Train
After Max Ernst's 'Europe after the Rain'
In the dark
each sits alone
clutching his flag
I have more than my one death
to attend to
there is a sickness about
and the magician has vanished
But I sit with my twenty six years
spread on my palms
and I wait for the silence
when the programme is interrupted
and the speakers have no script.
And I think how to carry my children
into the sewers.
Roll up the cities.
Let the window explode
in a million glass flowers.
In the darkness already
the woman picking milk from the step
the ashes raked last thing at night
are postures, buried
slipping into dust, rock, ooze,
furniture of a planet
wheeling in silence
lonely as a train
waving its little handkerchiefs of steam
Related quotes
Coronation on the tele
In 1953 the television came
A big brown wooden box
which coddled a tiny screen
behind the glass
On either side a knob to twizzle
but my dad said If you touch
the screen will all explode
So we didn't
We watched the tiny Queen
waving from her big glass coach
-except it wasn't really glass
except the windows - not the wheels
The neighbours crowded in
to borrow sugar - or to see the prize -
sitting on our mam's armchair arms
refusing to go home
And as the Queen was seen
they clapped and cheered as if the Queen could hear
and waved their little Union Flags
just like the crowds in London
standing in the rain all day
to see the people passing by
The enormous Queen of Tonga and her son
- and boring Heads of State
Children wet and waving flags
were standing on their daddies' shoulders
Some were clutching guardsmen's trouser legs
and waving from the gutter
But we could see it all at home - and jockey with the neighbours
Our mam spent all the programme making tea
and moaning as the milk was running out
and missing all the Queen
06Feb1997 CPR
poem by Charlotte Peters Rock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Flyng At Night
five billion years away
a planet turns,
turning a million years
this side of the planet
and my heart beats
each beats
a million years
the other side of another planet
the distance that shortens
the years
as we watch a foreign body
five billion years away
a billion years passed
a universe caught in time
an eagle flaps its wing
each flag
a million years pass
that side of the planet
time is where you are
it walks away from you
as you walk away from it
inspired by
Flying at Night
Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations.
Five billion miles away, a galaxy dies
like a snowflake falling on water. Below us,
some farmer, feeling the chill of that distant death,
snaps on his yard light, drawing his sheds and barn
back into the little system of his care.
All night, the cities, like shimmering novas,
tug with bright streets at lonely lights like his.
Ted Kooser
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Listening
I listen to the stillness of you,
My dear, among it all;
I feel your silence touch my words as I talk,
And take them in thrall.
My words fly off a forge
The length of a spark;
I see the night-sky easily sip them
Up in the dark.
The lark sings loud and glad,
Yet I am not loth
That silence should take the song and the bird
And lose them both.
A train goes roaring south,
The steam-flag flying;
I see the stealthy shadow of silence
Alongside going.
And off the forge of the world,
Whirling in the draught of life,
Go sparks of myriad people, filling
The night with strife.
Yet they never change the darkness
Or blench it with noise;
Alone on the perfect silence
The stars are buoys.
poem by David Herbert Lawrence
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Rollin The Rock
Feels so cold, so alone
An empty stage, no one home
I feel so strange, so scared
No point in screaming
I wont be heard
Youre so cold, youre so cool
Its so dark in this tomb
Time has come so soon
And time takes no prisoners
Except in the womb
Theres no way out, no escape
This silence is deafening
I have to cry out
Youre so cold, youre so cool
Its so dark in this tomb
Roll away the rock
Roll the rock away
Set me free from this grave
Am I forgiven, can I be saved?
Youve been so cold for so long
This silence is deafening
Was I so wrong?
Youre so cold, youre so cool
Its so dark in this tomb
Roll away the rock
Take that rock and roll it
Roll away the rock
You gotta roll the rock away
This silence is deafening
song performed by by Uriah Heep
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rock n Roll Cities
Rock n roll cities, look out here we come
From buffalo to the gulf of mexico
Rock n roll cities, look out for our bus
Does anybody know the way to idaho?
Well its good to be back
Had some trouble on the way
I never thought wed get here
But we made it just the same
The flight over was real rough
So could you lead me to a beer
I see the pretty girls getting younger
Every year
Rock n roll cities, look out here we come
From new york state to the gulf of mexico
Rock n roll cities, look out for our bus
Does anybody know the way to idaho?
Wcvr konk, wsos, are we still on that playlist?
Well, its anybodys guess
But what does it matter when youre out on the town
Rock n roll cities, with a pizza to go
Rock n roll cities, philadelphia p.a.
I got my radio
Promo for mtv
Whats next on the itinerary? can anybody tell?
Whats the hotel like? is there cable t.v. as well?
