The Ladle. A Tale
The Sceptics think 'twas long ago
Since gods came down
incognito
To see who were their friends or foes,
And how our actions fell or rose;
That since they gave things their beginning,
And set this whirligig a-spinning,
Supine they in their heaven remain,
Exempt from passion and from pain,
And frankly leave us human elves
To cut and shuffle for ourselves;
To stand or walk, to rise or tumble,
As matter and as motion jumble.
The poets now, and painters, hold
This thesis both absurd and bold,
And your good-natured gods, they say,
Descend some twice or thrice a-day,
Else all these things we toil so hard in
Would not avail one single farthing;
For when the hero we rehearse
To grace his actions and our verse,
'Tis not by dint of human thought
That to his Latium he is brought;
Iris descends by Fate's commands
To guide his steps through foreign lands,
And Amphitrite clears his way
From rocks and quicksands in the sea.
And if you see him in a sketch
(Though drawn by Paulo or Carache)
He shows not half his force and strength
Strutting in armour and at length;
That he may make his proper figure
The piece must yet be four yards bigger;
The nymphs conduct him to the field,
One holds his sword, and one his shield,
Mars, standing by, asserts his quarrel,
And Fame flies after with a laurel.
These points, I say, of speculation,
(As 'twere to save or sink the nation)
Men idly learned will dispute,
Assert, object, confirm, refute;
Each mighty angry, mighty right,
With equal arms sustains the fight,
Till now no umpire can agree 'em,
So both draw off and sing
Te Deum
.
Is it in equilibrio
If deities descend or no?
Then let th' affirmative prevail,
As requisite to form my Tale;
For by all parties 'tis confess'd
That those opinions are the best
Which in their nature most conduce
To present ends and private use.
Two gods came, therefore, from above,
One Mercury, the other Jove;
The humour was, it seems, to know
If all the favours they bestow
Could from our own perverseness ease us,
And if our wish enjoy'd would please us,
Discoursing largely on this theme,
O'er hills and dales their godships came,
Till well nigh tired, at almost night,
They thought it proper to alight.
Not here, that it as true as odd is,
That in disguise a god or goddess
Exerts no supernatural powers,
But acts on maxims much like ours.
They spied at last a country farm,
Where all was snug, and clean, and warm;
For woods before and hills behind
Secured it both from rain and wind:
Large oxen in the field were lowing,
Good grain was sow'd, good fruit was growing:
Of last year's corn in barns great store;
Fat turkeys gobbling at the door;
And Wealth in short, with Peace consented
That people here should live contented;
But did they in effect do so?
Have patience friend, and thou shalt know.
The honest farmer and his wife,
To years declined from prime of life,
Had struggled with the marriage noose,
As almost every couple does:
Sometimes my plague! sometimes my darling!
Kissing to-day, to-morrow snarling!
Jointly submitting to endure
That evil which admits no cure.
Our gods the outward gates unbarr'd;
Our farmer met 'em in the yard;
Thought they were folks that lost their way,
And ask'd them civilly to stay;
Told 'em for supper or for bed
They might go on and be worse sped. -
So said, so done; the gods consent:
All three into the parlour went:
They compliment, they sit, they chat;
Fight o'er the wars, reform the state:
A thousand knotty points they clear,
Till supper and my wife appear.
Jove made his leg, and kiss'd the dame;
Obsequious Hermes did the same.
Jove kiss'd the farmer's wife, you say!
He did - but in an honest way:
Oh! not with half that warmth and life
With which he kiss'd Amphitryon's wife. -
Well, then, things handsomely were served;
My mistress for the strangers carved.
How strong the beer, how good the meat,
How loud they laughed, how much they eat,
In epic sumptuous would appear,
Yet shall be pass'd in silence here;
For I should grieve to have it said
That, by a fine description led,
I made my episode too long,
Or tired my friend to grace my song.
The grace-cup served, the cloth away,
Jove thought it time to show his play.
Landlord and landlady, he cried,
Folly and jesting laid aside,
That ye thus hospitably live,
And strangers with good cheer receive,
Is mighty grateful to your betters
And make e'en gods themselves your debtors.
To give this thesis plainer proof,
You have to-night beneath your roof
A pair of gods: (nay, never wonder,)
This youth can fly and I can thunder.
