The Trinity of Books
We must unlearn the habit of reading; there is more,
the coffee stains and the sand from that beach in Crete,
the buying, the warm cover and the pages that now smell sour,
the bill from a plumber long cried over, the pencilled
annotations of imagined wisdom. And the soul behind;
the standing at windows at night, the finding in rooms
without movement, the unreturned questions, the distance.
The rest? - an unfinished spirit, an idea that once seemed good,
a last page not a full stop - the resignation of reaching
the end of a story in the night.
poem by Leslie Philibert
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
I Want Wisdom
I want wisdom to burn the pages,
I wish he destroyed me lately;
For my homework was unfinished
And slept for pigeons to secondly pass.
The mystery of a night cancels rhyme,
For the poetry of a life so extravagant
Is full of decisions from a sacred place.
The wisdom is seeing, the wise men stare
At the bridges that are crossed so well by the travellers
And adventurers.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Here Comes The Night
Listen up, this is how the story goes
Here comes the night
It's gonna be a long and lonely night
Oh Lord, I pray it's gonna be alright
As I walk down this dusty road
My heart weights down like a heavy load
My spirit finds its way across the ocean
And my soul cries out for leaving now
I have got to get back home somehow
She stole my heart, oh how my spirit cried
cause I had to leave and it broke me up inside
Here comes the night
It's gonna be a long and lonely night
Oh Lord, I pray it's gonna be alright
this long and lonely night
I've got a weary head and worn out shoes
a bottle of rum and as I sing the blues
the bitter wind sends shivers down my spine
I'm a ramblin' man with a ramblin' mind
I left my loved ones far behind
She stole my heart, oh how my spirit cried
Cause I had to leave and it broke me up inside
Here comes the night
It's gonna be a long and lonely night
Oh Lord, I pray it's gonna be alright
This long and lonely night
Oh bless my soul, what have I done
I'm bound to face this world alone
a drifter I was meant to be
With noone there for company
But if one day down there road I can,
Would you look my way
Would you take me back again
Here comes the night
It's gonna be a long and lonely night
Oh Lord, I pray it's gonna be alright
this long and lonely night
As my souls cries out for leaving
song performed by by Europe
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Night Slumming
Written by John Mellencamp
(Night Slumming - burp 123)
Well good evening to, the dirty bordellos
And good evening to, the girls who work uptown
And say hello, well hello, to the gay young fellows
Who make their love, on the meat rack
In their sister's gowns
Well I ain't no king, but I ain't no princess
And I don't get drunk, no no
But I can still be blown away
The phantom lover of the future
And I don't go to work
'Cause I sleep all through the day
Talkin' 'bout
*Night, night, night, night slummin'
Night, night, night, night slummin'
Night, night, night, night slummin'
So when you see me tonight
I'd be reaching the heights
so were coming
I never counted on ...
All the good things have been taken away from me
Aww, heavy or hard, I know those younger punches
Cause tonight is another day for destiny
Well the damage is done, hey I can't really feel it
Well I don't fault your love and
The bathroom stains, oh yeah
And its a little too fast and dieing too young
That's what we're talking about
Well it's this slummin' that makes me
Stop to think
(*Repeat Chorus)
Night, night, night, night slummin'
Night, night, night, night slummin'(goodnight)
Night, night, night, night slummin'(yeah, yeah)
song performed by by John Mellencamp
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Better Off Blue
(susan longacre/walt aldridge)
Whos that knocking in the middle of the night
With a hand full of flowers to make it all right
If youre thinking Ill forgive you one more time
I aint that lonely and love aint that blind
Id be better off blue for a couple of nights
Better blue now than the rest of my life
Better off finding somebody new
After what you put me through
Baby, Im better off blue
Wasnt it you who said it was over
Now youre out there wanting back in
Its the same old book with a brand new cover
Id have to be crazy to read it again
Id be better off blue for a couple of nights
Better blue now than the rest of my life
Better off finding somebody new
After what you put me through
Baby, Im better off blue
Better off blue as a midnight hour
Blue as the heart of a red hot flame
Better than buying your lame excuses
Praying somehow someday youll change
Id be better off blue for a couple of nights
Better blue now than the rest of my life
Better off finding somebody new
After what you put me through
Baby, Im better off blue
song performed by by Pam Tillis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
My Fathers Chair
My fathers chair still standing there
All alone since the long night
Now its three years on and I still feel
Hell come home, well be alright
So wheres this healing time brings
I was told the pain would ease
But it still hurts like the first night
That night my brother, my mother and i
Were looking up at a distant star
And wishing we could reach that far
And back in the house
And alone for the first time
We told each other we cared
We avoided my fathers chair
I watch my family, we hold on
We are strong and well be alright
The clock continues counting down, all the while
And every child will share the long night
But do the spirits meet again
Why am I still so filled with doubt
Is my soul everlasting
And the far distant future
When I knew youd be gone
Came too fast and stays too long
Why do they leave the weak of spirit
And take the strong
When the world turns sour
And I get sick from the smell
And I cant find no comfort there
I climb into my fathers chair
song performed by by Rick Springfield
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Standing In For Joe
Im standing, standing in for joe
Joe called round to ask me, would I do a favor?
