Sons of Belial
I
We are old,
Old as song.
Before Rome was
Or Cyrene.
Mad nights knew us
And old men's wives.
We knew who spilled the sacred oil
For young-gold harlots of the town….
We knew where the peacocks went
And the white doe for sacrifice.
II
We were the Sons of Belial.
One black night
Centuries ago
We beat at a door
In Gilead….
We took the Levite's concubine
We plucked her hands from off the door….
We choked the cry into her throat
And stuck the stars among her hair….
We glimpsed the madly swaying stars
Between the rhythms of her hair
And all our mute and separate strings
Swelled in a raging symphony….
Our blood sang paeans
All that night
Till dawn fell like a wounded swan
Upon the fields of Gilead.
III
We are old….
Old as song….
We are dumb song.
(Epics tingled
In our blood
When we haled Hypatia
Over the stones
In Alexandria.)
Could we loose
The wild rhythms clinched in us….
March in bands of troubadours….
We would be of gentle mood.
When Christ healed us
Who were dumb—
When he freed our shut-in song—
We strewed green palms
At his pale feet…
We sang hosannas
In Jerusalem.
And all our fumbling voices blent
In a brief white harmony.
(But a mightier song
Was in us pent
When we nailed Christ
To a four-armed tree.)
IV
We are young.
When we rise up with singing roots,
(Warm rains washing
Gutters of Berlin
Where we stamped Rosa… Luxemburg
On a night in spring.)
Rhythms skurry in our blood.
Little nimble rats of song
In our feet run crazily
And all is dust… we trample… on.
Mad nights when we make ritual
(Feet running before the sleuth-light…
And the smell of burnt flesh
By a flame-ringed hut
In Missouri,
Sweet as on Rome's pyre….)
We make ropes do rigadoons
With copper feet that jig on air….
We are the Mob….
Old as song.
Tyre knew us
And Israel.
poem by Lola Ridge
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Related quotes
A Song For My Funeral
A Song For My Funeral
when they buried him
a young boy
in a cardboard box
somewhere in the green mountain
there was a song nobody knew
there was a song
unknown and unsung
I know the song
it has been silent for many years
buried in an unmarked grave
a dead boy does not age
I shall be writing the song
for my funeral to come
it will be there
for you to sing
wherever you are
Suchoon Mo
- Lucid Rhythms, issue 2, June 2008 -
poem by Suchoon Mo_
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The Fairy Bridal-Hymn
[This is the hymn to Eleanor, daughter of Mab and a golden drone, sung by the Locust choir when the fairy child marries her God, the yellow rose]
This is a song to the white-armed one
Cold in the breast as the frost-wrapped Spring,
Whose feet are slow on the hills of life,
Whose round mouth rules by whispering.
This is a song to the white-armed one
Whose breast shall burn as a Summer field,
Whose wings shall rise to the doors of gold,
Whose poppy lips to the God shall yield.
This is a song to the white-armed one
When the closing rose shall bind her fast,
And a song of the song their blood shall sing,
When the Rose-God drinks her soul at last.
poem by Vachel Lindsay
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Spring Dirge
A child came singing through the dusty town
A song so sweet that all men stayed to hear,
Forgetting for a space their ancient fear
Of evil days and death and fortune’s frown.
She sang of Winter dead and Spring new-born
In the green fields beyond the far hills’ bound;
And how this fair Spring, coming blossom-crowned,
Would cross the city’s threshold on the morn.
And each caged bird in every house anigh,
Even as she sang, caught up the glad refrain
Of Love and Hope and fair days come again,
Till all who heard forgot they had to die.
And all the ghosts of buried woes were laid
That heard the song of this sweet sorceress;
The Past grew to a dream of old distress,
And merry were the hearts of man and maid.
So, at the first faint blush of tender dawn,
Spring stole with noiseless steps through the gray gloom,
And men knew only by a strange perfume
That she had softly entered and withdrawn.
