The Day's Ration
When I was born,
From all the seas of strength Fate filled a chalice,
Saying, This be thy portion, child; this chalice,
Less than a lily's, thou shalt daily draw
From my great arteries; nor less, nor more.
All substances the cunning chemist Time
Melts down into that liquor of my life,
Friends, foes, joys, fortunes, beauty, and disgust,
And whether I am angry or content,
Indebted or insulted, loved or hurt,
All he distils into sidereal wine,
And brims my little cup; heedless, alas!
Of all he sheds how little it will hold,
How much runs over on the desert sands.
If a new muse draw me with splendid ray,
And I uplift myself into her heaven,
The needs of the first sight absorb my blood,
And all the following hours of the day
Drag a ridiculous age.
To-day, when friends approach, and every hour
Brings book or starbright scroll of genius,
The tiny cup will hold not a bead more,
And all the costly liquor runs to waste,
Nor gives the jealous time one diamond drop
So to be husbanded for poorer days.
Why need I volumes, if one word suffice?
Why need I galleries, when a pupil's draught
After the master's sketch, fills and o'erfills
My apprehension? Why should I roam,
Who cannot circumnavigate the sea
Of thoughts and things at home, but still adjourn
The nearest matters to another moon?
Why see new men
Who have not understood the old?
poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
City of Love
Ode to joy, from the chalice filled with wine, from the chalice filled with light.
Ode to darkness, the shadows dress confess the blackness, confined to trials and tribulations, we seek the hour of consumation. We seek the divinity, by candles, prayers and charity. The chalice of love, the city of love beside the sea.
Ode to the chalice filled with light, ode to the wind, carrying the breath
of psalms, upon ashes smeared on palms. Ode, to this light, to the blood raised in wine, the cross and loss, divine, the holy shroud of white.
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Well once I lived the life of a millionaire
Spending my money, I didn't care
Takin' my friends out for a mighty good time
Buyin' boot leg liquor, champagne and wine
Then I began to fall so low
Couldn't find me no friends
Had no place to go
If I ever get my hands on a dollar again
I'm gonna hold on to it, till the eagle grins
I said nobody knows you
When you're down and out
In your pocket, you ain't got one penny
And your friends, you didn't have any
Just as soon as you get up on your feet again
Here they all come, they say that they're your long-lost friend
Oh lord without a doubt
Nobody wants you
Nobody needs you
Nobody wants you
When you're down and out
I say
Nobody wants you
Nobody needs you
Nobody wants you when you're down and out
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Draw A Circle
Draw a circle around you,
keep all your friends well inside.
Make them know that you care
and want them always at your side.
Give them unconditional love
the kind everyone needs.
Put your arms around them daily;
show them that you really care.
Draw a circle around you,
keep your friends well inside.
No one knows what tomorrow might bring,
sadness, tears and pain,
but with your friends around you
the next day, you might smile again.
So keep your friends close to you
through the lazy days of summer
and all the winters’ storms.
Draw a circle around you,
keep all your friends well inside.
6 October 2008
poem by David Harris
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Nobody Knows You When Youre Down & Out
Once I lived the life of a millionaire
Spending my money, I didnt care
Takin my friends out for a mighty good time
Drinkin high priced liquor, champagne and wine
Then I began to fall so low
Couldnt buy me no friends, have no place to go
If I ever get my hands on a dollar again
Im gonna hold on to it, till the eagle grins
I said nobody knows you when youre down and out
In your pocket, you aint got one penny
And your friends, you didnt have any
Just as soon as you get up on your feet again
Everybody wants to be your long-lost friend
Oh lord without a doubt
Nobody wants you, nobody needs you nobody wants you
When youre down and out
I say nobody wants you
Nobody needs you
Nobody wants you when youre down and out
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Three Wives Of A Mandarin
Lawful wife.
There is still some wine left in the chalice,
And the plate that’s served is nests of the swallows.
Since the birth of time, the legal spouse
Is respected by her mandarin-husband.
Concubine
There is still some wine left in the chalice,
And the plate is served – duck: fat and heavy;
Should a mandarin be deprived of children -
Concubine is needed for a mandarin.
Maid
There is still some wine left in the chalice,
And the plate is served - preserves and marmalade.
Why the two of you are in his house?
Every night a new woman he desires.
Mandarin
There is no more wine left in the chalice,
And the plate that’s served is hot red pepper.
Silence! O you: bunch of silly blabbers,
Dare you laughing at the poor old mandarin.
poem by Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev
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Go Where Glory Waits Thee
Go where glory waits thee,
But while fame elates thee,
Oh! still remember me.
When the praise thou meetest
To thine ear is sweetest,
Oh! then remember me.
