To read only children's books
To read only children's books,
To have only childish thoughts,
To throw everything grown-up away,
To rise from deep sadness.
I am deathly tired of life,
I will accept nothing from it.
But I love my poor land,
For I have seen no other.
I rocked in a distant garden
On a plain wooden swing,
Tall dark fir trees
I recall in a hazy fever.
poem by Osip Emilevich Mandelstam
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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0230 Thanksoffering
As children, lost in worlds grown-ups forget,
pass by some anniversary day unmarked,
then, gently minded, run in childish shame
into the garden, there to seek and bring
some wilting flower in warm and loving hand;
or proffer favourite toy, without a thought
that such a gesture might be their own loss;
so I, who seek to bring you, Lord, some gift
in words for all in life I have not earned;
a childish present, offered to observe
the everlasting birthday of Your world,
with flower You made, and toy wrought by Your skills;
accept, I pray, as father does a child:
my thoughts were elsewhere; Your world me beguiled...
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Envoy For "A Child's Garden Of Verses"
WHETHER upon the garden seat
You lounge with your uplifted feet
Under the May's whole Heaven of blue;
Or whether on the sofa you,
No grown up person being by,
Do some soft corner occupy;
Take you this volume in your hands
And enter into other lands,
For lo! (as children feign) suppose
You, hunting in the garden rows,
Or in the lumbered attic, or
The cellar - a nail-studded door
And dark, descending stairway found
That led to kingdoms underground:
There standing, you should hear with ease
Strange birds a-singing, or the trees
Swing in big robber woods, or bells
On many fairy citadels:
There passing through (a step or so -
Neither mamma nor nurse need know!)
From your nice nurseries you would pass,
Like Alice through the Looking-Glass
Or Gerda following Little Ray,
To wondrous countries far away.
Well, and just so this volume can
Transport each little maid or man
Presto from where they live away
Where other children used to play.
As from the house your mother sees
You playing round the garden trees,
So you may see if you but look
Through the windows of this book
Another child far, far away
And in another garden play.
But do not think you can at all,
By knocking on the window, call
That child to hear you. He intent
Is still on his play-business bent.
He does not hear, he will not look,
Nor yet be lured out of this book.
For long ago, the truth to say,
He has grown up and gone away;
And it is but a child of air
That lingers in the garden there.
poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Plain And Clear
My name is very long but,
I am very short;
Your name is very short but,
You are very tall;
We do look alike but,
We do think differently.
You are what you watch,
You are what you read,
You are what you paint,
You are what you write,
You are what you eat,
You are what you sing,
You are what you drink,
You are what you cook,
You are what you love,
But this life is full of dreams.
I am living in a land wher,
Almost everybody does smoke;
Walking the walk and talking the talk,
This life is full of dreams.
Like the headmaster and the pupil,
You are what you are;
And the truth must be made very plain.
Some have money but without children,
Some have children but witout money,
The truth should be made plain and clear;
You are what you teach and,
You are what you ride on.
This world is like that and,
I am living in a land wher children do smoke;
But, i am under everybody's roof.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Have You Seen Me
Have you seen me I just might be your little baby?
Have you seen me I'm lookin' at you with grown up eyes?
Every milk carton and highway billboard sign says maybe.
Have you seen me or have you only seen my disguise?
I had a fight with mama and she said she couldn't stand me.
I had a fight with papa and he really likes to swing his fist.
I'm sick and tired of all those stupid rules they hand me.
They try to make me feel I have no right to exist.
Have you seen me, well I've seen you.
I've seen what the grown ups do.
I've seen I can do that too.
Have you seen me?
Well I'm older now than I was the day I vanished.
You might not even know me if you saw me passin' by.
Others take your place in the dark world of the banished.
On vicious streets where no one hears me cry.
Well you can't run, you can't hide
turn your face, walk inside.
Can't close your doors, because I'm yours.
Have you seen me?
