Elephant's Graveyard II
But then, almost imperceptibly, the boulders shift,
slowly at first, then increasing speed:
here a bit, there a hit
the eye perceives. Uncannily, they march through trees,
Till what you thought a wall of mere marl
proves an elephant's crinkled back-to be;
what you thought an un-tenanted grotte,
pretty enough, if bare,
is really the dark between an elephant's thighs-
between it's belly and the grass,
and you realize you have discovered a plot
piped by motherly trunks into pachyderm ears
assuring them there's a place they will go
if steadfast, in spite of crocodiles and bogs-
though one must be mindful to avoid both.
And suddenly, in the quiet of a grove
generations on generations of elephantine shapes
move, undismayed through a quiet, silencing event:
Silence flung out in billows like the sails of a ship
Quiet where a twig-snap sounds like a mine exploding
poem by Morgan Michaels
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
The quiet from the road
I wonder will they bring the quiet back from the road;
The quiet where the trees fingers reach the sky,
Quiet of the graceful geese sweeping by,
Quiet of an airplane shadowed above,
Peace of the fence line's lowly shrub.
The low keening of a coyote's howl,
More silent preening of the wild fowl,
The quiet of water in trembling spring,
But silence above everything else seen-
And I wonder will silence stay close by,
Or slowly wander, a cloud in a sky?
poem by Patti Masterman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Stranger On A Quiet Street
When all the thrills have been forgotten
The chill of night can call them home
And all the dreams that you left stranded
Will slowly start to come along
I felt it as she slipped away, slipped away
I didnt have the words to say
When I saw the stranger
A stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
You can go straight as an arrow
You can go straight as you dare
Walkin the old straight and narrow
Dont always get you there
The sun was shining when I saw it all
She was moving to a different beat
When I met a stranger
A stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
It came to me out of the blue, out of the blue
There came the moment that I really knew
When I met a stranger
A stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street, on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
Stranger on a quiet street
song performed by by Electric Light Orchestra
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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White Hot Day
Instrumental version called bass line
In time, only time, speak for time, in time
Time calls, time cries, sweet friend of mine
Time could be a place, a spirit and a face
Teardrops through time
While away below, the whirlwinds will blow
A pretty nation speaks in time
The beauty of it is, to waken up to
Shake the hand of time
In time, only time, well speak for time
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Whisper the things that will come our way
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Hold back the years, hold back the years
Time calls, time cries, sounds like a friend of mine
Time will run to meet, the slick and shiny beat
That creeps to me through time
While away below, the whirlwinds will blow
A pretty nation sleeps in time
The beauty of it is
Well wake up to, shake the hand of time
In time, only time, in time, only time
In time
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Whisper the things that will come our way
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Hold back the tears, hold back the tears
In time, only time, well speak for time
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Whisper the things that will come our way
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Hold back the tears, hold back the tears
In time, only time
Quiet night of a white hot day
Whisper the things that will come our way
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Roll back the years, roll back the years
In time, only time, well speak for time
On a quiet night
Hold back the tears to another day
Quiet night of a white hot day
Hold back the tears, hold back the tears
Time, only time, speak for time
Quiet night of a white hot day
Whisper the things that will come our way
On a quiet night of a white hot day
Roll back the years, roll back the years
In time, only time, speak for time
Quiet night of a white hot day
Hold back the tears to another day
Quiet night of a white hot day
Words & music : james kerr, charlie burchill, mel gaynor, derek forbes, michael macneil (c) emi publishing ltd reproduced without permission
song performed by by Simple Minds
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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So Quiet In Here
Foghorns blowing in the night
Salt sea air in the morning breeze
Driving cars all along the coastline
This must be what its all about
Oh this must be what its all about
This must be what paradise is like
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
The warm look of radiance on your face
And your heart beating close to mine
And the evening fading in the candle glow
This must be what its all about