While hes gonna be out of town
He says his girl needs company, she gets so restless
Would I keep her safe and sound?
Softly, softly in the night
Why, you can guess the rest...
Now these shoes fit all too well
Standing in for joe
Standing in for joe
Im standing - in for joe
Joe said weve been friends so long
That I would be the one he would trust with his life
And now those words roll round my brain
As darkness falls, as I turn out his bedroom light
Who could resist her tender charms?
So the story goes...
This actor he plays all the parts
Standing in for joe
Standing in for joe
Im standing - in for joe
Love is like a river,
You cannot stop its flow... mmm hmm
Joe called round to ask me, would I do a favor?
While hes gonna be out of town
He says his girl needs company, she gets so restless
Would I check that shes safe and sound?
Softly, softly in the night
Why, you can guess the rest...
Now these shoes fit all too well
Standing in for joe
Im standing in for joe - oh yeah
Im standing in for joe - keep his sweetheart company, yeah
Standing in for joe - just standing in for joe, yeah
Standing in for joe - until he gets back home, yeah
Standing in for joe - gonna keep her insane, yeah
Standing in for joe - gonna keep her safe and sound, yeah
Standing in for joe - keep his sweetheart company, yeah
Standing in for joe - almost full time, which is nice, yeah
Standing in for joe - because she gets so restless
Standing in for joe - always so restless
Standing in for joe - keep his sweetheart company, yeah
Standing in for joe - gonna keep her safe and sound, yeah
Standing in for joe - Im standing in for joe, yeah...
song performed by by Xtc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Standing In For Joe
Im standing, standing in for joe
Joe called round to ask me, would I do a favor?
While hes gonna be out of town
He says his girl needs company, she gets so restless
Would I keep her safe and sound?
Softly, softly in the night
Why, you can guess the rest...
Now these shoes fit all too well
Standing in for joe
Standing in for joe
Im standing - in for joe
Joe said weve been friends so long
That I would be the one he would trust with his life
And now those words roll round my brain
As darkness falls, as I turn out his bedroom light
Who could resist her tender charms?
So the story goes...
This actor he plays all the parts
Standing in for joe
Standing in for joe
Im standing - in for joe
Love is like a river,
You cannot stop its flow... mmm hmm
Joe called round to ask me, would I do a favor?
While hes gonna be out of town
He says his girl needs company, she gets so restless
Would I check that shes safe and sound?
Softly, softly in the night
Why, you can guess the rest...
Now these shoes fit all too well
Standing in for joe
Im standing in for joe - oh yeah
Im standing in for joe - keep his sweetheart company, yeah
Standing in for joe - just standing in for joe, yeah
Standing in for joe - until he gets back home, yeah
Standing in for joe - gonna keep her insane, yeah
Standing in for joe - gonna keep her safe and sound, yeah
Standing in for joe - keep his sweetheart company, yeah
Standing in for joe - almost full time, which is nice, yeah
Standing in for joe - because she gets so restless
Standing in for joe - always so restless
Standing in for joe - keep his sweetheart company, yeah
Standing in for joe - gonna keep her safe and sound, yeah
Standing in for joe - Im standing in for joe, yeah...
song performed by by Xtc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Night I Cried
The night i cried
You weren't anymore there
Tears were heavy
No one asked me to share.
The night i cried
I cried whole night
Thinking of u my love
tears didn't stop a while.
The night i cried
I didn't want to cry
But i cried all night
still didn't know why.
The night i cried
I didn't wipe out my tears
I let them flow away
With the pain i preserved for years.
The night i cried
I silently sang something
That made me miss you more
Even more than i ever did.
The night i cried
My eyes couldn't sleep
My mind was going on asking me
Why i went so deep....
poem by Meera Santoshi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Bedtime Story
It was just after midnight and I’d been reading in bed for an hour
when a sweet sickly smell wafted in, which turned horribly sour.