Well I'm fighting in Nicaragua, I'm fighting in Afghanistan.
In Israel I wear a gun, in Palestine a rock is in my hand.
In Africa you see me starve, in America they just throw me away.
But I'm making history that other kids will read about some day
Have you seen me, well I've seen you.
I've seen what the grown ups do.
I've seen I can do that too.
Have you seen me?
Have you seen me?
Have you seen me?
Have you seen me?
song performed by by Don McLean
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Rise & Fall
These are the streets I used to walk
On summer nights, sit out and talk
Thats the house where I used to live
I remember what I would give.
This is the town I wont forget
And after anger theres nothing left
Walking now round and round
Familiar sights are open ground.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
We used to live where children play
They leave their homes a mile away
To come and stand in trees and grass
Where we once walked the memories last.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
The sun shines east, the sun shines west
But I know where the sun shines best
Casey street in the afternoon
Once again its over too soon.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
Rise
(rise)
(rise)
Rise and fall
Rise and fall
song performed by by Madness
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rise & Fall
These are the streets I used to walk
On summer nights, sit out and talk
Thats the house where I used to live
I remember what I would give.
This is the town I wont forget
And after anger theres nothing left
Walking now round and round
Familiar sights are open ground.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
We used to live where children play
They leave their homes a mile away
To come and stand in trees and grass
Where we once walked the memories last.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
The sun shines east, the sun shines west
But I know where the sun shines best
Casey street in the afternoon
Once again its over too soon.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
Rise
(rise)
(rise)
Rise and fall
Rise and fall
song performed by by Madness
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rise And Fall
(McPherson/Foreman)
These are the streets I used to walk
On summer nights, sit out and talk
That's the house where I used to live
I remember what I would give.
This is the town I won't forget
And after anger there's nothing left
Walking now round and round
Familiar sights are open ground.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
We used to live where children play
They leave their homes a mile away
To come and stand in trees and grass
Where we once walked the memories last.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
The sun shines east, the sun shines west
But I know where the sun shines best
Casey street in the afternoon
Once again it's over too soon.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
Being here again
I can recall
Forgotten moments
The rise and fall.
Rise
(Rise)
(Rise)
Rise and fall
Rise and fall
song performed by by Madness
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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That Afternoon
i was there again
standing by the side of the old
glass windows
hazy because of the dust
it is hazy, hazy
the sea is linen white
the coconut trees as tall as they are very old
planted perhaps before the war
before the Japanese came
and ravished the spirits of our innocent people
i was there again
standing on a moment
always seeing
that rusty van parked
without its front wheel
nobody from there is asking
what is happening
it is hazy, as hazy as dusts
on that old glass window
then a black bird flies through
it breaking the thin old glass
into shattered pieces
the afternoon ended
on that sudden noise
i am telling you
i am not shocked because
i am not new to this
how can i be? i am as old and as
tall as that coconut tree
i am from this place
and i know each grain of sand
on the shore
of that white linen sea.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Shallow Grave
When I fall in endless sleep
I hope that I'll be buried deep
Let me be the one that fortune favours
Even good children got shallow graves
Throw another clown to the lions
Throw another Joan on the blaze
Cast me away on the cruel calm ocean
and leave me for days and days and days and days and days
I won't lie in this poor shallow grave
I won't lie, I won't lie in this poor shallow grave
Dig me down deep where the dead men sleep
I won't lie in this poor shallow grave
Bless the poor 'cos like the rich
They all end up in a ditch
In this world of fools and knaves
Even good children got shallow graves
The tinker, the tailor, the fabulous five
Nobody gets out of this alive
Chorus
Dig me down deep where the dead men sleep
I won't lie in this poor shallow grave
Dig me down deep where the dead men sleep
I won't lie in this poor shallow grave
Dig me down, dig me down, dig me down deep
I won't lie in this poor shallow grave
song performed by by Elvis Costello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Trees And Dreams
Wooden soldiers
Tall and strong
Guarding woodlands
In rows so long.