Oh this must be what its all about
This must be what paradise is like
So quiet in here. so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, yeah, so peaceful in here
All my struggling in the world
And so many dreams that dont come true
Step back, put it all away
It dont matter, it dont matter anymore
Oh this must be what paradise is like
This must be what paradise is like
Its so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
Its so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
A glass of wine with some friends
Talking into the wee hours of the dawn
Sit back and relax your mind
This must be, this must be, what its all about
This must be what paradise is like
Oh this must be what paradise is like
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
Big ships out in the night
And were floating across the waves
Sailing for some other shore
Where we can be what we wanna be
Oh this must be what paradise is like
This must be what paradise is like
Baby its so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, you can hear, its so quiet
song performed by by Van Morrison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I listen to the silence
I Listen To The Silence
Darkness about me
In the somnolent silence
The silence has substance
As thick as can be
silence about me
as loud as a scream
In a nightmarish dream
It can terrify me
Silence has a feel
Of darkness in velvet cloaked
As a desperate cry being choked
Phantasmic, yet real
As Quiet surrounds me
The silence has substance
The absence of presence
is deafening to me
Sounds whispery as paper
Things scurry about me
Sounds, soft, sad and scaly
Like venom and vapour
Silence is sound incomplete
Silence whirs, silence hums
Silence throbs, silence thrums
Silence has it’s own heartbeat
Quiet has movement,
Tho’ever so slow
Quiet has substance
and how do I know?
I listen to the silence...
as you do also
poem by David Whalen
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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All's Not Quiet On The Western Front
All's not quiet on the western front.
The noise is raucous now.
It assaults the serenity of our ears
and I often wonder how
in my short life span
how it could get like this?
Did we in the west forget the silence?
The silence is what I miss.
Deluged by sounds not pleasing
I try my best not to hear.
But so much of it is deafening.
It gets louder to me each year.
Gone are the days of peaceful melodies.
They've been highjacked by the rap.
And the booming boxes that house them
sound out like a thunderclap.
This generation on the western front
doesn't remember what is through.
For if they did they would welcome it
like grass welcomes soft morning dew.
The pace they live has taken them to
a noisy frenetic place.
No. all's not quiet on the western front.
Serenity has lost its face.
poem by Edwina Reizer
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The Elephant Bar
I have a simple question to ask you
Have you ever been to an Elephant bar?
Oh, you must, because it’s so quaint
One of my favorite restaurants so far
Why, everyone loves the Elephant
The statues in this place are so neat
And the food, oh such food they have
Each morsel is a scrumptious treat
I’ll tell you more about the food
Delicious in both taste and sight
Elephant size portions they advertise
They create meals that are perfectly right
Chicken salad that’s so good for you
They create the perfect blend of flavors
I always eat mine so slowly
Because it’s food that I truly savor
Take time from your busy schedule
No matter where you are
Because you MUST visit a restaurant
That is called The Elephant Bar!
poem by Marilyn Lott
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Quiet Life
Somethings happenin but Im just gonna turn a blind eye.
If I see no evil, ask no questions, and I hear no lies.
Cant communicate with minds that are small,
With some people its like talkin to the wall
And a fellow who walks away,
Lives to battle another day.
And Ive really got no appetite
For a fight,
Not tonight.
All I want is a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
No ambition to rock the boat
When I can just stay afloat.
Be content with a quiet life
All I want is a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil at all.
Confidentially, between these walls,
Im on top of it all.
Id rather have em think Im deaf, dumb, and blind
Than aggravation every time I speak my mind
Keep _________ at a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
I could easily blow my top,
Start a row,
But why start now?
Give your daddy a quiet life.
Give your mother a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
[instrumental section]
Give your daddy a quiet life.
Give your mother a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Confidentially, between these walls,
Im on top of it all.
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dollar & Cents (2000-06-13: Thtre Antique D'arles, France)
There are things to talk about
Be constructive
There are weapons, we can use
Be constructive
With your blues
Even when they tore the wall down
Even when they tore the wall down
Why don't you quiet down?
Why won't you quiet down?
Why don't you quiet down?
Why won't you quiet down?
??