Cursing, I got out of bed and opened the window some more,
which seemed to cause a draft that slammed shut the door.
I reopened the door much wider this time and returned to my bed,
a draught blew the pages losing the place to where I’d read.
The temperature dropped so I again got out of bed and closed the door,
and also the window slightly, but it was still cold, so I closed it more.
Large goose bumps formed along my arms as I got back into bed,
I picked up the book and tried to find the last page that I’d read.
It was warmer now, but I still pulled the covers up to my chest;
I found my page and carried on reading with keen interest.
The atmosphere in the room seemed somehow unusual and strange
with an unpleasant smell and sudden coldness change.
Above the top of my page I saw a movement at the foot of the bed
and I saw someone standing there, so I raised my head.
The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened and sent a shiver down my spine,
for a second I was speechless; it was an apparition the colour of lime.
Motionless he just stood with his face towards the floor with nothing to say,
his lifeless body sagged wearing a worn out coat that had seen a better day.
“Who the Dickens are you and what do you want? ” I nervously said.
He stared straight through me when he slowly raised his head.
His aged gaunt tired face seemed to stare far beyond my body,
so I turned to see, but there was only the wall behind me.
“Why don’t you answer me, ” I said, “are you unable to speak? ”
Then with a voice that was deep and certainly not meek,
said, “Oh yes I can speak when and if it suits me to,
but what makes you think that I want to speak with you? ”
“Well excuse me, you came into my room and stood by my bed
and you looked as though something just ought to be said.”
“You don’t mean anything to me, I didn’t even notice you
until you broke my spiritual flow, like all you living do.
I don’t think you living realise that restless spirits come and go,
we roam the dead space of time just as the four winds blow.
We didn’t ask to be here, abandoned to wander forever more,
we’re trapped and forgotten spirits behind heaven’s door.
And don’t bother to ask me how I got here because I don’t know,
I never harmed anyone when I was alive and that is truly so.
I freely admit that some of the spirits have become evil and sour
and like the living, insanity becomes worse by the hour.
You the living remind us of how it was when we were there,
but we are enraged by the many who abuse and don’t care.
It is possible that you could end up here in this dead space,
and then with me you’ll be wearing my kind of face.”
As I was about to ask a question he quickly faded out of sight,
the smell and coldness went with him into the night.
I don’t expect anyone to believe me, but I know it’s true
and perhaps one day a similar experience might happen to you.
poem by Orlando Belo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
All On A Summers Night
We were dancin barefoot on the moonlit sand,
We were makin music we dont need a band,
I cant believe we only met tonight!
Cos we wont let each other out of site.
Maybe I should feel a twinge of shame,
Were almost lovers I dont know your name.
A voice inside shouts like a traffic cop, stop!
Im gonna love you after all,
On a summers night, who cares about tomorrow, baby,
All on a summers night, and everything will turn out right,
The nights so young we danced all through the night,
Your even better in the morning light,
? ,
It maybe love or maybe just the wine,
? , turn your head around,
Or is it you that makes my ? found?
A voice inside shouts like a traffic cop, stop!
Im gonna love you any way,
On a summers day, who cares about tomorrow, baby,
All on a summers day, and everything will turn out right,
You, and me, all alone on here on the beach tonight,
With the moon and the stars, and the sand, and the waves.
Oh! I know this night will never end,
I love you darling, always.
Were barely seen out in the burning heat,
The evening tide is washed up on our feet,
Were all alone on the beach again,
The faitless ? washed away the sand,
I feel like celebrating finding you,
Were often running the whole night through.
A voice inside shouts like a traffic cop, stop!
You say you loved me after all, on a summers night,
The greatest things can happen, baby, all on a summers night,
And everything had turned out right, all on a summers day.
Who cares about tomorrow, baby,
All on a summers day, Im gonna love you anyway,
All on a summers night, the greatest things can happen.
song performed by by Grace Jones
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Is Night gentle?
Night closes doors forever
Night cures my soul as a medicine
In Night should’nt be doubted ever
Night sense increases to everything
At Night you can shed your tears
At night we are flying to planets
At Night always deadens fears
At Night we are full of violence
At Night you will close embraces –
And Night this caress will cover
At Night you’ll remove your dresses
And God blesses you, my lover
In Night rises dizziness and passion
At Night you’re with itself alone
At Night - reign, you’re free in action
At Night nothing keeps in your soul
Night reconciles spirits, right you’re
At Night it is useless to wager
In Night it is stuffy and frightful
Tonight I shall leave you like voyager...
poem by Markelov Vladimir
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Rest Is History
Saw you across the room
Felt somethin stir inside my soul
Knew Id never be the same
Now that love had taken hold
Then when you touched me
There was no doubt
You unterstood what my heart was all about
And the rest is history
The story of you and me
For all eternity
The record will show
Well fill up the pages
Romance for the ages
There for the world to see
The rest ist history
Before we spoke a word
My heart told me you were the one
When you pressed your hand to mine
I knew my life had just begun
Like some old movie
Music filled the night
Lost held each other tight.