Get up with a headache, fall asleep on the plane
And we get there, start all over again
Rock n roll cities, look out were coming through
Kansas city, fresno, san diego
Rock n roll cities, look out here we come
Richmond, cleveland, ohio, nebraska, st. paul
Rock n roll cities, look out here we come
From buffalo to the gulf of mexico
Rock n roll cities, watch out for our bus
Does anybody know the way to idaho?
Flight 62 now leaving for memphis stopping at boston
Washington d.c. with continuing service to los angeles
Seattle, portland... etc...
Rock n roll cities, look out here we come
90 miles on highway 61
Rock n roll ladies, watch out here we come
Does anybody know the way to madison?
Rock n roll cities look out here we come
Rock n roll cities
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Brimstone... ' (or A Cryptic-Cremation)
Ashes to Ashes
Dust to Dust
Flesh and Blood
Wood and Mud
Sun and Moon
Craters and Crust
Flames to Ashes
Smoke to Dust
Ape and Man
Heart and Brain
Glass and Sand
Abel and Cain
Spend this Space
On this Earth
Cutting Down
Another’s Worth
So Much Hate
On World and Planet
Trying to Paint
And Stain Pearls and Granite
‘Til, Ashes to Ashes
Dust to Dust
Stop Thinking, ’ Iron Them ’
Start Thinking, ‘ Wash Us ’
Fire On Mountain
Flows Volcanic Ash
Fire and Sand
Equals House of Glass
Dirt On Fire
Smother ‘Fore Long
And Fire and Rock
Equals Brimstone
poem by MoonBee Canady
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Lovely White Flowers
He went inside the cafe where they used to sit together.
It was here, three months ago, that his friend told him:
'We're completely broke -so hard up, the two of us,
that we're stuck with the cheapest places.
I can't go around with you any more -it's no use hiding the fact.
I've got to tell you, somebody else is after me.'
The 'somebody else' had promised him two suits, some silk handkerchiefs.
He himself, to get his friend back,
went through hell rounding up twenty pounds.
His friend came back to him for the twenty pounds-
but along with that, for their old intimacy,
their old love, for the deep feeling between them.
The 'somebody else' was a liar, a real bum:
he'd ordered only one suit for his friend,
and that under pressure, after much begging.
But now he doesn't want the suits any longer,
he doesn't want the silk handkerchiefs at all,
or twenty pounds, or twenty piastres even.
Sunday they buried him, at ten in the morning.
Sunday they buried him, almost a week ago.
He laid flowers on his cheap coffin,
lovely white flowers, very much in keeping
with his beauty, his twenty-two years.
When he went to the cafe that evening
he happened to have some vital business there
to that same cafe where they used to go together,
it was a knife in his heart,
that dead cafe where they used to go together.
poem by Constantine P. Cavafy
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Eternal Silence
Silence
Silence when we are walking,
Silence when we think,
Silence is what fills us all,
With a binding eternal link.
Silence in the little children,
Silence in the adults,
Silence wrapping around us all,
Silence pulsing in the walls.
Silence fills this hollow world,
Silence is the choice we make,
Silence is the death of this all,
Silence is our fate.
poem by Okami Kamikaze
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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While Silence Is Her Refuge
He crushed her being,
spat on her education,
raked her self-confidence
burned her plans
charted in the kitchen
where her work was never done.
Violence upon violence
visited her scar-ridden body
The pain so severe
she could not even scream.
Silence was her refuge.
Her wounds ran much deeper
than sisters could imagine
But she swam alone in the
sea of her nightmares and anguish
fears covered, cries stifled
Silence was her refuge.
The crowd had a million ears
but not one for the moans
of a sister’s tortured soul
It taunted her for her questions
crucified her for her speech
Word of pain was infamy
The crowd rubbed salt on the
raw, bleeding wound
Since then, silence became her refuge
A daughter now does the work
that is never done
Her spirit protests not
numbed by her mother’s death
and her own, for like her mother
she died a hundred deaths
and will die a hundred more
because silence is her refuge.
The crowd does not know
that silence betrays
The crowd itself has run
a million times
to silence for refuge
It still does.
When will the crowd realize
that silence is a foe?
It harbors violence
and squeezes the blood
that waters and keeps alive
the tree of death
that has eternal life
while silence is woman’s refuge.