Other arms may press thee,
Dearer friends caress thee,
All the joys that bless thee,
Sweeter far may be;
But when friends are nearest,
And when joys are dearest,
Oh! then remember me!
When, at eve, thou rovest
By the star thou lovest,
Oh! then remember me.
Think, when home returning,
Bright we've seen it burning,
Oh! thus remember me.
Oft as summer closes,
When thine eye reposes
On its lingering roses,
Once so loved by thee,
Think of her who wove them,
Her who made thee love them,
Oh! then remember me.
When, around thee dying,
Autumn leaves are lying,
Oh! then remember me.
And, at night, when gazing
On the gay hearth blazing,
Oh! still remember me.
Then should music, stealing
All the soul of feeling,
To thy heart appealing,
Draw one tear from thee;
Then let memory bring thee
Strains I used to sing thee, --
Oh! then remember me.
poem by Thomas Moore
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Jealous Heart
Mine is a jealous heart
Imagines things that never are
Builds a fire from a tiny spark
But thats the way of a jealous heart
Sunny skies and a rosy bed
Thorns and storm clouds up ahead
cause suddenly the sky turns dark
For those of us with a jealous heart
Imagination runnin wild
Like a frantic frightened child
Any time that were apart
I cant control my jealous heart
And you know mine is a jealous heart
And every hurt leaves a lasting scar
Dont you hate yourself for the fool you are
When youre cursed with a jealous heart
I love you more than words can tell
One days heaven two days hell
Suspicious words like poison darts
Spoken from my jealous heart
Mine is a jealous heart
Imagines things that never are
Builds a fire from a tiny spark
But thats the way of a jealous heart
And you know mine, you know mine is a jealous heart
And every hurt, and every hurt leaves a lasting scar
Dont you hate yourself for the fool you are
When youre cursed with a jealous heart
And you know mine, you know mine is a jealous heart
Imagines things, imagines things that never are
Builds a fire from a tiny spark
But thats the way of a jealous heart
song performed by by Dolly Parton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To My Godchild Alice
ALICE, Alice, little Alice,
My new-christened baby Alice,
Can there ever rhymes be found
To express my wishes for thee
In a silvery flowing, worthy
Of that silvery sound?
Bonnie Alice, Lady Alice,
Sure, this sweetest name must be
A true omen to thee, Alice,
Of a life's long melody.
Alice, Alice, little Alice,
Mayst thou prove a golden chalice,
Filled with holiness like wine:
With rich blessings running o'er
Yet replenished evermore
From a fount divine:
Alice, Alice, little Alice,
When this future comes to thee,
In thy young life's brimming chalice
Keep some drops of balm for me!
Alice, Alice, little Alice,
Mayst thou grow a goodly palace,
Fitly framed from roof to floors,
Pure unto the inmost centre,
While high thoughts like angels enter
At the open doors:
Alice, Alice, little Alice,
When this beauteous sight I see,
In thy woman-heart's wide palace
Keep one nook of love for me.
Alice, Alice, little Alice,--
Sure the verse halts out of malice
To the thoughts it feebly bears,
And thy name's soft echoes, ranging
From quaint rhyme to rhyme, are changing
Into silent prayers.
God be with thee, little Alice,
Of His bounteousness may He
Fill the chalice, build the palace,
Here, unto eternity!
poem by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Ive Got To Get A Message To You
The preacher talked to me and he smiled,
Said, come and walk with me, come and walk one more mile.
Now for once in your life youre alone,
But you aint got a dime, theres no time for the phone.
Ive just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on.
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on.
I told him Im in no hurry,
But if I broke her heart, wont you tell her Im sorry.
And for once in my life Im alone,
And Ive got to let her know just in time before I go.
Ive just go to get a message to you, hold on, hold on.
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on.
Well I laughed but that didnt hurt,
And its only her love that keeps me wearing this dirt.
Now Im crying but deep down inside,
Well I did it to him, now its my turn to die.
Ive just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on.
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on.
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Got To Get A Message To You
The preacher talked with me and he smiled
Said, Come and walk with me
Come and walk one more mile
Now for once in your life you're alone
But you ain't got a dime
There's no time for the phone
I've just gotta get a message to you
Hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through
Hold on, hold on
I told him I'm in no hurry
But if I broke her heart
Then won't you tell her I'm sorry
And for once in my life I'm alone
And I've gotta let her know
just in time before I go
I've just gotta get a message to you
Hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through
Hold on, hold on
Well I laughed but that didn't hurt
And it's only her love
That keeps me wearing this dirt
Now I'm crying but deep down inside
Well I did it to him
Now it's my turn to die
I've just gotta get a message to you
Hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through
Hold on, hold on
I've just gotta get a message to you
Hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through
Hold on, hold on
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I have Friends, you know...