I'm Jupiter, and he Mercurius,
My page, my son indeed, but spurious.
Form, then, three wishes, you and Madam,
And, sure as you already had 'em,
The things desired in half an hour
Shall all be here and in your power.
Thank ye, great Gods, the woman says;
Oh! may your altars ever blaze!
A ladle for our silver dish
Is what I want, is what I wish. -
A ladle! cries the man, a ladle!
'Odzooks, Corsica, you have pray'd ill!
What should be great you turn to farce,
I wish the ladle in your a--.
With equal grief and shame my Muse
The sequel of the tale pursues.
The ladle fell into the room,
And struck in old Corsica's bum.
Our couple weep two wishes past,
And kindly join to form the last;
To ease the woman's awkward pain,
And get the ladle out again.
Moral.
This commoner has worth and parts,
Is praised for arms, or loved for arts;
His head aches for a coronet,
And who is bless'd that is not great?
Some sense and more estate kind Heaven
To this well-lotted peer has given:
What then? he must have rule and sway,
And all is wrong till he's in play.
The miser must make up his plum,
And dares not touch the hoarded sum;
The sickly dotard wants a wife
To draw off his last dregs of life.
Against our peace we arm our will;
Amidst our plenty something still
For horses, houses, pictures, planting,
To thee, to me, to him, is wanting;
That cruel something unpossess'd,
Corrodes, and leavens all the rest:
That something if we could obtain
Would soon create a future pain;
And to the coffin from the cradle
'Tis all a wish and all a Ladle.
poem by Matthew Prior
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Incognito
(incognito)
The man behind the mask
(incognito)
At the masquerades board?
(incognito)
Can you see through his disguise?
(incognito)
Is he a friend of yours
(incognito)
The man behind the mask
(incognito)
A face you cant conceal?
(incognito)
I can see through your disguise
Standing in the dark
Hidden in the crowd
(incognito)
Trying to see your face
Chasing shadows through
(incognito)
The night
(incognito)
song performed by by Incognito
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Man Gave Names To All The Animals
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal that liked to growl,
Big furry paws and he liked to howl,
Great big furry back and furry hair.
Ah, think Ill call it a bear.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal up on a hill
Chewing up so much grass until she was filled.
He saw milk comin out but he didnt know how.
Ah, think Ill call it a cow.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal that liked to snort,
Horns on his head and they werent too short.
It looked like there wasnt nothin that he couldnt pull.
Ah, think Ill call it a bull.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal leavin a muddy trail,
Real dirty face and a curly tail.
He wasnt too small and he wasnt too big.
Ah, think Ill call it a pig.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
Next animal that he did meet
Had wool on his back and hooves on his feet,
Eating grass on a mountainside so steep.
Ah, think Ill call it a sheep.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal as smooth as glass
Slithering his way through the grass.
Saw him disappear by a tree near a lake . . .
song performed by by Bob Dylan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Secret Agent
(graham russell)
Well Ive got friends in the states
And Ive got friends out in space
When informations your game
The whole world knows your name
And so they gave me a code
To work this treacherous road
For all the agents I know
Must work incognito
(chorus)
I love my trade,
Ive got my future made.
I put my life on the line
To save this country of mine
And they reward me with love
And see I have a good time.
So all my moves must be fast
Cos every day is my last
A secret agent thats slow
Almost certain to go.
(chorus)
Ive got friends in the states
Ive got friends out in space
When informations your game
The whole world knows your name
And so they gave me a code
To work this treacherous road
For all the agents I know
Must work incognito.
(chorus)
song performed by by Air Supply
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Friends And Foes
Better are foes than friends, sometimes, oh friend
Flip through thy pages friends, pretentiously
And say, “It's great, so nice, wondrous and good! ”
But foes! Rummage with spite them ruthlessly
In search of faults, they tear you piece by piece
God knows what foes unearth and well discern
In their inadvertence may discover
Precious jewels you hid in oblivion
And win you accolades of connoisseurs
So, friends or foes, never mind thee, oh friend
To friends say warm hello and thanks a lot
And there they come, your foes, with smiles crooked
Come on, up on thy feet and make salute
poem by Sathya Narayana
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Too Late
Have you heard about the hollow man?
Too frightened so he turned and ran, from the vision that he cherished so.