13 March 2000
poem by Cheryl L. DaytecYañgot
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Lonely Silver Rain
Watching waves wash up the beach and washing out again
The water shining scarlet as another day begins
Gazing past the droplets falling on my window pane
On the tan and sandy silence of the lonely silver rain
My house and mind are wallowing in states of disarray
Nothing is for certain except you’ve gone away
Wash my hands obsessively but can’t remove the stain
In the tan and sandy silence of the lonely silver rain
Morning fog is crawling like a curse upon the water
Want to scream into the sky but can’t begin to bother
Old friends, like the darkness, never ask me to explain
To the tan and sandy silence of the lonely silver rain
poem by A.D. Varrone
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Thats The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll
Party gonna happen at the union hall
Shaking to the rhythm til everybody fall
Picking up my woman in my chevrolet
Glory hallelujah gonna rock the night away
Im gonna roll roll roll
Im gonna roll roll roll
Im gonna take this town, turn it around
Im gonna roll roll roll
Now theres a blue suede bopping on a high heeled shoe
Balling round together like a wrecking crew
Oh be bopper lubba baby what I say
You gotta get a dose of rock and roll on each and every day
Were gonna roll roll roll
Were gonna roll roll roll
Were gonna take this town, turn it around
Were gonna roll roll roll
Im gonna blow up my video
Shut down my radio
Told boss man where to go
Turned off my brain control
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way
Ooh thats the way I like my rock and roll
That the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way
Thats the way
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way
Thats the way
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way
Thats the way
Oh!
To rock and roll!
Roll, roll, roll,
Im gonna roll, roll, roll
Im gonna take this town, turn it around,
Im gonna roll, roll, roll
Im gonna roll, roll, roll
Thats the way I want it
Roll, roll, roll
Gotta hear it loud
Gonna take this town, turn it round
Gonna roll, roll, roll
Blow up my video
Shut down my radio
Told boss man where to go
Turned off my brain control
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
Thats the way I want my rock and roll
song performed by by AC-DC
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Death Of Rock & Roll
Just the other day I got a call from a friend
I heard what you been playin and I think its a sin
Why cant you make a living like the rest of the boys
Instead of fillin your head with all that synthesized noise?
Jackals wait nearby, watching rock and roll die
And no one dared to help it
Vultures fill the sky
I thought we was supposed ta, supposed ta be free
But we all got sold
It must be the death of rock and roll
The critics got together and they started a game
You get your records for nothing
And you call each other names
Things got out of hand and somebody got sore
Now were all tuning up for the rock and roll war
Time to take up sides, helping rock and roll die
Pick up your check at the window
No one left to cry
I thought we was supposed ta, supposed ta be free
But we all got sold
It must be the death of rock and roll
Nobody paid, nobody played, nobody stayed
Just my lonely guitar
Nobody paid, nobody stayed, nobody played
Just my lonely guitar
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Death Of Rock And Roll
Just the other day I got a call from a friend
"I heard what you been playin' and I think it's a sin
Why can't you make a living like the rest of the boys
Instead of fillin' your head with all that synthesized noise?"
Jackals wait nearby, watching rock and roll die
And no one dared to help it
Vultures fill the sky
I thought we was supposed ta, supposed ta be free
But we all got sold
It must be the Death of Rock and Roll
The critics got together and they started a game
You get your records for nothing
and you call each other names
Things got out of hand and somebody got sore
Now we're all tuning up for the Rock and Roll War
Time to take up sides, helping rock and roll die
Pick up your check at the window
No one left to cry
I thought we was supposed ta, supposed ta be free
But we all got sold
It must be the Death of Rock and Roll
Nobody paid, nobody played, nobody stayed
Just my lonely guitar
Nobody paid, nobody stayed, nobody played
Just my lonely guitar
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rock 'n' Roll Women
I'm goin' looking for a
woman
With the night in her
eyes,
Someone to take all the
small talk
And laugh at the lies.
A high heeled double
trouble backstage queen,
Who gets what she
wants
And knows where she's
been.
Alright show your hand,
I'm looking for the
promise of a one night
stand.
So I'm going looking for
those rock 'n' roll women
tonight.
You can see in my face
Just what I'm hoping to
find,
I want a twelve bar
beauty
With a one track mind.
I don't drive babe, but, I
can steer,
We got the green light
let's get out of here.
Alright show your hand,
I'm looking for the
promise of a one night
stand.
So I'm going looking for
those rock 'n' roll women
tonight,
I said I'm going looking
for those rock 'n' roll
women tonight.
When I saw you across
the floor,
I could feel I wanted
more.
I get lonely in the night,
I would do anything,
anything you say,
Do anything to take the
pain away.
So those lonely nights
will be alright,
Don't worry honey, we
can put out the light.
I'm going looking for
those rock 'n' roll women
tonight,
I said I'm going looking
for those rock 'n' roll
women tonight.
So I'm looking for a
woman who got no
shame,
'Cos in the morning
there'll be no one to
blame.
A high heeled double
trouble backstage queen,
Who gets what she
wants and knows where
she's been.
Alright show your hand,
I'm looking for the
promise of a one night
stand.
So I'm going looking for
those rock 'n' roll women
tonight,
I said I'm going looking
for those rock 'n' roll
women tonight.