I have friends
you know
Friends
who buy coke
a 100 grams
at a time,
from bearded men
on big bikes.
Friends
who keeps
their guns
loaded and
whose nocturnal
adventures
appear in papers
Who occasionally
do time
and who would do
other
things for me
If only asked.
I have thought about it;
mad on liquor
and love lost,
and though blinded
by both,
we
are
both
still
alive
and well
poem by Carsten Thomsen
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Sonnet. The bee
The honey-bee that wanders all day long,
The field, the woodland, and the garden o'er,
To gather in his fragrant winter store,
Humming in calm content his quiet song,
Seeks not alone the rose's glowing breast,
The lily's dainty cup, the violet's lips, --
But from all rank and noxious weeds he sips
The single drop of sweetness closely press'd
Within the poison chalice. Thus, if we
Seek only to draw forth the hidden sweet,
In all the varied human flowers we meet,
In the wide garden of humanity,
And like the bee, if home the spoil we bear,
Hived in our hearts it turns to nectar there.
poem by Anne Lynch Botta from Poems (1848)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Flowers And Stars
“Beloved! thou’rt gazing with thoughtful look
On those flowers of brilliant hue,
Blushing in spring tide freshness and bloom,
Glittering with diamond dew:
What dost thou read in each chalice fair,
And what does each blossom say?
Do they not tell thee, my peerless one,
Thou’rt lovelier far than they?”
“Not so—not so, but they whisper low
That quickly will fade their bloom;
Soon will they withered lie on the sod,
Ravished of all perfume;
They tell that youth and beauty below
Are doomed, alas! to decay,
And I, like them, in life’s flower and prime
May pass from this earth away.”
“Too sad thy thoughts! Look up at yon stars,
That gleam in the sapphire skies;
Not clearer their radiance, best beloved,
Than the light of thine own dark eyes!
With no thoughts of death or sad decay,
Can they thy young spirit fill;
Through ages they’ve shone with changeless light,
And yet they are shining still!”
“Ah! they bring before my spirit’s gaze
Dreams of that home so blessed,
Where those who have served the Master well
At length from their labors rest;
And do not chide if, despite all ties,
Of close-clinging earthly love,
There are times when I turn a wistful glance
To that distant home above.”
poem by Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon
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Your Beauty
Your beauty lives within my heart
As if a warming flame,
As if a poet to impart
The sigh that is your name...
Your beauty gives me constant grace
Like those with souls reborn,
Like those who seek God's sweet embrace
And to His love are drawn...
Your beauty breaks what shackles hold,
Releasing me at last,
Releasing hopes as joys unfold
To overcome the past...
Your beauty makes a brighter day
With every smile you share,
With every touch you lead the way
In answer to each prayer...
Your beauty glows to light my path,
For each step I explore,
For each decision's aftermath
And yet you mean much more...
Your beauty fills me every hour,
To bless all things I do,
To bless me with your holy power,
No wonder I love you...
So from Heaven, watch above me,
Where all God's angels throng...
If I love you and you love me,
Together we are strong...
The universe is just a scroll
That time reveals to all,
Until your word completes its goal
And at your feet we fall...
Denis Martindale, copyright, April 2011.
poem by Denis Martindale
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Colour Changes Life
Life is a long journey
But the terrain is not at all smooth
Full of uncertainties
Ups and downs
And we are to move ahead.
Your journey begins with white liquor
Giving full energy like nectar in life
To continue journey against all odds
And to achieve the desired goal.
As you are grown up,
With the influence of friends
The colour of liquors changes slowly
From white to yellowish and ultimately reddish.
You are lying on a roadside now
In a midway of your journey
With a reddish liquor scattered nearby
To have your last breath.
Alas! A beautiful journey starts with a
White bottle of liquor given by your mom
Ends with reddish bottle gifted by friends
Only the colour changes as does the end!
poem by Bireswar Halder
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To The Eleven Ladies
WHO PRESENTED ME WITH A SILVER LOVING CUP
ON THE TWENTY-NINTH OF AUGUST, M DCCC LXXXIX
'WHO gave this cup?' The secret thou wouldst steal
Its brimming flood forbids it to reveal:
No mortal's eye shall read it till he first
Cool the red throat of thirst.
If on the golden floor one draught remain,
Trust me, thy careful search will be in vain;
Not till the bowl is emptied shalt thou know
The names enrolled below.
Deeper than Truth lies buried in her well
Those modest names the graven letters spell
Hide from the sight; but wait, and thou shalt see
Who the good angels be.
Whose bounty glistens in the beauteous gift
That friendly hands to loving lips shall lift
Turn the fair goblet when its floor is dry,--
Their names shall meet thine eye.