Couldnt see it, so he let it go.
Everybody has a secret sin.
But everybody needs a chance to win.
Anyone could see Im a man thats sad and broken by the things Ive done.
But now Im sorry that I said goodbye.
And Im sorry cause its me thats crying.
I never finished what I started to, but Im just so sorry that Im hurting you.
But its too late for us to just be friends.
And too late for anything but the end.
And too many dreams fell through our hands.
And its just too late to understand.
Now Ill never make a new beginning,
And Ill never stop the pain from winning.
Nothing matters to me anymore now.
Ive lost the things I was fighting for.
And now Im sorry that the dreams are gone,
And Im sorry cause Im not the
One who comes running when you need me so,
Cause Im the fool thats let you go.
But its too late for us to just be friends.
And too late for anything but the end.
And too many dreams fell through our hands.
And its just too late to understand.
All the tears of pain are falling down, (oh, oh, oh, oh).
All the tears of pain are falling down, and you know...
But its too late for us to just be friends.
And too late for anything but the end.
And too many dreams fell through our hands.
And its just too late to understand.
But its too late for us to just be friends.
And too late for anything but the end.
And too many dreams fell through our hands.
And its just too late to understand.
But its too late...too late...its too late...
song performed by by Omd
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Alankar (Decor) -34
Foes Yet Friends(Roundel)
Foes Yet Friends, Tom and Jerry
Chase and face in their racing rounds
Tom is to chase running jerry
Foes Yet Friends
To win to eat aims Tom in rounds
To flee from Tom in rounds Jerry
Yet a foe to both sometimes hounds
Friends they fight in rounds in scurry
Just to win in proud rounds and rounds
But to part again in fury
Foes Yet Friends
poem by Indira Renganathan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Rosebush
There was a rosebush
With only one rose
And I fell in love
With just that rose
I couldn’t grab it for fear
Of the many thorns
But I had to get it
‘Cause I loved that one rose
So I took a chance
Took a jump
But the rose was too
Far out of my reach
As I sat in the bush
I started to bleed
And I bled and bled
And sat there in pain
Then came a friend
Who held out her hand
She helped me up
And got me through
I tried again and again
Yet she kept helping me
Get out of the rosebush
And then I gave up
I… shouldn’t have
But I gave up on myself
And I told my friend,
“I can’t get the rose.”
For weeks upon weeks
I avoided the rosebush
Until she said to try
One last time
So I did and
Excitedly received
The only rose
That grew upon that bush
I then gave it to the girl
Who stood by my side
Day in and day out
Who told me not to give up.
poem by Chris Pacion
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Rivals
From long time friends to bitter foes
From boon companions to friends estranged
The cute little redhead accomplished that
but it was nothing she'd prearranged
So delicate, so beautiful
with eyes a deep Aegean blue
Of course I made a play for her
She wasn't going home with you
Yes, her kisses were as sweet
as you imagined they must be
The reality was better still
warming an autumn evenings chill
I was the first to take the risk
that’s why I was the one she kissed
My actions weren’t the least bit shady
but faint hearts never win fair Ladies
poem by John F. McCullagh
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Rose-bud advises man…
I asked a rose-bud, ‘who gave you your beauty? ’
And it replied, ‘my mother’s sap gave me! ’
I asked again, ‘who gave your mother plant, its sap? ’
It said, ‘the soil and rain by roots, the sun through leaves! ’
I asked the rose-bud, ‘who gave the soil, sun and rain such abilities? ’
It replied, ‘the One who made all things, and you and me! ’
And now the rose-bud asked me, ‘But why do you ask such questions?
Are you not made beautiful too by the same One,
Who made me, the moon, sky, soil and sun?
And yet, like you, we cannot walk or run! ’
It continued, ‘we plants feel sad we cannot move like how you do! ’
‘We buds grow bigger by each dawn;
The Maker feels so happy when we’re born,
And smiles on seeing us each morn,
Turning ecstatic, when we blossom on,
The landscape to perfume and to adorn –
By morrow, most of us are almost gone! ’
I asked the rose-bud, ‘are the dew-drops then because you cry? ’
And it replied, ‘they are the tears of joy and sadness of God on high,
Who knows we are born to sooner die.’