But ah! the lustre of her violet eyes
Was dimmed with tears for her sweet singing maid,
Whose voice would sound no more in shine or shade
To charm men’s souls at set of sun or rise.
For there, with dews of dawn upon her hair,
Like a fair flower plucked and flung away,
Dead in the street the little maiden lay
Who gave new life to hearts nigh dead of care.
Alas! must this be still the bitter doom
Awaiting those, the finer-souled of earth,
Who make for men a morning song of mirth
While yet the birds are dumb amid the gloom?
They walk on thorny ways with feet unshod,
Sing one last song, and die as that song dies.
There is no human hand to close their eyes,
And very heavy is the hand of God.
poem by Victor James Daley
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The Sing Of A Song Of Life
a song in our eyes
a song in our imagery ears
a song in our hands
a song in our feet
It's a distant song
It's a future song
A song who says
beyond future, beyond distances, beyond nothing,
a song that resembles your life, so tell it
in a song as if you were telling it in a story
poem by Anye'a B. Pinnock
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Your song
Stars fill the sky,
Night is so young.
I feel so happy and high,
So, sing me a song.
Bring your guitar,
and raise up your voice.
Take me to a place so far,
away from people and their noise.
Your song takes me up,
and guide me through the haze.
Your song never stopped,
to throw me in a maze,
A maze where i'm breathless but free
where i love you and you love me.
Sing me that song about your life,
and how it started when we met.
Sing me that song about our love,
that song i shall never forget.
Sing me your song and bring me to life,
for those moments only..i surfive.
Angels took your song and wrote it in the sky,
with the beautiful cluster stars.
All the world saw it and they knew,
we are in love and you belong to my arms.
Your song is the love anthem,
As you sing that, you will wait for me,
you love me,
you need me.
Your song puts rules for love.
Sing your song all our lives,
i'll never get enough...
I Need A Love Song - The Day We Caught The Train B-side
Im gonna take a walk by the lemonade lake
Let my feet get wet and the grass in my face
Rolling up in the summertime setting ablaze
Throwing stones and laughing on the way home
Lah, lah, lah, lah...
Im on a night-time hunting on the horn of a car (? ? )
But the brakes seem ? ? ? on a winter song
Scattered back, slip around and Im mouthing a glass
Harbour lights remind you of another song
I never knew my daytime slipping away
Too many seeds to sow and I cant look at my face
I need a sound to make me jump around on my toes
I need a song, I need a love song
Lah, lah, lah, lah...
song performed by by Ocean Colour Scene
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I'm Singing
I’m Singing…
I’m Singing a New Song…
Deep Inside my Heart…
It’s a Song…that is different from any other song I have sung before…
It is a Song of…
A Song of Hope,
A Song of Love,
A Song of Fate,
A Song of Peace,
A Song of Friendship,
A Song of Family,
A Song of Life,
A Song of Healing,
A Song of Strength,
A Song of Courage,
A Song of Light,
A Song of Flight…
My Heart is beginning to Soar…
I’m finally starting to Fly…
I’m Singing…
poem by Bleeding Heart
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Song of the World
such a wonderful song
song of life
song of death
wedding song
famine song
happy song
sad song
love song
all-american song
bullshit song
druggie song
girls' song
sweet song
crazy song
MY song
poem by Rachel Stoddard
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The sing of song
it's a song without title
a song without word
a song without sound
a song in our eyes
a song in our ears
a song in our hands
a song in our feet
We are singing the song
without title
a nameless song
It's a distant song
It's a future song
A song who says:
beyond future, beyond distances,
beyond nothing, beyond always
a song in a single colour
that we don't see
many colours
much colours
unknown colours
this was
a song of your mother
a song of your grandmothers
a song of one very old woman
Sleep, sleep my little love
Dream, dream my little love
when you close open your wide eyes
poem by Jean Francois Le Goff
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Our song
See..that used to be our song
And those were our dreams
Before we threw it all away
Ignoring what the song had to say
See..those used to be us
And how we were so young
Before we knew all we know today
Promising and swearing on better days
Now that used to be our song
Sung by silent voices
Resulting on mistakes made by our choices
That was our song
So please don´t turn the radio on
Cause that was our song
And I might as well..try to sing along...