Count thou their number on the beads of Heaven
Alas! the clustered Pleiads are but seven;
Nay, the nine sister Muses are too few,--
The Graces must add two.
'For whom this gift?' For one who all too long
Clings to his bough among the groves of song;
Autumn's last leaf, that spreads its faded wing
To greet a second spring.
Dear friends, kind friends, whate'er the cup may hold,
Bathing its burnished depths, will change to gold
Its last bright drop let thirsty Maenads drain,
Its fragrance will remain.
Better love's perfume in the empty bowl
Than wine's nepenthe for the aching soul;
Sweeter than song that ever poet sung,
It makes an old heart young!
poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes
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Watch Me
Both now…and then, I set the pace
I’m time itself. I am the truth
My arms reach wide, there’s no escape
I give you age, but rob thy youth
Each moment spent, I waste on those
Who’d squander minutes, rape its hour
I raise the sun, I draw its warmth
I trace its path, then track its power
Just watch me now, I come and go
Alarms ring loud whenever I’m near
My heart runs wild, yet beats for none
Your soul on fire, I sense its fear
How cruel is fate? In time, we’ll know
poem by James Papastamos
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A Toast
See this bowl of purple wine,
Life-blood of the lusty vine!
All the warmth of summer suns
In the vintage liquid runs,
All the glow of winter nights
Plays about its jewel lights,
Thoughts of time when love was young
Lurk its ruby drops among,
And its deepest depths are dyed
With delight of friendship tried.
Worthy offering, I ween,
For a god or for a queen,
Is the draught I pour to thee,--
Comfort of all misery,
Single friend of the forlorn,
Haven of all beings born,
Hope when trouble wakes at night,
And when naught delights, delight.
Holy Death, I drink to thee;
Do not part my friends and me.
Take this gift, which for a night
Puts dull leaden care to flight,
Thou who takest grief away
For a night and for a day.
poem by George Santayana
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The Professional Wanderer
When you’ve knocked about the country—been away from home for years;
When the past, by distance softened, nearly fills your eyes with tears—
You are haunted oft, wherever or however you may roam,
By a fancy that you ought to go and see the folks at home.
You forget the family quarrels—little things that used to jar—
And you think of how they’ll worry—how they wonder where you are;
You will think you served them badly, and your own part you’ll condemn,
And it strikes you that you’ll surely be a novelty to them,
For your voice has somewhat altered, and your face has somewhat changed—
And your views of men and matters over wider fields have ranged.
Then it’s time to save your money, or to watch it (how it goes!);
Then it’s time to get a ‘Gladstone’ and a decent suit of clothes;
Then it’s time to practise daily with a hair-brush and a comb,
Till you drop in unexpected on the folks and friends at home.
When you’ve been at home for some time, and the novelty’s worn off,
And old chums no longer court you, and your friends begin to scoff;
When ‘the girls’ no longer kiss you, crying ‘Jack! how you have changed!’
When you’re stale to your relations, and their manner seems estranged ;
When the old domestic quarrels, round the table thrice a day,
Make it too much like the old times—make you wish you’d stayed away,
When, in short, you’ve spent your money in the fulness of your heart,
And your clothes are getting shabby . . . Then it’s high time to depart.
poem by Henry Lawson
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But Hold Up
I'm with someone who had loved me.
But it's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
'Cause they counted on their so called friends,
Of showing them a remedy.
To lessen liabilities.
And having the ability,
To remove the hurt and agony...
And be free.
I'm with someone who had loved me.
But it's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
It's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
It's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
'Cause they're counting on their friends,
With the giving them identity.
Accepting it and to believe...
Who they were and whom to please.
What to think and what to eat.
And how to rest to feed-those-needs!
I'm with someone who had loved me.
But it's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
I don't know what it would take them to see,
The real me.
Hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
Hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
Hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
And that 'ever'...
Maybe never,
Together...
Forever!
I'm with someone who had loved me.
But it's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
It's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
It's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
Hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
In the morning,
At the dawning...
And that 'ever'...
Maybe never,
Together...
Forever!
But!
I don't know what it would take them to see,
The real me.
Hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
In the morning,
At the dawning...
And that 'ever'...
Maybe never,
Together...
Forever!
I'm with someone who had loved me.
But it's taking time for them to see...
The real me.
'Cause they counted on their so called friends,
Of showing them a remedy.
To lessen liabilities.
And having the ability,
To remove the hurt and agony...
And be free.
In the morning,
At the dawning...
And that 'ever'...
Maybe never,
Together...
Forever!
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
In the morning,
At the dawning...
And that 'ever'...
Maybe never,
Together...
Forever!
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
In the morning,
At the dawning...
And that 'ever'...
Maybe never,
Together...
Forever!
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
Hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
But hold up!
What would it take for them to see,
The real me.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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