I Am A Man
in the morning of my life
i need four of you
at noon i only need two
in the night of my life
i will need three
now you must know me
i am the answer to the riddle
of the sphinx
i am man
when the night is gone
at dusk
i only need one.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Related quotes
Two Riddles. -- 1710
Sphinx was a monster that would eat
Whatever stranger she could get,
Unless his ready wit disclosed
The subtile riddle she proposed.
OEdipus was resolved to go
And try what strength of parts would do;
Says Sphinx, on this depends your fate;
Tell me what animal is that
Which has four feet at morning bright,
Has two at noon, and three at night?
'Tis Man, said he, who, weak by nature,
At first creeps, like his fellow-creature,
Upon all four; as years accrue,
With sturdy steps he walks on two;
In age at length grows weak and sick,
For his third leg adopts the stick.
Now, in your turn, 'tis just, methinks,
You should resolve me, Madam Sphinx,
What greater stranger yet is he
Who has four legs, then two, then three;
Then loses one, then gets two more,
And runs away at last on four?
poem by Matthew Prior
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I Can Write About It, I Can't Write Some More
that is the riddle of the sphinx,
but i will make sure you cannot figure it out
that your answer shall never be right,
for i am the sphinx,
and i still do not want to die.
tell me all the lies so i may live some more.
i will keep this answer till the last breath of my life.
you shall never know it.
be human still, for i am half lion half bird sitting on a hill
challenging those that pass before me
killing them without pity
you are the chosen one to kill me
with an answer
you are the answer but you are blind still
and too dumb
for not loving me and so i live still
perhaps forever,
for i am attuned to this pain
of loving not
and truly not loving still
you, my secret, my truth, my death.
i live, and only through lies, i live and only through your indifference
you must not have the wit
you must never learn to love
for when this happens
i shall be no more.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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A major difficulty is that the answer to the Riddle of the Sphinx is partly a product of the answers that we already have given to the riddle in its various forms.
quote by Gregory Bateson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Night Is Done
THE NIGHT IS DONE
The night is done-
The broken night of wakings
And sleepings again-
The morning has come
Life begins again
Mind and consciousness are here
Duty and prayer and light all together-
Sleep has no reason and dreams have no reason and night has no reason-
The morning is the answer-
Beginning again is the meaning-
All my life I have loved the morning
And left the night to the sleepers and dreamers and lovers of worlds never mine.
Oh how glad I am when the night goes and the morning light begins again.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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The Old Man's Lament
The child-sun blazes
through grey morning fog
his passion overpowers
night’s sluggish slog
‘till bright noon’s on fire
with his effervescent love,
but it’s all the same, it’s
all the same.
Morning, noon, and night
may embrace our little lives,
but it’s all the same.
The ancient moon rises
in the fast-fading east.
Bloody sun dies, failed day retreats,
but it’s all the same, it’s all
the same.
Morning, noon, and night
may consume our little lives
but it’s all the same, all
the same.
poem by Steven Federle
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Riddle
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
Monday morning was the first time
That I noticed something strange
Now I know with your kiss was not the same
Was it all just in my mind
Or was it something I should pay attention to
Then on tuesday having lunch with friends
I thought I saw your car
Leaving from our favorite restaurant but too far
For my eyes to see what I feel
Would be heartbreaking if I saw was true whoo
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
(while the chorus is singing)
History
Its history
cause now I see, you lie
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
(while the chorus is singing)
You gave me clues
I saw through
Now you lose,
You fool
Wednesday evening
Every time the phone would rang
Youd say hello
When Id come around youd say I got to go
Youre friends never called line two before
And I dont know nobody named tyrone
Oh now its thursday
You left the house to go to work an hour early
You said you had some papers for your boss to sign
But you left your briefcase home
And when I called you job
They said you were not there oh yeah
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
(while the chorus is singing)
History
Its history
cause now I see, you lie
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
(while the chorus is singing)
You gave me clues
I saw through
Now you lose,
You fool
Friday night
Is the night weve always had our weekend date
But you showed up at the house extremely late
Without any conversation you just went to bed
And said that youre head ached
Now its the weekend
And you know that its the day I do my cleaning
And when I washed your shirts I just could not believe
Im picking hair weave off your seam
Found a letter in your pocket from the week please
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
(while the chorus is singing)
History
Its history
cause now I see, you lie
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
(while the chorus is singing)
You gave me clues
I saw through
Now you lose,
You fool
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
One little riddle
Two little three little
Four little riddle
Five little six little
Seven little riddle
Eight little riddle
Now you know
You gotta go
song performed by by En Vogue
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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What I Cannot Write
what i cannot write
is the answer of the riddle of the sphinx
to me.
