The Wasted Landing - thoughts from an airport strike
In the hour of our departure O Lord
In our beginning is our end
To depart is to arrive yet not to arrive
at the same hour and place
in some other time zone
and in our departing is our arrival
and to arrive is to depart from where we have not been
and to depart is to arrive at where we will not go
into the departure hall from where we did not depart
into the arrival hall where we did not arrive
and the end of all our departures is our arrival
that we may arrive at where we did not go
and depart from where we have not been.
now and in the hour of our departure O Lord
I Tiresias have foresuffered all
on this self-same divan, or tired banquette
in the departure hall from where we have not gone,
in the arrival hall where we have not arrived,
and all our arrivings are departures
and all our departures are arrivings
departing from where we have not been,
arriving at where we will not go
the sun shines bleakly through the window panes.
into the planes the trim staff come and go,
laundered into skies we cannot breathe.
'All flights are cancelled';
'Sorry Sir, this ticket is not valid for this flight'.
I Icarus have suffered thus
in Greece, in Rhodes, on all connecting flights,
in Delphi where I was not warned,
in Cumae where I could not go.
Passport Control. Do Not Pass This Point.
Too hot the sun of Greece that day,
the sun I shall not see.
'Arrival Delayed'. 'Departure Delayed'
A cold coming we had of it:
the baggage heavy, and the escalator steep,
the information scanty and the children fractious,
and the people. Oh the people.
Cans. Packets. Yesterday's papers from yesterday's travellers.
Sandwiches we have not eaten.
Tread softly for you tread on my icecream.
Now and in the hour of our departure Lord
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Related quotes
The Wasted Landing. Thoughts from an airport in disarray.
In the hour of our departure O Lord
In our beginning is our end
To depart is to arrive yet not to arrive
at the same hour and place
in some other time zone
and in our departing is our arrival
and to arrive is to depart from where we have not been
and to depart is to arrive at where we will not go
into the departure hall from where we did not depart
into the arrival hall where we did not arrive
and the end of all our departures is our arrival
that we may arrive at where we did not go
and depart from where we have not been.
now and in the hour of our departure Lord
I Tiresias have foresuffered all
on this self-same divan, or tired banquette
in the departure hall from where we have not departed,
in the arrival hall where we have not arrived,
and all our arrivings are departures
and all our departures are arrivings
departing from where we have not been,
arriving at where we will not go
the sun shines bleakly through the window panes.
into the planes the trim staff come and go,
(they stay at Novotel Michelangelo) ,
laundered into skies we cannot breathe.
'All flights are cancelled';
'Sorry Sir, this ticket is not valid for this flight'.
I Icarus have suffered thus
in Greece, in Rhodes, on all connecting flights,
in Delphi where I was not warned,
in Cumae where I could not go.
Passport Control. Do Not Pass This Point.
Too hot the sun of Greece that day,
the sun I shall not see.
'Arrival Delayed'. 'Flight Cancelled'
A cold coming we had of it:
the baggage heavy, and the escalator steep,
the information scanty and the children fractious,
and the people. Oh the people.
Cans. Packets. Yesterday's papers from yesterday's travellers.
Sandwiches they have not eaten.
Tread softly for you tread on my icecream.
Now and in the hour of our departure Lord
*
(re-edited)
poem by Michael Shepherd
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A departure
When you depart, all the beauty of my life departs
When you arrive, spring comes all around
My heart is kindled with the flame of your love
My disappointment turns into hope
Your departure is nothing
But an excuse of your arrival.
poem by Mohammad Akmal Nazir
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The departure lounge.
Many times,
I have been near the departure lounge.
Never knew the how or why.
Only too near tears to cry.
Time to leave.
Cliches on your sleeve.
Ready to be 'sold'.
Like cards up, an armful ready.
The departure lounge.
What is this place?
The only sensible option!
Many times,
I could have gone
Rather than see and play out-
Bitter endings.
The departure lounge!