We are the dollar and cents
song performed by by Radiohead
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Jumbo Jet
I saw a little elephant standing in my garden,
I said 'You don't belong in here', he said 'I beg you pardon?',
I said 'This place is England, what are you doing here?',
He said 'Ah, then I must be lost' and then 'Oh dear, oh dear'.
'I should be back in Africa, on Saranghetti's Plain',
'Pray, where is the nearest station where I can catch a train?'.
He caught the bus to Finchley and then to Mincing lane,
And over the Embankment, where he got lost, again.
The police they put him in a cell, but it was far too small,
So they tied him to a lampost and he slept against the wall.
But as the policemen lay sleeping by the twinkling light of dawn,
The lampost and the wall were there, but the elephant was gone!
So if you see an elephant, in a Jumbo Jet,
You can be sure that Africa's the place he's trying to get!
poem by Spike Milligan
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To Quiet... To Hold On
Each life needs
It’s own quiet place
Each life needs
To savor joy’s taste
A place where time stops
But for a moment worry is gone
Each life needs to quiet...
To hold on
Floating with the grace
Of the resting fawn
Each life needs to quiet...
To go on
Each life needs
A quiet place where tears can dropp
Where life’s eddies of trouble
Spinning downward
To be changed into joy
Foaming joy, floats to the top
Expanding like bubbles
Beginning to pop
Each life needs to quiet...
To bring their best to the top
It’s where all thoughts come together
Making the connections
In my heart and mind
I travel to this place by reflection
In this quiet place letting go
Can cause tears quite a bit
But like a river
Joy flows right through it
(Inspired by the memory of a weekend stay at the Cascade River after returning from the service.)
poem by Duane Botzek
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Carl Nielsen's Sun Piece
As Helios began to rise
Fat woman rose to feet,
Shuffled out for air:
Fiddledy fie for the trains of thought
Of people listening there.
'Well thought, ' thought I,
'to leave the theatre now-
though quiet rise disturbed;
'cause if she'd left it till the sun
was higher in the sky,
she might have fallen in a faint-
whole auditorium perturbed! '
Then, as the sun began to set,
As she set down in her seat,
Ungummed from mama's oozing teat,
Arose the song of baby son-
Dread herald of the treat to come
In Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto
Number One.
Inspired in Greece the 15 minute piece 'Helios' begins with a quiet build-up to the rising of the sun, gets more agitated as day progresses, then returns to quiet after a spectacular sunset.
poem by Douglas Scotney
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I Need The Quiet And The Silence
I need the quiet and the silence
The pain is too much
I need to hear nothing but quiet
So I can contend with the pain
It hurts
It aches
And I need to give my mind the strength
To contend with it-
Quiet and more quiet
And I will try to contend with it
Though I don't know if I can.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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God, You Punish Me With A Quiet And Love
god, you punish me with a quiet and love
many years i walked into your jungle
what a thorn piercing the foot
i always say love always
although the soil, earth, quiet trees always
you punish me with a quiet and love
there is a silence that hunting
do you love me?
this sort of question a child
that being withdrawn
but why do you punish me with love?
i was not able to recognize the crowd unless
otherwise a quiet way
hummed roar of water but you can not dam
from the hum of small water
high into the mountain
being a rustling in the valley
and the roar unstoppable
are there any you love me?
god, you punish me with a quiet and love
far on the hill there
you made me recognize a foreign path
make a return home, how ya?
but if i die; i die in love
and i want you to hug me
dharma on the leaves rustling in the woods
tears at all the creations
so what does it mean?
you punish me with a quiet and love.