Rock 'n' roll women,
rock 'n' roll women,
Rock 'n' roll women
gonna steal my heart
away.
Rock 'n' roll women, I
said rock 'n' roll women,
I said rock 'n' roll
women gonna steal my
heart away.
Rock 'n' roll women...
(Solo)
Talkin' 'bout rock 'n' roll
women, rock 'n' roll
women,
Rock 'n' roll women
gonna steal my heart
away.
Rock 'n' roll women,
rock 'n' roll women,
I said rock 'n' roll
women gonna steal my
heart away...
song performed by by Whitesnake
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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23feb Wait For Last Miracles Last Pockets Of Hope
day’s heat hot dust sweat
day’s heat hot fear sweat
day’s heat fear darkness trapped
night fear earth blanket sweat
night fear earth darkness sweat
night fear chill fear buried alive
with reverence we dust dig
with reverence we hope dig
decay steals into noses silence says
dig in ruins of other buildings
dig in ruins where hope lays trapped
dig where dogs nose hope life trapped
these dead here will wait for last rites
these dead will wait to be reverence buried
wait for last miracles last pockets of hope found
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Listening Back
There are no comrade roses at my window,
No green things in the lane;
Upon the roof no sibilant soft patter-
The lullaby of rain;
Without is silence, and within is silence,
Till silence grows a pain.
Within is silence, and without is silence,
The snow is on the sill,
In snow the window wreath’d instead of roses,
And snow is very still....
I wonder is it singing in the grasses,
The rain, on Russian Hill?
poem by Ina D. Coolbrith
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Spontaneous Electricity (The Wetness)
walking through the wetness,
rain falling softly.
the rhythm of the wipers,
the trees bow to the wind.
you and i, the sweat and the tears,
one hollow, the other echoes,
one fire, the other darkness kneeling,
identities merged, then torn apart...
ghostlike faces at the window,
children turn, and walk away.
the long silence deepens,
death waits just beyond and before.
mountains carved in forever skies,
crumble, ground to dust by time.
and no less we, dust to dust,
the great sweeper sweeps away our memory.
love was the answer, and sometimes not.
the cross and the thorns, the stolen moment.
now there's nothing left to talk about,
and nothing more to do or feel...
walking through the wetness,
i called the rain by your name!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Silence Echos
Silence
makes my heart break
Silence
Love, does not make
Silence
Was it all just a terrible mistake?
Silence
Was love just a game, just fake?
Silence
Leaves me heartbroken
Silence
Kills he feeling behind words unspoken
Silence
has is a shield you hide behind
Silence
Guards what's on your mind
Silence
Chills your heart's sound
Silence
Love cannot silently be found
Silence
has turned your dreams blind
Silence
is darkness in which you cannot find
Silence
Crushes the hopeful feelings that were kind
Silence
Of emptiness it did remind
Silence
Silence took all I sought to find
Silence
Silence was hurtful and unkind
Silence
Will kill love before it ripens on the vine
Love will go silently
But it's lonely hurt will echo for all time
poem by James T. Adair
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Rainy Night!!!
Our journey started on a rainy night, a night that we did not know held for us.
A night of passion, night of love, a night of anger, a night of distraught,
a night of tears, a night of pain;
but the most important thing it was a night of understanding and silence.
A night that taught us what silence meant in the conversations we had.
We discovered words in that silence,
we knew each others heart and where it went and what it wanted.
It was a journey of hope on that rainy night;
hope that one day this rain will stop,
at the same time we did not want the rain to stop because it was a beautiful night that brought us together.
Everyone is celebrating this day of love, but I am sad,
What am i sad for?
I Should be the happiest man on this planet as i have understood the meaning of love.
So why should i not celebrate, let us celebrate this night together;
although we are far apart. And lemme tell you this,
that I Love You on that rainy night!!!
poem by Hitesh Chowdhury
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And On The 8th Day
The sky is fallin and the wheels of life are grindin out a brand new beat
The streets are burnin with the call of the wild, and I can feel the heat
Theyll call you names and spit in your face, but legends never die
Just pick up your guitar, on your knees and pray and hold your head up high
And on the 8th day God created rock and roll
On the 8th day God created rock and roll
Out of the ashes came the dawn and the shape of things to come
Never surrender, just carry on, straight to kingdom come
You sold your soul and virginity, ya cant rape a heart of gold
Yes youre born to rule, its destiny, now it can be told
Chorus:
And on the 8th day God created rock and roll (rock and roll)
And on the 8th day God created rock and roll
And on the 8th day God created rock and roll (rock and roll)
And on the 8th day God created rock and roll
Rock of ages carry the news to the heart of a brave new world
Feel the noise in the name of rock, let the heavens roar
Chorus repeats out...
song performed by by Kiss
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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