But tell me man, such questions, you ask, ‘why? ’
The rose-bud went on:
‘God gave you man, woman, a long life-span;
And do many things, you surely can! ’
God made you far more beautiful!
Be satisfied and be dutiful;
God is our Master One, most wonderful!
Praise Him, thank Him for all His gifts to you, bountiful! ’
Copyright by Dr John Celes 2-2-2010
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Final Red, Red Rose
He left a rose, then rose and left
To leave me all alone,
Downcast and feeling quite bereft,
My heart then turned to stone.
I read the note beside the rose,
As red as red could be...
Once we were friends, yet now we're foes,
So starts the enmity...
Divorce can bleed the wallet dry,
Take note, for that's the truth.
Divorce is when the insults fly
And strangers share the proof.
He took his clothes, he left a rose,
A token of the past...
And though so sad, the sorrow grows,
Though now we're free at last.
I never thought that this would come,
Perhaps I was naive...
Yet he betrayed me, now I'm numb
At things I could believe.
But I'll survive, I always do,
Although not quite the same.
His rose was red, my heart is blue,
Just like a dying flame...
Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2010.
poem by Denis Martindale
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Who are foes?
I make friends from contacts
And pick foes from those friends.
My foes are on increase
In proportion to friends.
09.07.2010
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Consumptive
The stars, the fields, will know him never-
more;
his friends, his trees, the restless swerving sea.
‘Three days to live,’ they said – the kind gave four.
They glide about his bed silently.
‘Twas not the lead of battle nor the shell
the spitting of Maxim’s basiliskine breath –
‘Twas through the falseness of the winds he fell;
the snow’s mock-warmth – a chill. His humble
death
will ne’er be sung in elegy and rhyme,
his passage bloodless was, unstained and still.
It brought no stir; and smiling all the time
He waved his last farewell behind the Hill.
I saw him die with my half-closed eyes,
And closing them I thought of Paradise.
poem by Leon Gellert
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Waste
No rose but fades; no glory but must pass;
No hue but dims; no precious silk but frets.
Her beauty must go underneath the grass,
Under the long roots of the violets.
O, many glowing beauties Time has hid
In that dark, blotting box the villain sends.
He covers over with a coffin-lid
Mothers and sons, and foes and lovely friends.
Maids that were redly-lipped and comely-skinned,
Friends that deserved a sweeter bed than clay,
All are as blossoms blowing down the wind:
Things the old envious villain sweeps away.
And though the mutterer laughs and church bells toll,
Death brings another April to the soul.
poem by John Masefield (1902)
Submitted by anonym
Vote! | Copy!
Bible in Poetry: 1 John 3
Children of God, that we are called,
Reveals our Father’s love lavished.
The reason why world doesn’t know us,
Is because they don’t know Him yet.
We are children of God, dear friends:
We know that when He reappears,
Like Him, we shall be, and see Him;
The one who has this hope within,
Will keep himself pure and not sin.
All sinners break the laws of God,
And sin is lawlessness and odd;
So, Jesus came to take our sins,
Although in Him, there is no sin.
The one who lives in Him won’t sin;
The one who sins cannot see Him.
Do not let one lead you astray;
The one who does right is righteous;
The sinner is of the devil;
Devils have sinned from beginning;
The reason why the Son of God
Came, was to destroy devils’ work.
If born of God, you can’t sin on;
The seed of God remains in you.
God’s children are known in this way;
The one who does not do things right,
Is not a child of God and light;
So’s one who does not love brethren.
Love One Another:
This is the message, you have heard,
From beginning that you all should,
Love one another as God told;
Don’t be like Cain who killed brother,
Out of the jealousy He had;
His brother’s actions were righteous;
His own actions were evil ones.
Don’t be surprised if world hates you,
Because we love our brothers then,
We’ve passed from death to life endless;
The one who loves not is all dead;
One who hates brother is murderer;
The latter have no eternal life.
How can we know what love is then?
Christ Jesus laid His life for us;
We must give lives for our brothers;
If you have worldly possessions,
And do not help the one in need,
How can God’s love be in Him then?
Dear Children lets not love with words,
Or tongue but by actions in truth;
We will then know we are in truth
In God, we set our hearts at rest,
For God is greater than our hearts;
He knows all things in entirety.
If our hearts don’t condemn us then,
Before God, we have confidence;
And get from Him whatev’r we ask,
Because we obey His commands,
And do whatever pleases Him.