Hard and fast
Taller than grass
Grown to last
of old, cut as a mast.
Reaching skyward
Surveying all around
Casting long shadows westward
Towering flora that abound.
New saplings now old
One story they have told
Deep roots make them bold
As branches unfold
Some older than man
Cast deep in the ground
Hid the old clan
Felt the wet nose of a hound.
Lovers lay beneath it's branches
basking in the sun
Exhausted from their horizontal fun
Beads of sweat, down their bodies run.
Words of love trip off their tongue.
Tall and mighty
Bark textured rough
Their leaves small and flighty
Young children's shoes did scuff
Catching their dreams
As they climb so high
Of rescuing maidens
From pirates near by.
With bows and not so straight arrows
They grin and they smile
As they aim at a sparrow
and miss by a mile.
From it's branches they do swing
Hanging by a limb
Lot of noise, not muffled din.
Hot summer, time to swim.
poem by Robert Green
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Empire State Human
Since I was very young I realised
I never wanted to be human size
So I avoid the crowds and traffic jams
They just remind me of how small I am
Because of this longing in my heart
Im going to start the growing up
Im going to grow now and never stop
Think like a mountain, grow to the top
Tall, tall, tall, I want to be tall, tall, tall
As big as a wall, wall, wall, as big as a wall, wall, wall
And if Im not tall, tall, tall, then I will grow, grow, grow
Because Im not tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall
Tall, tall, tall, I want to be tall, tall, tall
As big as a wall, wall, wall, as big as a wall, wall, wall
And if Im not tall, tall, tall, then I will grow, grow, grow
Because Im not tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall
With concentration
My size increased
And now Im fourteen stories high
At least!!
Empire state human
Just a bored kid
Ill go to egypt to be
A pyramid
Tall, tall, tall, I want to be tall, tall, tall
As big as a wall, wall, wall, as big as a wall, wall, wall
And if Im not tall, tall, tall, then I will grow, grow, grow
Because Im not tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall
Tall, tall, tall, I want to be tall, tall, tall
As big as a wall, wall, wall, as big as a wall, wall, wall
And if Im not tall, tall, tall, then I will grow, grow, grow
Because Im not tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall
Brick by brick
Stone by stone
Growing till hes fully grown
Brick by brick
Stone by stone
Growing till hes fully grown
Fetch more water
Fetch more sand
Biggest person in the land
Fetch more water
Fetch more sand
Biggest person in the land
song performed by by Human League
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Cycle Unbroken
Walking in circles, never ending
This world is so messed up, crazy
Surely a disasters impending
But everything I see is hazy
According to you everything’s perfect
You walk forward, don’t look, never stopping
Never seeing and never do you suspect
Out of sanity, this world is dropping
Listen, the children are singing
Of this worlds loss, sorrow, pain
You are deaf to their voices, over the ringing
But watch them stand tall, in this deathly rain
This sinister cycle must end soon
Before this sun sets over the sea
Before the night marked by the rising moon
End this cycle and set the oppressed free
But to do that you must listen
Listen to the caged and listen to me
To make this hazy world glisten
You must see this world as it should be.
poem by Rebecca Pepper
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Shallow Graves
When I fall in endless sleep
I hope that Ill be buried deep
Let me be the one that fortune favours
Even good children got shallow graves
Throw another clown to the lions
Throw another joan on the blaze
Cast me away on the cruel calm ocean
And leave me for days and days and days and days and days
I wont lie in this poor shallow grave
I wont lie, I wont lie in this poor shallow grave
Dig me down deep where the dead men sleep
I wont lie in this poor shallow grave
Bless the poor cos like the rich
They all end up in a ditch
In this world of fools and knaves
Even good children got shallow graves
The tinker, the tailor, the fabulous five
Nobody gets out of this alive
Chorus
Dig me down deep where the dead men sleep
I wont lie in this poor shallow grave
Dig me down deep where the dead men sleep
I wont lie in this poor shallow grave
Dig me down, dig me down, dig me down deep
I wont lie in this poor shallow grave
song performed by by Elvis Costello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Swansong
A poor ferryman is crossing the quiet river
and suddenly she changed into a whirlpool.