poem by Nina gáspari
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When the Day Is White
When the day is white
Full of clouds from above
Just new from old night
With its dream full of
And your heart is young
Filled with thoughts so free
In and easy going song
That without end shall be
A love song so fine
Full of its finesses air
Drifting through sunshine
From here to everywhere
I feel you are so close
In my heartbeat you'll stay
Until everything away goes
That you and I knew today
When day becomes eve
And the white sky to red
When our day thoughts leave
And night is here instead
When we go on sleeping
And travel so far beyond
Where angels' stars are keeping
Until it becomes dawned
*(A lyric made now to my song, When the Day Is White, at Garageband.com)
poem by Peter S. Quinn
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The Poet's Song
I HID in the world and sang,
And I sang so loud and long
That all the ages rang
With the music of my song.
I sang of the earth and sky,
5
I sang of the whispering seas,
I sang of the mountains high,
And I sang of the flowers and trees;
I sang of the early spring,
I sang of the dawning day,
10
I sang, for I had to sing
As the young lambs have to play;
Till heaven and earth were ringing,
And all the people heard,
And they said, "We love his singing,
15
For his song is the song of the bird."
poem by Frederick George Scott
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Sweet Music Man
I didn't listen, and I couldn't see,
And all I have left now,
Are words she gave to me
Sing me a song sweet music man,
'Cause I won't be there to hold your hand
Like I used to,
I'm through with you
You touched my soul with your beautiful song
You even had me singing along right with you
You said "I needed you"
But then you changed the words and that harmony
And you sang that song you'd written for me
To someone new
But nobody sings a love song quite like you do,
And nobody else can make me sing along,
And nobody else can make me feel
That things are right when they're wrong,
Nobody sings a love song quite like you.
Sing me a song sweet music man,
Your making a living doing one night stands
that do for you what you need them to
Your still a hell of a singer but a broken man
And you surround yourself with people who demand
So little of you
But nobody sings a love song quite like you do,
And nobody else can make me sing along,
And nobody else can make me feel,
That things are right when they're wrong
with a song,
Nobody sings a love song quite like you.
So sing me a song sad music man,
I believe in you
song performed by by Kenny Rogers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Insomnia & The Hole In The Universe
My brother kicked his feet to sleep
My brother kicked his feet to sleep
My brother kicked his feet to sleep
And I sang the dirge song
.
My brother never missed a beat
My brother kicked his feet to sleep, sweet feet
My brother kicked his feet to sleep
And I sang the dirge song
.
Angel, dont you have some bagels in my oven?
Lady, dont you know a man when you see one?
Crazy lady with the shiny shoes, where are you?
Kick you feet and calm the space that makes
You hollow
.
Little swamis got his bowl to eat
Little swami always walks his beat, sweet feet
Little swamis got his bowl to eat
And I sing the dirge song
.
Its amazing how they come to see
The little swami with his bowl to eat, sweet feet
The little swami only wears a sheet
And wont sing the dirge song
.
Anal, tight-assed soldier with that dogged heart
Put down your gun
We are ready to explode, we gotta take it smart
And take it slow
song performed by by Live
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Inspiration
I WANDERED in the enchanted wood,
And as I wandered there, I sang
A song I never understood,
Though sweet the music rang.
I held a lily white and fair,
Its perfume was a song divine,
A song like moonlight and clear air,
No rose-hued cloud like mine.
Beneath pale moon and wind-winged skies
My lips were dumb as one drew near,
Folded warm wings across my eyes
And whispered in my ear.
He left a flame-flower in my hand,
And bade me sing as heretofore
The song I could not understand;
But I can sing no more.