His command’s to believe His Son,
Begotten, Jesus Christ by name,
And love others as He commands;
If we obey, we live in Him;
He also lives in his beloved;
We know this by spirit He gave!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 6-24-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Warriors
I fall
Down
No control somehow
No help
Now
My favour slides
No one comes
Here
Now Im feeding strangers
Thin air
Like cold death
Here in my heart
I fell for so long for you all
I fell for so long for you
I fell for so long for you
Come in
Im the ghost
Of the white faced clown
Shes gone
Gone. I wont look back
Shes gone
Im old
So old
This infection of time
My skin
Age
Shows no kindness to me
I fell for so long for you all
I fell for so long for you
I fell for so long for you
song performed by by Gary Numan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Rondel
THESE many years since we began to be,
What have the gods done with us? what with me,
What with my love? they have shown me fates and fears,
Harsh springs, and fountains bitterer than the sea,
Grief a fixed star, and joy a vane that veers,
These many years.
With her, my love, with her have they done well?
But who shall answer for her? who shall tell
Sweet things or sad, such things as no man hears?
May no tears fall, if no tears ever fell,
From eyes more dear to me than starriest spheres
These many years!
But if tears ever touched, for any grief,
Those eyelids folded like a white-rose leaf,
Deep double shells wherethrough the eye-flower peers,
Let them weep once more only, sweet and brief,
Brief tears and bright, for one who gave her tears
These many years.
poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Dozen Red Roses
God told me to take fifty dollars,
And buy a dozen red roses;
To give them to strangers,
Just as His Spirit impresses.
I gave the first red rose to a homeless man,
Who was sitting on a street curb.
He looked so stunned as he accepted,
But his eyes filled with tears of joy superb.
I then took the subway
That was rather busy.
I saw a mother who looked stresssed;
So gave her a red rose of mercy.
She smiled sweetly, as I walked away.
I sensed this red rose was special;
Gave her a sense of worthiness,
Made me feel like her guardian angel.
The Spirit led me to nine others,
Who were very touched indeed,
By a stranger gifting red roses;
An unusual type of deed.
As I left the train station,
I was led into a nearby hospital.
I asked to whom I should give;
This last red rose, so beautiful.
I was led into a room,
Where a small boy was dying of cancer.
Too weak to take the last rose;
I placed it on his dresser.
He looked at the beautiful red rose;
He could smell its perfume.
Tears fell down his tiny face.
I thanked God for this red rose mission,
As I left the young boy’s room.
Sometimes God asks us,
To do things that may seem strange.
But, in His wisdom, love is His exchange.
The red roses were a token
Of our Saviour’s love
sacrificially given to His children—
Hearts touched from heaven above.
poem by Maureen Lefanue
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Death and the Lady
TURN in, my lord, she said ;
As it were the Father of Sin
I have hated the Father of the Dead,
The slayer of my kin ;
By the Father of the Living led,
Turn in, my lord, turn in.
We were foes of old ; thy touch was cold,
But mine is warm as life ;
I have struggled and made thee loose thy hold,
I have turned aside the knife.
Despair itself in me was bold,
I have striven, and won the strife.
But that which conquered thee and rose
Again to earth descends ;
For the last time we have come to blows.
And the long combat ends.
The worst and secretest of foes,
Be now my friend of friends.
poem by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Doctor Online
DOCTOR ONLINE
It's the beginning of the end
You want things to go faster
It's the beginning of the end
Now everything's too slow for you
It's the beginning of the end
You are one step closer
It's the beginning of the end
Say Amen
1-800-SUICIDE
Or maybe Doctor Online could help you die
You need wings to fly
You need someone
To take your place
When you are gone
Is the beginning of the end
You know nothing last forever
A beginning of a trend
You need someone there to care for you
Is the beginning of the end
I don't think you understand
Just a beginning of a flatline
Together
song performed by by Zeromancer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Incognito
Like a shadow on the wall
If you come or if you go
Who you are, nobody knows
Can't get behindincognito
You are capturing my soul
If I want, or if I don't
Not protected by the law
But still incognito
Like a shadow on the wall
Free access around the world
Who you are, nobody knows
Eyes without face. incognito.
song performed by by Enigma
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!