The swing bridge is in full swing
with the east wind
and the fading twilight sky
looks like a watercolor painting.
I can hear the ferryman's whimper
who hides at all.
A dealer, poor girl's money lending uncle
who takes her cunningly to a Manor for housekeeping.
I read the ferryman's teary eyes
where it stuck the hidden words there.
'Be careful my little red riding hood
when sweeping the garden
specially under the thorn-bearing trees
don't be in barefoot.
I am waiting for you my sleeping beauty
and whatsoever I promise you to marry
in the next equinox'.
To the poetess Amanda.Lukas
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Home Grown Tomatoes
There aint nothin in the world that I like better than bacon n lettuce n
Home grown tomatoes up in the mornin, out in the garden
Get you a ripe one, dont pick a hard un plant em in the spring, eat em in
The summer all winter without em is a culinary bummer I forget all about the
Sweatinand the digginevery time I go out and pick me a big un home grown
Tomatoes, home grown tomatoes what would life be like without home grown
Tomatoes only two things that money cant buy
Thats true love and home grown tomatoes you can go out to eat an thats for
Sure but theres nothina home grown tomatoe wont cure put em in a salad, put
em in a stew
You can make your own tomatoe juice
You can eat em with eggs, eat em with gravy you can eat em with beans, pinto
Or navy put em on the side, put em in the middle home grown tomatoes on a hot
Cake griddle home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes what would life be like
Without home grown tomatoes only two things that money cant buy
Thats true love and home grown tomatoes if is to change this life I lead
You could call me johnny tomatoe seed
cause I know what this country needs
Home grown tomatoes in every yard you see when I die dont bury me
In a box in a cold dark cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
cause I could be pushin up a home grown tomatoe home grown tomatoes, home
Grown tomatoes what would life be like without home grown tomatoes only two
Things that money cant buy
Thats true love and home grown tomatoes
Words and music by guy clark
song performed by by John Denver
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Summer Fever
Winds may come and the winds may flow
But theres no wind can cool me of my fever, summer fever
Summer fever
Time of love, time of year
Temperatures rising, our bodies near in fever, summer fever
Summer fever
A heat-wave run, a dog-day night
Were making love, things are right, its fever, summer fever
Summer fever
You burn so deep with your love so sweet
And you satisfy and mystify my fever, summer fever
Summer fever
Body to body, arms entwined
Locked in your love, feeling fine with fever, summer fever
Summer fever
Time of love, time of year
Temperatures rising, our bodies near in fever, summer fever
Summer fever
Winds may come and the winds may blow
But theres no wind can cool me of my fever, summer fever
Summer fever
You burn so deep with your love so sweet
And you satisfy and mystify my fever, summer fever
Summer fever
Fever, summer fever
Fever, summer fever
song performed by by Donna Summer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Throw Your Hands Up
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,90 aaliyahs in the house so check,check it out
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,90 aaliyahs in the house so check,check it out
The time has finally come to save my beats with the funky hip hop swing
(the funky swing I might add) oh check it
No holding back now is the time, to get busy
So take me to the bridge
I work hard for mine, spending all my time
To give you what you need
So if you down with this funky flavor thorw your hands up
And if you got fever for aaliyah throw your hands up
And if you down with blackground thorw your hands up
And if it got soul let me see your hands up
If you got bass in your jeeps thorw your hands up
If your not down with the crack thorw your hands up
And if you think your hyper enough to swing it thorw your hands up
And if your down with the second chapter thorw your hands up
Straight from the streets is where Im coming from (sraight out the streets)
With the touch of jazz in me, check it
Take in no shorts when it comes down to shows
I got to reck it, so take me to the bridge
I work hard for mine spending all my time
To give what you need
Where you at, where you at
So if your down with the pa let me see your hands up