And the rest is history
The story of you and me
For all eternity
The record will show
Well fill up the pages
Romance for the ages
There for the world to see
The rest ist history
And the rest is history
The story of you and me
For all eternity
The record will show
Well fill up the pages
Romance for the ages
There for the world to see
The rest ist history
History ...
The rest is history.
The rest is history.
song performed by by LeAnn Rimes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Curtain Of Iron
The streets of the city are barren
All the windows and doors have been closed
As the night draws near
You can feel their fear
Their freedom is just an illusion
And they tell us that love is a lie
Can it all be true
What can one man do
(Chorus)
See the pages as they turn
Never will the children learn
Born as a prisoner in a curtain of iron
Never will the pages turn
The City of Gold's in the distance
And they've already forgotten their dream
Visions slowly fade
In this land of shade
(Chorus)
As the power grows, darkness spreading
Hope is still alive, though we're dreading
What the future holds, no more need to
Fear what all men face
Only good can win the race
Rumors speak of war, all the nations
Turmoil in the streets, tribulations
Now it's plain to see
All the prophecies are taking place
Only good can win the race
There are fragments of truth still remaining
And they bring them the light of the world
To this hope we cling
Till the bells will ring
See the pages as they turn
In their wisdom we will learn
Our bloody history soon will resolve
See the pages as they turn
In their wisdom we will learn
Free from the prison, a Curtain of Iron
song performed by by Kansas
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
To Cut A Long Story Short
Soldier is turning
See him through white light
Running from strangers
See you in the valley
War upon war
Heat upon heat
To cut a long story short
I lost my mind
Sitting on a park bench
Years away from fighting
To cut a long story short
I lost my mind
Standing in the dark
Oh I was waiting for man to come
I am beautiful and clean
And so very very young
To be standing in the street
To be taken by someone
Questions questions
Give me no answers
Thats all they ever give me
Questions questions
Oh look at the strange boy
He finds it hard existing
To cut a long story short
I lost my mind
song performed by by Spandau Ballet
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Good For Your Soul
Have you ever felt that somehow
You were not yourself
That your body was the same
But everything around you wasnt right
And images so strange and foreign
Flooded in like raging water
Have you ever been in love
With someone you hardly knew
Whereas every time you closed your eyes,
You saw this person come alive
It kept you wide awake at night
You felt like you were burning up
In pain, you want to scream
Then you passed out in a dream
Chorus
Just once or twice is good for your soul
Just once or twice is good for your soul
If you dont stop, youll lose control
Just once or twice is good for your soul
Every lay there half asleep all hours of the night
With some nagging demon tugging at that tiny bell
Inside your mind
When suddenly that strange idea
Bursts into an inspiration
You grab for it and then
The whole thing slips right through your fingers
Chorus
Just once or twice is good for your soul
Just once or twice is good for your soul
Just once or twice is good for your soul
Just once or twice is good for your soul
Its good for your soul
Its good for your soul
Its good for your soul
Its good for your soul
song performed by by Oingo Boingo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Empty Nest
Our house this night is full of life,
both kids up in their rooms.
We're safe and warm from the harrowing storm
with its lightening streaks and booms.
Yet soon I know, both have to go,
to school, to work, to life.
Then this will be an empty nest
with just me and my wife.
How do birds feel, when, freshly fledged,
their young depart forever.
Do they sing more somberly
when the chicks are not together?
We're creatures of habit, like those birds
I see when we're in the park.