A better place to be looking at
From a comfortable view
Than actually arrive at.
poem by Peter Vealey
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Darkness And Light
i would like to arrive not at the point
when darkness and light
chase and fight each other
when they grapple with who's right
and who's fit to survive
on the cycle of life
i like to arrive at the time when
they stop and arrive at a compromise
to live in peace together
not that the light stays on the right
not that darkness stays on the left
for that would still be divisive
i like them fuse into a certain hue
so pleasing to the eyes of all confused men
dusk, dawn, a dawning light, grey
the coolness of twilight, midway, between coming and departure
standing still, a gaze of the star and the coming of a new day.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Seasons Of Life
A Winter's Season feels ever so departed
I wonder whatever happened to the season of Winter
Like A Clock Ticks Away Time
Season's Briskly Move Through Life
The season's arrival and departure are like the entrances and exits of life
Spring impatiently waits for a turn to splash her bright green, pink, purple, and yellow colors of pastel
Flowers sprout a new cycle of life
Trees, provide a respite for birds of flight
Summer excitedly wishes to arrive
Balmy Nights do Invite
Ocean Rhythmic Waves
Take A Breath Away
Basking in her glory, ready to blow sun-drenched kisses on your nose
Kisses still felt in winter
Always a sign she is on your mind
Fall eagerly blows a dressy entrance of orange, brown, gold, and yellow
Aromas sweet, spicy, pungent, and strong remind of memories long gone
Winter Longs to stay home
Although, I am known for the season of cold, I long to warm your heart and soul
When you dream me away, think of my reasons to stay
Gaze outside to a thick blanket of white shimmering snow
A magnificent picture to behold
While Inside Cozy and Snuggled
To A Fire A Glow
Wrapped in a lover's strong arms
Surely Melts the Cold
And, keeps the Body Warm
Season's, Like Life, are meant to cherish
For they arrive and depart like the fragilities of life
Live, Breathe, Immerse yourself in the seasons throughout your life~
poem by C. Michelle Olson
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Asking Cynthia...
on the blank pages
i write nothing
on the wall i write
nothing
i only speak and
then leave
when i arrive here
i carry nothing and
thus give you nothing
when the hour comes
for departure
i travel light
as light as air passing
by your window
i take nothing too
for
empty handed i come
and empty handed shall i go
did you say that too
cynth?
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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24/7
Cancer station
for every
arrival
a departure.
poem by Vince Gullaci
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The Journey Home
I arrive back at Gare Du Nord
Only to discover that I'm already off to a bad start.
Due to the heavy snowfall in the UK,
It's hours till my train will finally depart.
I join the already snaking queue,
And I can feel the panic rise inside,
But there's nothing I can do about it,
So my time, I just have to bide.
I listen to the bi-lingual announcements
Telling us there's at least a four hour delay.
I stand there feeling tense and tearful,
And in my head, I'm worrying away.
During my stay in Paris,
I didn't come across many Brits,
But now, stood here in this queue,
I realise many people here are my fellow citz.
I get talking to two ladies,
Named Deborah and Sue,
Who take me under their wing,
And, the experience, they help me through.
Having finally made it to the departure lounge,
My anxiety has begun to melt away.
By this point, I'm feeling pretty sure
That I'll be on a train which leaves today.
In the lounge, there's a real sense of camaraderie,
With everyone chatting to people they've never met.
They discuss their present predicament -
Well aware that it's far from over yet.
The journey back to London,
Seems to take forever and a day.
I sit in my seat, concentrating on keeping calm,
But it's difficult to keep the worry at bay.
There's an audible sound of relief around me,
As we exit the tunnel back into the UK.
We're thrilled to have been repatriated,
But it's been just the most stressful day.
We arrive back at St Pancras.
I grab my case and dash to the Underground.
I rush across London as fast as I can
To Waterloo, which is where I am bound.
I've already heard that train services
Are finishing early due to the snow.
I arrive, out of breath, at Waterloo.
The last train has left, as far as I know.
But, due to a total stroke of luck,
I discover there's been a delay.
Onboard my train, I cry tears of relief,
Glad that things are finally going my way.
It's at half past ten at night,
That I finally reach home,
And tell the tale to my family
Of my experience I endured alone.
poem by Angela Wybrow
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Visits always give pleasure; if not the arrival, the departure.
Visits always give pleasure -- if not at the arrival, then at the departure.
Visits always give pleasure, if not the arrival, the departure.
For the poet the credo or doctrine is not the point of arrival but is, on the contrary, the point of departure for the metaphysical journey.
quote by Joseph Brodsky
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The most amazing thing to me about the sea is the tide. A harbour like St. Ives is totally transformed in a very short space of time by the arrival or departure of the sea.
