, oh, head, oh, head, oh
And make no mistake, my friend
Your pointless life will end
But before you go
Can you look at the truth ?
You have a lovely singing voice
A lovely singing voice
And all of those
Who sing on-key
They stole the notion
From you and me
So, sing your life (sing your life)
Sing your life (sing your life)
Oh, sing your oh...
Oh, sing your
Sing your life
Sing your life
Sing your life
Oh, sing your oh...
(sing your life)
(sing your life)
Sing your life
(sing your life)
song performed by by Morrissey
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Whats Life
Life is a challenge –meet it
Life is a gift –accept it
Life is a sorrow-overcome it
Life is a tragedy-face it
Life is a adventure-dare it
Life is a duty- perform it
Life is a mystery-unfold it
Life is a song –sing it
Life is a opportunity-take it
Life is a journey-complete it
Life is a promise fulfill it
Life is a beauty-praise it
Life is a goal-achieve it
Life is a puzzle-solve it
Life is love-love it
poem by Jessica Lee Workman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Sing Along
I've an emptiness inside
That can only be describe
As a sad song
With the paint all peeling off
All the world i used to know
It's a sad song
He gave my life a meaning
When all hope inside had die
The he took the meaning back
And left me feeling oh disillusioned
He just walked out of my world
Like you'd walk out of a room
Oh you sad song
Sing along with my song
If you're lost and you're alone
Sing along if your song
Has theme of love gone wrong
Sing along and belong
Don't hold back we're growing strong
Sing along sing your song
Sing your sad your sad sad song
Ain't it strange the way life goes
First you're used and then disposed
Like a sad song
Saying love was just a word
Used to keep you hanging there
Like a sad song
You swallowed all those promises
So called upon you are
And following his footsteps
No matter just how far must follow
He just walked out of a room
Oh you sad song
Sing along with my song
If you're lost and you're alone
Sing along if your song
Has theme of love gone wrong
Sing along and belong
Don't hold back we're growing strong
Sing along sing your song
Sing your sad you sad sad song...
song performed by by Donna Summer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Love My Life
Every day I hear the news
Seems like people worship pain
All your oprahs and donahues
They just cant explain
As you reap you shall sow
I looked high I looked low
Now I know that I love my life
I love my life
I said me and my creator
We got a funny love thing
Its happenin now and not later
Yeah, thats why I sing
First came thought then came deed
I got caught now Im freed
All I need is to love my life
I love my life
Time, the topic of the sermon tonight is time
Time, the thief of hope
Time, the ameliorator of all our endeavors
What will we do with time off our backs?
We would make this world a perfect place
We would make our lives a perfect thing, if not for time
But I tell you now, time is an illusion
Time is an illusion, time is not real
Time is the dividing line between what is true and what is not true
Between what is real and what is not real
Between what is so and what is not so
But who, I said who, who stands for time?
Who stands at the threshold of time?
Who decides what is true and what is not true?
We do, you and i
You and I decide what is true and what is not true
What shall be our guiding light?
Happiness, I say happiness
But in a world, I see people in a world of misery
I see a world full of sorrow
Why should we be happy?
Tell me why should we be happy?
We need a message from above
Look over there, look over here
I can see it, there is beauty in the world
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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All Paths Lead To You
Life is a challenge – meet it.
Life is a gift – accept it.
Life is an adventure – dare it.
Life is a sorrow – overcome it.
Life is a tragedy – face it.
Life is a duty – perform it.
Life is a game – play it.
Life is a mystery – unfold it.
Life is a song – sing it.
Life is an opportunity – take it.
Life is a journey – complete it.
Life is a promise – fulfill it.
Life is a love – embrace it.
Life is a beauty – praise it.
Life is a spirit – release it.
Life is a struggle – fight it.
Life is a puzzle – solve it.
Life is a goal – achieve it.
poem by Kat Mercado
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Whats Life
Life is a challenge -meet it
Life is a gift -accept it
Life is a sorrow-overcome it
Life is a tragedy-face it
Life is a adventure-dare it
Life is a duty- perform it
Life is a mystery-unfold it
Life is a song -sing it
Life is a opportunity-take it
Life is a journey-complete it
Life is a promise-fulfill it
Life is a beauty-praise it
Life is a goal-achieve it
Life is a puzzle-solve it
Life is love-love it
Jessica Lee Workman
poem by Jessica lee Workman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Sing To Me
Sing to me! Something of sunlight and bloom,
I am so compassed with sorrow and gloom,
I am so sick with the world’s noisse and strife, -
Sing of the beauty and brightness of life –
Sing to me, sing to me!
Sing to me! Something that’s jubilant, glad!
I am so weary, my soul so sad.
All my earth riches are covered with rust,
All my bright dreams are but ashes and dust.
Sing to me, sing to me!
Sing og the blossoms that open in spring,
How the sweet flowers blow, and the long lichens cling,
Say, though the winter is round about me,
There are bright summers and springs yet to be.