And if your head is bobin to the track throw your hands up
And if you got loot in your pocket throw your hands up
And if you not foul let me see your hands up
And if your protected and you know it throw your hands up
And if r kellys record is sharp let me see your hands up
And if your body swing to the track throw your hands up
And if you want some more of the flover throw your hands up
Uh,uh,uh yeah,yeah
Aaliyah bust a free style
This is for the jeeps
Strictly for the jeeps
This is for the jeeps
(repeat)
So if your down with the funky flover thorw your hands up
And if you got the fever for aaliyah throw your hands up
And if you down with blackground throw your hands up
And if you got bass in your jeeps throw your hands up
If your not down with the crack throw your hands up
And if you think your hyper enough to swing it throw your hands up
And if your down with the second chapter throw your hands up
So if your down with the pa let me see your hands up
And if your head is bobin to the track throw your hands up
And if you got loot in your pocket throw your hands up
And if you not foul let me see your hands up
And if your protected and you know it throw your hands up
And if r kellys record is sharp let me see your hands up
And if your body swing to the track throw your hands up
And if you want some more throw your hands up
song performed by by Aaliyah
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our Marriage Is Our Garden
Our marriage is our garden.
I want our garden to be beautiful.
With lush green grass,
With fragrant and colourful flowers.
A place of solace.
A place of peace.
A place of love.
Our garden must be watered.
Not watered too much.
As that would saturate the ground.
Not watered too little.
As that would leave the plants wilted.
And our grass barren.
But regularly.
So the flowers can stand tall
It must be weeded.
It must be maintained.
It must be loved.
We will plant seeds in our garden.
For new life makes any garden more beautiful and diverse.
We can harvest the fruit trees, but our harvest is limited
If we eat all the fruit too quick,
Then we must wait until the next harvest to eat again.
If we don't pick the fruit when it is right, it will spoil.
Our harvest is for our family.
If I eat all the fruit myself, then they will starve.
If we eat too much we will get sick.
If we eat what we are supposed to, then we will be healthy.
If we do not monitor the fruit,
Then someone might eat more than their share.
If we do not stand guard in our garden,
A thief might come into the garden to steal our fruit.
The fruit for our family.
For their garden must be barren and their crops have spoiled.
Our garden will stand the test of all seasons.
As all gardens do.
Another garden will also experience the same seasons.
Just at different times.
All gardens face rain.
All gardens get sun.
It is the rain that nourishes the garden and helps it's life to grow.
But our garden must be maintained regularly.
Only artificial things require no maintenance.
The artificial has no life.
It is fake, it is plastic.
Our garden needs to be real.
So life may grow and continue to grow.
So one day our children can enjoy a garden of their own.
For them and their children.
May their garden be overflowing with life and love.
And be the most beautiful garden in the world.
poem by Ryan Lee Morris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Deep And Dark
Down, I am down
On the grond, sad and tired
Im down, it's over now
Yes I'm down, should I like it
It's deep and dark
Deep down in my heart
lt's deep and dark
Since we've been apart
ls this love that comes around
That takes me up light years higher
'cause I wanna feel love once again
It's deep and dark
Deep down in my heart
lt's deep and dark
Since we've been apart
It's deep and dark
Deep down in my heart
lt's deep and dark
Without someones love
song performed by by Scorpions
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Garden
My heart is a garden tired with autumn,
Heaped with bending asters and dahlias heavy and dark,
In the hazy sunshine, the garden remembers April,
The drench of rains and a snow-drop quick and clear as a spark;
Daffodils blowing in the cold wind of morning,
And golden tulips, goblets holding the rain --
The garden will be hushed with snow, forgotten soon, forgotten --
After the stillness, will spring come again?
poem by Sara Teasdale
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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