(Padma, Ciumbeulit,2012)
poem by Imam Setiaji Ronoatmojo
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The Quiet Room
(Alice Cooper / Bernie Taupin / Dick Wagner)
The California air
Your nightgown on the stairs
I remember every night
Scenes from home in the Quiet Room
How long have I been gone
Did winter kill the lawn
And all those polaroids you sent
Are on the wall in the Quiet Room
They've got this place
Where they've been keeping me
Where I can't hurt myself
I can't get my wrists to bleed
Just don't know why
Suicide appeals to me
The Quiet Room
Is sterilized and white
It's like a tomb
With just a moth stained naked night
Plastic forks and spoon
No laces in my shoes
They allknow what I tried to do
Outside the Quiet Room
This quiet place
It ain't so new to me
It's haunted atmosphere
Has heard so many scream
My home from home
My twilight zone
My strangest dream
My confidant
I have confessed my life
The Quiet Room
Knows more about me than my wife
They've got this place
Where they've been keeping me
Where I can't hurt myself
I just can't
I just can't get these damn wrists to bleed
A mattress on the floor
No handles on the door
I really need nothing here
I'm alone
---------------------------------------------------------
song performed by by Alice Cooper
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Want To Live In Quiet
I WANT TO LIVE IN QUIET
I want to live in quiet -
At peace with what I am
Without dreams I will never realize
And lusts I have long lost-
I want to live in quiet -
And in my own small way
Help those I can-
Nothing great anymore
Nothing big
Just small and quiet and in peace and at home.
I
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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This Silence.
This silence.
Oh where, where,
where are you now,
once a firm place in my life,
has gone.
Strange the dreams,
we had.
so sad,
no battles won.
Silence now,
greets my dawn,
so quiet so quiet,
no dreams begun.
I seek your words
it is so obsurd,
this emptyness
this silence.
Sounds Of Reality
You want to sit in silence
just to gather your thoughts,
however you know that something
will shatter that shell apart.
The silence that you crave
will vanish in sounds of reality.
You want to sit without
any outside influence
invading your shell of silence
you have built around yourself.
Sadly the inevitable will happen
and the shell will be shattered.
The sounds of reality
creep into our lives
in those precious moments
when we need to be
alone with our thoughts
and as quiet as can be.
Some don’t understand
the quiet distance others need
and invade it with idle noise
from their chatter to a TV blast
which will shatter your silence shell
with the sounds of reality.
You feel like shouting
get out of my space
and leave me alone,
but then you doubt
if they will understand
and you suffer in the sounds of reality.
24 September 2010
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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My Red House
My Red House
Be quiet as a mouse
I once played in that red house
Shy was I, like a little mouse
Tippy toed I went looking around
Giggling, without making any sound
Happy was I to run around and play
My very own home to live and stay
My Red House
Be quiet as a mouse
Darkness came swiftly one night
A sense of something was not quite right
The shadows came across the wall
Covering my eyes, ready for my fall
The sounds of whips and chains dragged
against the floor
The sheer terror numbed me from looking
passed that door
My Red House
Be quiet as a mouse
The darkness slowly turned to grey
The black clouds lifting away
No longer trapped, I did not need to stay
Free was I to let go and make my own way
So ever slowly, opening that door
I could see the light and so much more
My Red House
Be quiet as a mouse
Changing and always moving
Never stopping and always wanting
Step by step, I shed all those tears
One at a time, I climbed up those stairs
Moving closer to where I want to be
No longer a child but an adult me
My Red House
Be quiet as a mouse
I came home today
The Red House, same as it was yesterday
Slowly, walking up that hill
Everything seems to be in a stand still
I could only stay for a while
Before the darkness comes within a mile
My Red House
Be quiet as a mouse
The breath of life you gave to me
But took away the child within me
No longer a pawn to your destruction
I have found my peace and resolution
Turning away towards the path of light
I see a very beautiful sight
My Red House
There is no longer a mouse
poem by Miu Miu Ayushi
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An Extraordinary Friendship
There happened to be an Elephant with purple skin
Which caused many a little child, to laugh and to grin?
They considered it so strange, and so ‘out of place’
That, a cheeky smirk ne’er left each mischievous face.
They laughed so much that they even shed tears:
“A Purple Elephant, with purple ears!
Who ever heard such a ridiculous thing,
Next we’ll be hearing the Elephant sing.”
On this did continue, for many a day,
Each time he felt more hurt and full of dismay.