Sing to me, sing to me!
Sing me a song full of hope and of truth,
Brimming with all the sweet fancies of youth!
Say, though my sorrow I may not forget,
I have not quite done with happiness yet.
Sing to me, sing to me!
Lay your soft fingers just here, on my cheek;
Turn the light lower – there- no, do not speak,
But sing! My heart thrills at your beautiful voice;
Sing till I turn from my grief and rejoice.
Sing to me, sing to me!
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Day Before The Tsunami in Phuket 2004
H! That white boy
Skiny, thiny thing
Did god claim him too?
----------
christmas day
i saw the boy
the white boy
skiny, thiny thing
who could only be
two scores of age
smiling so
innocently in phuket
the elders surrounding him
cajoling
i saw a little boy
black plump little thing
barely two, i guess
almost nude, running
carefree, near the sea
close to the waves
and into the waves
looking, discovering
danger, no,
a thousand miles away
i saw a grandad
jumped a few steps
as he ran
a little girl
trailing behind
did the same
a breeze
chilled us
refreshed us
in the splendour
of the setting sun
the rays that dilated
our pupils
so that everything
became so dreamy
in that already
paradisical setting
i saw a mother
her satiated self
sitting on a towel
her dreamed holiday came true
surrounded by teenagers
oh! that warm smile
of love from a mother!
i cried over life
transience too
over mother!
i saw the white men
executives of
some conglormerates
stressing out
a mishmash of tired nerves
pampered by the sea
the cool wind,
the sand,
the Thai women,
their reassuring
and status
confirming
touches and beer
the patong beach
christmas day dusk
endless waves of joy
swept through the souls
the hundreds of foreign souls
the white boy,
the skiny thiny thing
the boy i turned back
to take so many looks
the young child
playing by himself
near the harmless mass of water
and so many others
their last holiday?
the wave of joy now
overtaken by waves
waves, tsunami scale grief
the waves, the relentless waves
that roared
kill, kill, kill
all over the Indian Ocean
Oh! that skiny little white thing
with that lovely smile
those mysterious successive waves
of pain that sweep through me
did god take him too?
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Anguish, pain, misery, sorrow and retribution
Some say life is full of anguish,
old man once sang that life is full of pain
some even preach that life comes fully laced with misery and sorrow,
and some believe that life offers no retribution
ideas clearly instilled in the hearts and souls of many a man,
but the truth of the matter is,
life is anguish,
life is pain,
life is misery and sorrow,
in the same way as rain is water
and water is rain
for where can one get one`s own share of anguish,
who`d we ever have known pain if we never had life
without life, would we live through misery and sorrow
life in itself is retribution,
for he who has life can stand ground against
anguish, pain, misery and sorrow
and live to see brighter days seemingly unscathed
but woo to he who loses his life
in anguish, or pain, or misery , or sorrow
for he will receive no further retribution
and he will depart this earth with nothing but
anguish, pain, misery, sorrow
and retribution lost
poem by Tinashe Severa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Absence
GOODNIGHT, my love, for I have dreamed of thee,
In walking dreams, until my soul is lost —
Is lost in passion's wide and shoreless sea,
Where, like a ship unruddered, it is tossed
Hither and thither at the wild waves will.
There is no potent Master's voice to still
This newer, more tempestuous Galilee!
The stormy petrels of my fancy fly
In warning course across the darkening green,
And, like a frightened bird, my heart doth cry
And seek to find some rock of rest between
The threatening sky and the relentless wave.
It is not length of life that grief doth crave,
But only calm and peace in which to die.
Here let me rest upon this single hope,
For oh, my wings are weary of the wind,
And with its stress no more may strive or cope.
One cry has dulled mine ears mine eyes are blind—
Would that o'er all the intervening space,
I might fly forth and see thee face to face.
I fly; I search, but, love, in gloom I grope.
Fly home, far bird, unto thy waiting nest;
Spread they strong wings above the wind-swept sea.
Beat the grim breeze with thy ruffled breast
Until thou sittest wing to wing with me.
Then, let the past bring up its tales of wrong;
We shall chant low our sweet connubial song,
Till storm and doubt past no more shall be!
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Sing Along (Sad Song)
Ive an emptiness inside
That can only be describe
As a sad song
With the paint all peeling off
All the world I used to know
Its a sad song
He gave my life a meaning
When all hope inside had die
The he took the meaning back
And left me feeling oh disillusioned
He just walked out of my world
Like youd walk out of a room
Oh you sad song
Sing along with my song
If youre lost and youre alone
Sing along if your song
Has theme of love gone wrong
Sing along and belong
Dont hold back were growing strong
Sing along sing your song
Sing your sad your sad sad song
Aint it strange the way life goes
First youre used and then disposed
Like a sad song
Saying love was just a word
Used to keep you hanging there
Like a sad song
You swallowed all those promises
So called upon you are
And following his footsteps
No matter just how far must follow
He just walked out of a room
Oh you sad song
Sing along with my song
If youre lost and youre alone
Sing along if your song
Has theme of love gone wrong
Sing along and belong
Dont hold back were growing strong
Sing along sing your song
Sing your sad you sad sad song...
song performed by by Donna Summer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Phyllis
PHYLLIS, ah, Phyllis, my life is a gray day,
Few are my years, but my griefs are not few,
Ever to youth should each day be a May-day,
Warm wind and rose-breath and diamonded dew—
Phyllis, ah, Phyllis, my life is a gray day.