His secret seals my dumb lips fast,
My lily withered 'neath his wing;
But now I understand at last
The song I used to sing.
poem by Edith Nesbit
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To Sylvia
"O love, lean thou thy cheek to mine,
And let the tears together flow"--
Such was the song you sang to me
Once, long ago.
Such was the song you sang; and yet
(O be not wroth!) I scarcely knew
What sounds flow'd forth; I only felt
That you were you.
I scarcely knew your hair was gold,
Nor of the heavens' own blue your eyes.
Sylvia and song, divinely mixt,
Made Paradise.
These things I scarcely knew; to-day,
When love is lost and hope is fled,
The song you sang so long ago
Rings in my head.
Clear comes each note and true; to-day,
As in a picture I behold
Your tur'd-up chin, and small, sweet head
Misty with gold.
I see how your dear eyes grew deep,
How your lithe body thrilled and swayed,
And how were whiter than the keys
Your hands that played. . .
Ah, sweetest! cruel have you been,
And robbed my life of many things.
I will not chide; ere this I knew
That Love had wings.
You've robbed my life of many things--
Of love and hope, of fame and pow'r.
So be it, sweet. You cannot steal
One golden hour.
Noel
I sang a song upon Christmas day
And the feet of many going one way,
The word the golden voice did say:
Gloria in Excelsis!
The air was filled with snowflakes white,
And the singing stars danced in their flight,
Sweet the song they sang in the night,
Et in terra pax!
Good singing folk, where is there peace,
And for the broken heart heartsease?
They chant: Come hither upon your knees,
Venite ad Bethlehem!
For now the Prince of Peace is born;
For the full heart and the heart forlorn
He signs His Peace upon Christmas Morn:
Adeste Fidelis!
poem by Katharine Tynan
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Sweet Music Man
Sing your song sweet music man
Cuz I won't be there to hold your hand
Like I used to
I'm through with you
You're a hell of a singer and a powerful man
But you surround yourself with people who demand so little of you
You touched my -heart- (its suposed to be soul) with your beautiful song
You even had me singing along right with you
You said I need you
Then you changed the words and added harmony
And you sang the song you had written for to someone new
~Chorus~
Nobody sings a love song quite like you do
Nobody else can make me sing along
Nobody else can make me feel that things are right when I know they're wrong
Nobody sings a love song quite like you
~
Sing your song sweet music man
You travel the world with your six-piece band
That does for you
What you ask them to
You try to stay young but the songs you've sung to so many people
They've all begun to come back on you
Sing your song sad music man
Your making your living doin one night stands
They're through with you
They don't need you
You're still a hell of a singer but a broken man
But you'll keep searching for that one last fan
To sing to
~Chorus~
song performed by by Reba Mcentire
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The End of the Song
I wish I could have met you
all over again,
Then we could re-live it
all over again
The end of the song,
floods so many tears...
...so many tears
After all these lonely years
I know where your heart is
And who holds you late at night
I try endlessly to forget,
with all my might
At the end of the song
It breaks me in two
but did I really have a clue
How much I really needed you
So, when the last note is played
I know that I should have stayed
At least until the end of the song
But by this time, I knew you'd gone
The lyrics spoke to me over time
Saying I loved you and that you were mine
But at the end of the song
It all just went suddenly wrong
And the melody kept me in line
When I knew you were mine
And we used to walk through the rain
When it was your heart I tried to claim
Can I hold you once more
Before you close that door?
I won't be here, at the end of the song
I'll do my best, to play along
Now that you're gone…
poem by Matt Mercer
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I woke up to a lullaby
I woke up to a lullaby
The birds sang a song for me
They sang their hearts out all the while
Dancing on the maple tree
Each bird sang a different song
That melted into one
A song full of promises
For the day that’s just begun
They sang of sorrow
Of happiness and mirth
The sang of marriage
And of birth
They sang of people laughing
And of them crying
They sang of sickness
They sang of dying
This little song
They sang for me
Made me think
Made me free