In One Of Our Travels
in one of our travels
we stopped on our weary feet
in a town where the birds
are not singing. The landlord
offered a day of revelry.
Some tables and chairs were
transferred in the open garden
of chinese roses. And some
corks were let open. Some chickens'
necks were cut and blood
flowed on the sink. That noon
we heard the crickets.
The bamboo leaves swayed
in one direction.
From a distance we saw
how the carabaos were butchered
but we cannot hear the sounds
of their dying.
And then the host raised
his glass and said
' Buenas, buen salud! '
We as usual say what we are
wont to say, 'Gracias, gracias! '
deep in my heart when we left
the place, i said, ' There is no meaning
in the lives of men anymore'.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Weary Old Man
weary, the old man from his garden
goes inside the house
with unwashed feet all muddy
rests on that bamboo bed,
he finds no meaning
why he must still live for another day
weary, he closes his eyes
forgetting supper
prepared by his granddaughter
who mother left her
under his care
weary the old man is
now asleep
as the moon which used to be full
fades completely
in a very dark sky
on that open window of his room
the cold winds are getting in
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Walking Tables
How do tables walk as one?
And why do chairs seem to run?
How my rest is desired, and how
Do I kick in the air for relaxation?
My chimney is found with the soot
Of a black utterance, as seemly as light;
The light travels up and down the world,
With smoke, crime is committed, like walking
Chairs and turning tables, this world is one.
With this house may I live alone,
Where wolves like criminals detest you.
Anyone walked a long distance, anyway,
Justice must be allowed, and searched
By the home and heaven.
How do tables and chairs move?
poem by Naveed Akram
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3 O'clock In The Morning
the rain stopped
and i have just awakened from a deep sleep
it was earlier than usual
and what i heard are the raindrops leaving the last words of their lives
a tapping of the roof
a heave of a sigh
some monotonous sounds of the waves of the shore
not far from where i am writing
the last whispers of the winds from the trees about to shed their last leaves
the sounds of wild ducks leaving knowing that another storm is coming
i think of you
i think of your search of yourself
i think of myself
how i was once broken and destroyed by the changes of the winds
how i picked up the pieces like some leaves scattered in the forest
beyond repair, i write some memories.
weary, i imagine some moments that i may have been at rest with myself.
i think of you. I think about when the rain shall stop forever.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Last Night I Dreamed of Chickens
Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.
They were on the chairs and tables,
they were on the chandeliers,
they were roosting in the corners,
they were clucking in my ears,
there were chickens, chickens, chickens
for as far as I could see...
when I woke today, I noticed
there were eggs on top of me.
poem by Jack Prelutsky
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Everything, Everyone
I don't want to see anymore
Don't want to open my eyes and witness
Everything in this world has been corrupted
It seems
Everything in this world is worth nothing
It seems
So sew these green eyes
Close them forever with this
Needle, red wire
I don't want to hear anymore
Don't want to open my mind to the sound
Everything in this world is seductive
It seems
Everything in this world is worth nothing
It seems
So break both these ears
Close them forever with this
Syringe, screwdriver
I don't want to feel anymore
Don't want to open my heart to what's true
Everyone in this world takes advantage
It seems
Everyone in this world loves nothing
It seems
So tear out this red heart
Close it forever with this
Razor, fingernails
I don't want to breathe anymore
Don't want to open my lungs to new life
Everything in this world is destructive
It seems
Everything in this world loves nothing
It seems
So block these charred lungs
Close them forever with this
Rope, hands tighter
I don't want to live anymore
Don't want to open myself in this world
Everything in this world is so worthless
It seems
Everyone in this world is so worthless
It seems
I ripped through my brain
Stopped the spark in my body called life
Bullet, warm metal
Blood, cold floor
Shackled
For so long my lifes been sewn up tight inside your hold
And it leaves me there without a place to call my own
I know now what shadows can see
Theres no point in running less you run with me
Its half the distance through the open door
Before you cut me down
Again
Let me introduce you to the end
And I feel the cold wind blowing beneath my wings
It always leads me back to suffering
But I will soar until the wind whips me down
Leaves me beaten on unholy ground again
So tired now of paying my dues
I start out strong but then I always lose
Its half the distance before you leave me behind
Its such a waste of time
Chorus
cause my shackles
You wont be
And my rapture
You wont believe
And deep inside you will bleed for me
So here I slave inside of a broken dream
Forever holding on to splitting seams
So take your piece and leave me alone to die
I dont need you to keep my faith alive
I know now what trouble can be
And why it follows me so easily
Its half the distance through the open door
Before you shut me down
Again
Let me introduce you to the end
Chorus
Though you know you care
Chorus
And my laughter
You wont hear
The faster
I disappear
And time will burn your eyes to tears
song performed by by Vertical Horizon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Halt
We halted in a town the host
ordered the table to be moved to the garden the first star
shone out and faded we were breaking bread
crickets were heard in the twilight loosestrife
a cry but a cry of a child otherwise the bustle
of insects of men a thick scent of earth
those who were sitting with their backs to the wall
saw violet now - the gallows hill
on the wall the dense ivy of executions
we were eating much
as is usual when nobody pays
poem by Zbigniew Herbert
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The Mining Story
they scraped the hills
with trees
the green grasses of homes
are gone
they dug those big holes
looking for
metals
manganese, gold,
for your jewelries
and other accessories
coal for your
fuels
the natives are dislocated
the children lost their birds
chickens and pigs are butchered
for they have no place
to stay
the hills are like criminals
their heads cut off
the trails here are like
intestines
penetrating the
belly of this
earth
listen! do you hear the drunkards
the government and mining firms!
listen! do you hear the sounds of guns
and the last living screams of the
chieftains
the mayors whom they voted
betrayed them
listen! do you hear the explosions
of bombs
the mountains are cracking
skulls
brains are spilling on the
rocks
listen! do you hear the guards coming
with their M-16s
and barking dogs
Run! Run! Run for your lives
Lest you forget
We are the last chickens and
pigs alive
Do not look back
Those are the children and wives
of the chieftains
Those are the hungry natives
begging in the cities
Their Homes gone
Their Hopes shattered
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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The Ballad Of St. Anne's Reel
This song was first released on the autograph album. it is the only album it has been released on.