i know myself.
hence, i know the answer very well.
i cannot even say it.
thinking about it
shakes my being
like an earthquake
to the foundations
of my house.
i cannot say or write it.
because if i will
everything in me crashes
like September 11.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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It is to the Riddle of the Sphinx that I have devoted fifty years of professional life as an anthropologist.
quote by Gregory Bateson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Night Life
Debra waitin on the corner
Flarin smile and darin style
Big g cruising, neon flashin
Lost and found
Tinsel town
Day time orphans join the circus
Climb the rope and walk
The wire
To feel the night and the
Music playing
Feed the fire
To feed the fire
Night life, only living for
The night life
Its the only kind of night life
I only come alive for night life
Couples coasting, singles
Searching
Loners lost among the crowd
Action turning on reaction
Lose up
Fool around
Pretzel vendor, first class
Spender
Limousine and ketchup dream
Pinball hall and roulette roller
Every scene
For everything
Night life, only livin for
The night life
Its the only kind of night life
I only come alive for night life
Night life, only livin for
The night life
Its the only kind of night life
I only come alive for night life
Night life, night life
Its the only kind of night life
I only come alive for night life
Night life,
Its the only kind of night life
I only come alive for night life
song performed by by Donna Summer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Night Life
(words & music by giant - baum - kaye)
Oh the neons are a gleamin and the gamblers are a dreamin
Oh its night life, yeh! night life
The chips are a spillin and its time to make a killin
Oh its night life, yeh! night life
Oh the pockets are a-burnin and the money flies
With dice roll a-turnin and youll hit snakes eyes
You cant be a quitter when youre caught up in the glitter of
Night life night life
Therere long legged women who will take you for a trimmin yes its night life
Oh night life.
Their lips taste like honey but theyre out to spend your money
Yes its night life. oh yeh!
Just roll that seven and youll hear them shriek
When seven come eleven its a lucky streak
You cant beat the drama, the excitement and the glamour
Of the night life, I said that night life
So place your bet, come on make your play
Though you may regret it at the break of day
I said you cant be a quitter when youre caught up in the glitter of
Night life night life
Yeh! that night life, good ol night life
Night life, yes, yes, night life, oh night life
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Night Queen
It was deep midnight
the sky was crystal clear
millions not millions
but billions of stars
assembled in the open sky
was it a procession
or obeisance of Night Queen
The downpour of stars
appeared as undulating scarf
studded with jewels
the humming of stars
was breaking silence of nature
as if
singing in praise of night queen
All stars slowly moved down
to horizon of sky
it was the time
for farewell of Night Queen
The king of the day sent a gift
of morning star to embellish her neck
then with a reddish shawl on her shoulder
I asked one of star
why do you assemble after every dusk
the star could not answer
after asking so many stars
I could know the Venus comes
after every dusk
to receive the Night Queen
The Night Queen comes to meet
her beloved Moon and slowly covers
the face of moon for a night
The Night Queen covers the entire creatures
under her veil to give them rest
and to give relief from days toil.
poem by Ramesh Rai
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In The Morning
In the morning when the moon is at its rest,
You will see me at the time I love the best
Watching rainbows play on sunlight;
Pools of water iced from cold night,in the morning.
tis the morning of my life.
In the daytime I will meet you as before.
You will find me waiting by the ocean floor,
Building castles in the shifting sands
In a world that no one understands,
In the morning.
tis the morning of my life,
In the morning of my life the
Minutes take so long to drift away
Please be patient with your life
Its only morning and youre still to live your day
In the evning I will fly you to the moon
To the top right hand corner of
The ceiling in my room
Where wll stay until the sun shines
Another day to swing on clothes lines
May I be yawning
It is the morning of my life
It is the morning of my life
In the morning
In the morning
In the morning
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Never is she shut #never is she shut
You are my Sun.
You are now set.
You brought me dawn
Everyday at ten.
You sent me dusk
Everyday at five.
Weekend two days,
You left me in dark.
You shone on me for brief,
But heavily, brightly
And deeply with warmth.
That referred warmth
Spread all the night.
I felt the shine of my Sun,
Off the dusk, at full night.
My night is brightly lit.
Now my sun is set.
Where is my dawn?
Where is my dusk?
Where is the sunny day?
Where is my beauty?
Who will there be to lit
My night-full day?
And dreaded night?
You be a Moon, now on.
Waxing and waning,
Be always on horizon
So that there comes
Once a while a full-moon,
To imbue me with life.
My day-less night
Is lit with Moonlight.
You be my stars, farther.
You twinkle and twinkle
At me high from horizon!
With your news, beckon!
With your heart, command!