Oh for the sunlight that shines on a May-day!
Only the cloud hangeth over my life.
Love that should bring me youth's happiest heyday
Brings me but seasons of sorrow and strife:
Phyllis, ah, Phyllis, my life is a gray day.
Sunshine or shadow, or gold day or gray day,
Life must be lived as our destinies rule;
Leisure or labor or work day or play day—
Feasts for the famous and fun for the fool;
Phyllis, ah, Phyllis, my life is a gray day.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Roses
Oh, wind of the spring-time, oh, free wind of May,
When blossoms and bird-song are rife;
Oh, joy for the season, and joy for the day,
That gave me the roses of life, of life,
That gave me the roses of life.
Oh, wind of the summer, sing loud in the night,
When flutters my heart like a dove;
One came from thy kingdom, thy realm of delight,
And gave me the roses of love, of love,
And gave me the roses of love.
Oh, wind of the winter, sigh low in thy grief,
I hear thy compassionate breath;
I wither, I fall, like the autumn-kissed leaf,
He gave me the roses of death, of death,
He gave me the roses of death.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.
quote by Mother Teresa
Submitted by Mihai Cucereavii
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The Christmas Day before Tsunami In Phuket
Christmas day
I saw the boy
the white boy
skinny, thin thing
who could only be
two scores of age
smiling so innocently
in Phuket’s Patong Beach
the elders surrounding him, cajoling
I saw a little boy
black plump little thing
barely two, I guess,
almost nude, running
carefree, near the sea
close to the waves
and into the waves
looking, discovering
danger, no,
a thousand miles away
I saw a granddad
jumped a few steps
as he ran
a little girl
trailing behind
did the same
a breeze
chilled us
refreshed us
in the splendour
of the setting sun
the rays dilated our pupils
so that everything
became so dreamy
in that already
paradise setting
I saw a mother
her satiated self
sitting on a towel
her dreamed holiday came true
surrounded by teenagers
oh! that warm smile
of love from a mother!
I cried over the transient
quality of life too
over mother!
I saw the white men
executives of
some conglomerates
stressing out
a mishmash of tired nerves
pampered by the sea
the cool wind,
the sand,
the Thai women,
their reassuring
and status
confirming
touches and beer
the patong beach
Christmas day dusk
endless waves of joy
swept through the souls
the hundreds of foreign souls
the white boy,
the skinny tiny thing
the boy I turned back
to take so many looks
the young child
playing by himself
near the harmless mass of water
and so many others
their last holiday?
the wave of joy now
overtaken by waves
waves, tsunami scale grief
the waves,
the relentless waves
that roared
kill, kill, kill
all over the Indian Ocean
Oh! that skinny little white thing
with that lovely smile
those mysterious successive waves
of pain that sweep through me
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Spring Song
A BLUE-BELL springs upon the ledge,
A lark sits singing in the hedge;
Sweet perfumes scent the balmy air,
And life is brimming everywhere.
What lark and breeze and bluebird sing,
Is Spring, Spring, Spring!
No more the air is sharp and cold;
The planter wends across the wold,
And, glad, beneath the shining sky
We wander forth, my love and I.
And ever in our hearts doth ring
This song of Spring, Spring!
For life is life and love is love,
'Twixt maid and man or dove and dove.
Life may be short, life may be long,
But love will come, and to its song
Shall this refrain for ever cling
Of Spring, Spring, Spring!
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Song of April!
Is it that incomplete song
you sing for me April
or the soulful song of
a nightingale or a song
from the heart of Earth
A song long heard
which is lost in the waves
or one melody which melts
the rocks so hard you want
to sing for me April
A song I can sing from the
notes so perfect or the one
so loud to compete with
the wild clouds and forests
Is it that song incomplete April
you sing for me now...
April 17, 2009
poem by Rema Prasanaa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Perfect Time Of Day
It's the perfect time of day
It's the last day of your life
Don't let it drift away
While your heart is still racing
It's the perfect time of day
And you wont feel a thing
And you wont recall anything at all
Close your eyes and take your last breath
Press your head aside, the end is the beginning
Everyone between is so lost, so lost.
Let your colors collide
The time is so right
I keep running behind
But I know your meaning
You love to fall
The perfect time of day
Chorus
Wooooo it's the perfect time of day
Come on now
It's the perfect time of day
it's the perfect time with you
song performed by by Howie Day
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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