Arrival of a child
Arrival of a child marks the
Arrival of a new pleasant path
Arrival of a most colourful horizon
Arrival of a new set of dreams
Arrival of a new ray of hope
Arrival of a new melody in musical notes
Arrival of a refreshing new fragrance
Arrival of a new butterfly in our garden
Arrival of a child marks the
Assertion of nature’s supremacy
Assertion of God’s faith in men
Assertion of sustenance of existence
Assertion of human love
Assertion of a new strengthened bond
Arrival of a child marks the
Beginning of a new philosophy
Beginning of a new set of experiences
Beginning of a renewed valour
Beginning of new ways of learning
Beginning of refined perception
Beginning of the glow of innocence
Beginning of a new set of celebrations
Arrival of child marks the
Formation of new cloud of prosperity
Formation of shower of fresh nutrients
Formation of a lake of vibrant future
Formation of a new pool of gainful talents
Let us welcome the child,
The spark of continuation of human race and
Let the human race celebrate the
Arrival of each child just born
poem by Bashyam Narayanan
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Conventional people are roused to fury by departure from convention, largely because they regard such departure as a criticism of themselves.
quote by Bertrand Russell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Concealing That Nocturnal Existence....
you realize that there is nothing that you keep
or can
at night a stranger of the house talks about
a departure
you listen as he is putting music to his flute
it is a sad one
it is like the sonorous sound of the rain at night
it is windy
the departure shall be early before the sun comes up
you never sleep
anticipating the excitement of the departure
there are only two of you
before the sun comes up between the two hills
both of you have already dissolve in the distance
blend with the trees, walk on grasses,
there are no traces, the two of you never exist
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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An end for creatures
I shall long to live forever
Though no time is left however
We are not immortal and have to depart
Life is lived in equal parts
It is not for us to think differently
There is natural law in force currently
It may knock you in time very gently
You may depart very silently
Think of uncertain things in cycle
One has to under go and perform in circle
We are confined to limited space
Lot many things we have to face
Peaceful end only when you are at ease
All unnecessary activities must cease
Eyes set on final departure
There lay an end for beautiful creture
poem by Hasmukh Amathalal
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The Storm
Growling and howling,
An uninvited guest,
Arrives with different seeds and leaves,
From unknown land,
And sprinkles them in the fields,
From these seeds come out, Beautiful flowers
And then delicious fruits,
Then the wild spirit moves for another land,
With her departure she predicts
The arrival of rain,
As there is a commotion in the Bay of Bengal,
The clouds laden with vapour rise from
The Bay and make us wait for their arrival,
And in few days rain covers every part of land,
A heavy downpour washes the whole landscape,
The gardens, the mountains, the valleys
All wear new and beautiful look,
The storm leaves such a glory after her.
poem by Mohammad Akmal Nazir
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Before The Train Sojourns
I saw it coming
like an approaching train
festooned underneath
its mad screen of smoke
and my guilty hands
trembled under duress
holding a one way ticket
but when the ground shudders
and the held clout reverberated
I flinched, deterred
and walked away
Before the train sojourns
I started my own exodus
I meander across
empty wastelands
and outrun the rails
but the train
haunts my repose
And this path I tread
will never end
like a threadbare ribbon
with knitted ends
I shall run and chase
the frontier of dreams
I shall picture you
framed in the frosted window
your eyes withholding
a velvet luster
as you arrive
to announce your departure -
your last painted malady
is an eternal goodbye
that never happened.
poem by Norman Santos
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Oh! January Harmattan.
Oh! January harmattan,
You arrive so fast
Sweeping us off our feet;
Though we expect your arrival
We never wished for this degree of dryness!
You arrive with drywind and cold
This cold leaves us dull and never bold,
You dry up every fresh leaves
Hence, the green fields turns brown!
Oh! January harmattan,
'Tis true that some may dread you;
Yet, you bring forth dryness,
Oftentimes, making the season worthwhile
Sometimes in the day, or at night;
We feel your cold breeze caressing our skin,
Thou leavest our lips and skin so dry
Just like the sands in the desert
Yet! , thou art the joy of many.
poem by Echezonachukwu Nduka
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