I am in the bath of starlight.
My night-full day is lit.
My sun, though, is set,
No dark is there at night.
She is there as Moon.
She is there as Stars.
Though she is set as Sun.
I’m now a nocturnal.
She can never be set
Out of my heart and soul.
11.06.99
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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It is of first-class importance that our answer to the Riddle of the Sphinx should be in step with how we conduct our civilisation, and this should in turn be in step with the actual workings of living systems.
quote by Gregory Bateson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To See Life As A Riddle
Life,
Is what we make it.
But some will sit,
To see life as a riddle.
And life...
Some choose to fake it.
With a doing that's believed,
They can be freed of mistakes.
Yet life,
Is what we make it.
But some will sit,
To see life as a riddle.
Some people have a need,
To play life second fiddle.
Out of tune,
And afraid of taking risks.
Some people live,
Afraid of taking chances...
With dismissing most of it!
Yet life,
Is what we make it.
But some will sit,
As if it is a riddle.
Life,
Is what we make it.
Yet some will sit,
Just to play it second fiddle.
And some will see life,
With no middle but a riddle.
Yes some will sit,
Just to play life second fiddle.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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In The Morning
(1966) barry gibb
In the morning when the moon is at its rest,
You will see me at the time I love the best
Watching rainbows play on sunlight;
Pools of water iced from cold night,in the morning.
tis the morning of my life.
In the daytime I will meet you as before.
You will find me waiting by the ocean floor,
Building castles in the shifting sands
In a world that no one understands,
In the morning.
tis the morning of my life,
In the morning of my life the
Minutes take so long to drift away
Please be patient with your life
Its only morning and youre still to live your day
In the evning I will fly you to the moon
To the top right hand corner of
The ceiling in my room
Where wll stay until the sun shines
Another day to swing on clothes lines
May I be yawning
It is the morning of my life
It is the morning of my life
In the morning
In the morning
In the morning
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fredman's song no. 10
Drink till after twelve or more,
Live it up with madmen !
Earth is but my chamber floor
And the sun my lantern.
Nothing else is worth a pin
If my head but giddy spin,
Giddy spin, giddy spin,
Giddy spin, giddy spin,
Until it's so drowsy
Nothing more can rouse me.
In my grandad's overcoat,
Torn and out at elbows,
Here I stand, on brandy dote,
'Mid the queerest fellows;
Out of pretty goblets bright
Tipple morning noon and night,
Noon and night, noon and night,
Noon and night, noon and night,
Till I'm just another
Boozy red-nosed brother.
If my sainted father stood
Suddenly before me
"Son", he'd hiccup, "skål ! That's good,
Brandy best doth warm me."
"Brother mine," I'd then reply,
Let us toast the morning sky,
Morning sky, morning sky,
Morning sky, morning sky,
Then to thy repose, sir,
Thou again mayst go, sir."
Were I but a man of wealth,
Gold my pocket lining,
Christmas day I'd dress myself
Like the king, when dining.
Then I'd purchase and I'd use
Coat and waistcoat and new shoes,
New shoes, new shoes,
New shoes, new shoes,
And of course I'd buy, sir,
A watch upon my thigh, sir !
But my throat can't stand such loss,
'Tis a very drought, sir.
What is gold, when got, but dross ?
Pull the cork right out, sir !
Let us steady on our legs,
Drain this bottle to the dregs,
To the dregs, to the dregs,
To the dregs, to the dregs,
Then let death attack us
In the blood of Bacchus.
poem by Carl Michael Bellman
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Twilights of our lives
Twilights, dim obscurities of the seasons,
An opaque morning, our diffused selves in afternoons
We entwine, we have promises in these uncertainties
We see a hundred more sunsets and sunrises coming out
From the slits of our folded hands,
The morning twilights the afternoon twilights of our lives
We always love the glow; we ride in the dusk that slides
Over night skies, we descend to the lights of morning
The two of us ushering as pure as the clear lights of noon,
Whole and lovely still, then we heat & burn and then
We shall, the two of us still like twilights, finally dim then die.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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She Was The Morning And I Was The Night Revised
She was the morning and I was the night
She was the cloudy morning and I was the rainy night
She was the foggy morning and I was the bright night with all the stars Shining in the sky
She was the cold winter morning and I was the stormy night
She was the bright sunny morning and I was the peaceful night
poem by Aldo Kraas
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She Was The Morning And I Was The Night
She was the morning and I was the night
She was the cloudy morning and I was the rainy night
She was the foggy morning and I was the bright night with all the stars Shining in the sky
She was the cold winter morning and I was the stormy night
She was the bright sunny morning and I was the peaceful night
poem by Aldo Kraas
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