He thought about travelling, far, far away –
“Perhaps then, my skin will be the normal grey? ”
Thus he did reason inside his mind,
This way he would be leaving his shame behind.
But, as he thought on, he began to realise
That his shame wasn’t what they saw with their eyes
But, how they made him feel, deep inside,
All this is what continued to wound his pride.
Suddenly, one bright and cheerful day
A small Blue Mouse just happened by his way.
The Purple Elephant instinctively let out a scream
From the fear and shock, at what he had just seen!
He was just about to turn, quickly away,
When, his attention was caught, as the Blue Mouse did say:
“Please, there’s no need for you to fear me
I’m only a little, quiet Blue Mouse, as you can see.
Why is it that you’re afraid and nervous too?
Please, tell me how I can help – I would really like to.”
And so, the Purple Elephant related his troubles and woes;
How he seemed to have few friends, but much more foes.
The little Blue Mouse gave him such caring advice,
Of which he thought was ever so nice:
“Don’t you worry about how others see you,
Because, when it comes to real beauty, they haven’t a clue.
Your strength of character is something I admire.
You battle on, where others weaken and tire;
You’re tall in stature, big hearted as well.
How do I know? I’ve observed you and can tell.”
The Purple Elephant smiled, and a tear glistened in his eye,
He found her words very touching, and did thus reply:
“O thank you so much, for your kind words so true,
Now, I wonder, is there any favour I can do for you? ”
To this the Blue Mouse did humbly ask:
(Which to her, was an enormouse task)
“If you would lift me up to that delicious cheese
Then, O my soul it would really please! ”
And so, the Purple Elephant fulfilled her desire –
Upon his trunk he lifted her, higher and higher
Onto the mantelpiece where she ate her reward,
And, guess what – those cheeky children were there to applaud!
Later, in private, the Purple Elephant made mention
About her being Blue, though with some apprehension:
“Why is it you also are an unusual colour, as I?
I suppose you too have been given the quizzical eye?
The little Blue Mouse did then convey
How it is that she is Blue, right down to this day:
“I’m not an unusual colour – all the others are!
I come from a noble line, by the name of Farquar.
My famous ancestors (or, so it’s understood)
Were of the Aristocracy, with royal blood!
So my Blue colour must originate with those
Whose position was famous, and so my heart glows.”
It was obvious that she was proud of being Blue,
She was only ‘unusual’ because she was one of ‘the few’.
This, the Purple Elephant readily took to heart,
He thought his attitude was like a poison dart
That, very quickly affects the body, in every part.
Her attitude made him feel of a ‘special’ kind,
And so, he determined to bear in mind
That we can make ourselves feel like a king or slave,
It all depends on how we behave.
Since that day when, true friends they became,
Their strong bond, their rapport, does still remain.
This extraordinary friendship has yet to be broken,
And their loyalty has often been spoken
Throughout many of England’s villages and towns,
And the birds in the trees also, make agreeable sounds.
Yes, the Purple Elephant continues to be a reliable friend,
And both their loyalties have ne’er been seen to bend.
When a mouse comes across the path of an elephant,
We all know which one will rave, and will rant –
Yet, there’s a difference in this story that’s true,
Of a Purple Elephant that made friends with a mouse quite Blue.
Usually, from a Mouse, an Elephant will run away,
But, this occurrence was unique, in a most special way;
The Blue Mouse was prepared to dispel his fears,
And, with a little love, did melt away his tears.
In response, the Purple Elephant, a favour did grant,
And, on his cheek, a gentle kiss she did plant.
From that moment, this extraordinary friendship did begin,
And, apart from appearances, they seemed kith and kin.
The moral of this story is: Do not go by
The appearance on the outside or, it will end in a sigh.
And when you think others look at you with disgust,
Always seek out true friends, those you can trust.
Because of this friendship, perhaps it may be true
That the familiar saying (oft said by me and you)
Was first uttered in a determined breath,
“An Elephant never forgets” – right down to his death.
poem by Paul Holmes
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