I'll catch myself gazing up the stairs
when both their rooms are dark.
poem by John F. McCullagh
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Road
Highways and dancehalls
A good song takes you far
Your write about the moon
And you dream about the stars
Blues in old motel rooms
Girls in daddys car
You sing about the nights
And you laugh about the scars
Coffee in the morning cocaine afternoons
You talk about the weather
And you grin about the rooms
Phone calls long distance
To tell how youve been
Forget about the losses, you exaggerate the wins
And when you stop to let em know
Youve got it down
Its just another town along the road
The ladies come to see you
If your name still rings a bell
They give you damn near nothin
And theyll say they knew you well
So you tell em youll remember
But they know its just a game
And along the way their faces
All begin to look the same
And when you stop to let em know
You got it down
Its just another town along the road
Well it isnt for the money
And its only for a while
You stalk about the rooms
And you roll away the miles
Gamblers in the neon, clinging to guitars
Youre right about the moon
But youre wrong about the stars
And when you stop to let em know
You got it down
Its just another town along the way
song performed by by Jackson Browne
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Psalm 139
The Book of Life was opened
And a name was written down
All of heaven stood and gazed
Not a movement, not a sound
The angels watched in silence
As the story did unfold
And from the pages of the book
The story it was told
And life sprung up from off the page
These words became a man
The angels gasped to see such work
To see God's mighty plan
A soul was fashioned in His hand
And how, no one could tell
It was marvelous and wonderful
And this my soul knows well
Where could I go from you Spirit Lord?
Could I hide in the depths of the sea?
No matter where I run to Lord
You still come after me
I could take the wings of the morning
And fly into the darkest night
And there be blinded by the darkness
And you would come and give me sight
I could ascend to the highest heaven
And I would find you there
I could fall to the lowest pits of hell
And discover that you are everywhere
And so you came and sought me out
Even in this hell dark place
For the day and night are both alike
As they gaze upon your face
For in the glorious light of heaven
There is no darkness that can stand
For through the very gates of hell
You came and took me by the hand
And you laid your hand upon me
That hand that gave me birth
That hand that knew me through and through
Before I came to earth
For before the earth was fashioned
That Book was in your hand
Before the sun shone in the sky
All of this was planned
Oh search me God and know my heart
That sin may have no place in me
For I was covered by your Blood
That precious Blood of Calvary
This sin it would assault my soul
And rob and steal and take from me
The testimony of my King
And what He did on Calvary
But praise the Lord there is no power
Neither hell nor death nor misery
Can come against the precious work
The precious work of Calvary
How precious are your thoughts to me
They're more in number than the sand
I'll praise you Lord eternally
My name was written by your hand.
poem by Frank McEleny
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Book Of Life Was Opened
The Book of Life was opened
And a name was written down
All of heaven stood and gazed
Not a movement, not a sound
The angels watched in silence
As the story did unfold
And from the pages of the book
The story it was told
And life sprung up from off the page
These words became a man
The angels gasped to see such work
To see God's mighty plan
A soul was fashioned in His hand
And how, no one could tell
It was marvelous and wonderful
And this my soul knows well
Where could I go from you Spirit Lord?
Could I hide in the depths of the sea?
No matter where I run to Lord
You still come after me
I could take the wings of the morning
And fly into the darkest night
And there be blinded by the darkness
And you would come and give me sight
I could ascend to the highest heaven
And I would find you there
I could fall to the lowest pits of hell
And discover that you are everywhere
And so you came and sought me out
Even in this hell dark place
For the day and night are both alike
As they gaze upon your face
For in the glorious light of heaven
There is no darkness that can stand
For through the very gates of hell
You came and took me by the hand
And you laid your hand upon me
That hand that gave me birth
That hand that knew me through and through
Before I came to earth
For before the earth was fashioned
That Book was in your hand
Before the sun shone in the sky
All of this was planned
Oh search me God and know my heart
That sin may have no place in me
For I was covered by your Blood
That precious Blood of Calvary
This sin it would assault my soul
And rob and steal and take from me
The testimony of my King
And what He did on Calvary
But praise the Lord there is no power
Neither hell nor death nor misery
Can come against the precious work
The precious work of Calvary
How precious are your thoughts to me
They're more in number than the sand
I'll praise you Lord eternally
My name was written by your hand.
poem by Frank McEleny
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Book Of Days
Your life is as a book
Written on the pages are the weeks
For you would give anything to take just one look
Into the next chapter, the next page
Each page is a new thought, a new dream
Sometimes it takes so long to pass that page
And sometimes nothing is as it seams
For you know you can not go ahead or back
You know you are where you are
You know you can't change that
As you read page to page, so near to fear
You write the chapters as you go, with each turn
Each turn, each move changes what's to come
And you know each moment could be the last
With this in mind you go so mumb
So numb to the touch, to the thought
You turn page after page
until you reach the 'end'
And only then, you are freed from the title
The title that has kept your thoughts bound, and tight
You turn the pages one by one
You take the pain, take the joy
Until you are done
And your story becomes another on the shelf of eternity
(1/24/2008)
poem by Bethany Maxwell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!