He was stranded in some tiny town
On fair prince edward isle
Awaitin' for a ship to come and find him
A one-horse place, a friendly face
Some coffee and a tiny trace
Of fiddlin' in the distance far behind him
A dime across the counter then
A shy hello, a brand new friend
A walk along the street in the wintry weather
A yellow light, an open door
And a welcome friend, there's room for more
And then they're standing there inside together
He said i've heard that tune before somewhere
But i can't remember when
Was it on some other friendly shore
Or did i hear it on the wind
Was it written on the sky above
I think i heard it from someone i loved
But i never heard it sound so sweet since then
Now his feet begin to tap
A little boy says i'll take your hat
He's caught up in the magic of her smile
And leap the heart inside him went
And off across the floor he sent
His clumsy body graceful as a child
He said there's magic in the fiddler's arm
There's magic in this town
There's magic in the dancers' feet
And the way they put them down
People smilin' everywhere
Boots and ribbons, locks of hair
And laughter and old blue suits and easter gowns
Now the sailors' gone, the room is bare
The old piano settin' there
Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
And empty chairs, the wooden floor
That feels the touch of shoes no more
Awaitin' for the dancers to come back
And the fiddle's in the closet
Of some daughter of the town
The strings are broke and the bow is gone
And the cover's buttoned down
But sometimes on december nights
When the air is cold and the wind is right
There's a melody that passes through this town
Words and music by david mallett
song performed by by John Denver
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My Old Hometown
Long before it became a city-like,
The chirps of the crickets at night,
And the crows of the roosters at dawn,
Sunrise, mid-sun, sunset,
Is how we told time
In this place now I call it
My old hometown
So before sunrise melts the morning mists,
‘Till it sets across the mountains,
We farmed as hard as we could,
But no matter how poor life is,
This place was my paradise.
Like the crowns of acacia and tamarind trees
And the arcs of bamboo poles
That looks like a tunnel to the south
Made this place enchanting to my memories,
Down by the valley onward to the northwest,
Along the cradle of its crystal lake,
With choir of birds and scents of ilang-ilang,
There! It remained the life of my childhood.
Banog Norte is a small barrio of Bani in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. Now, I also call it ‘the corner-end part of the world’ simply because it lies onto the very western tip of Central Luzon.
Amid the rice field, where our small house made of cogon roof, bamboo walls, and bamboo floors, I was born [here] not knowing how mother looked like. Thereby, the chirps of the crickets at night were my lullabies.
During my childhood, there was nothing more I enjoyed than getting soaked in the carabaos’ puddle or ride on their back elsewhere. Swimming was beyond my playful interest; thus, the choir of birds, who sang to the river, and the scents of rice straws in me have all captured in my solitude.
poem by Efren Petalver Carranza
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The Sailor's Garden
There's a soft wind singing in the idle rigging,
High tide splashing, and a young pale moon,
Lights in a window and a fiddle jigging
Over and over there the same short tune.
Oh, was it the tide along the ship's side sighing,
Or was it the sighing wind that breaths and blows,
Came like a voice across the deep crying,
Set my heart a-thinking how my garden grows?
Five years ago it was I planted roses,
Five years ago (the bush is grown a tree):
Five years ago, and once I've seen my posies,
Five years ago - and once they bloomed for me!
I was home in Spring, bloom was in May then,
Birds all were building and buds were on the tree!
When the birds were flown, oh, I was far away then;
When the rose was open I was far at sea.
I was home in autumn; winds of cold November
Shaking the leaf that shivered on the tree;
Brown leaves that sighed of sorrow to remember
Flowers that had fallen and I far at sea.
Oh, many are the roads that lead you here and yonder,
Oh, many are the ways about the world that go;
But the longest way of all's the sailor's way to wander
To the good North Country and an Isle I know.
Oh, many are the winds about the seas a-singing,
Oh, many are the songs they sing both night and noon:
But whether it be good or ill that they come bringing
The best of all's the wind that blows us home in June.
Home, home in June - and soon to be a-going;
Home, home in June - we may not long remain;
Home, home in June, just to see the garden growing,
And then fare you well till you greet us home again.
poem by Cicely Fox Smith
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5. 8. 6.
I see danger
On the corner sent by me
Shadows the ways
Straight away you ran from me
I heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
I heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
I hear silence
I hear silence in my heart [house]
From a distance
Turn your back and run [hide] from me
Heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
Heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
When it happens
You will be no friend of mine
Take the first chance
When I am no longer free
Heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
Heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
In the future
When you want me in your heart
I wont be there [help you]
If you call out in the dark
Heard you calling
Yes, I heard you calling
Heard you calling
Oh yes I heard you, heard you, heard you, heard you calling
Can you hear me deep inside
From these feelings I cant hide
Can you hear me deep inside
From these feelings I cant hide
Oh, can you hear me deep inside
From these feelings I cant hide
Can you hear me calling you (4x)
song performed by by New Order
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Morning Time
Wind was blowing through the trees
I could hear the rustling of their leaves
The morning sun sneaking through the clouds
Birds singing morning sounds
For i love this time i say
Morning of a new day
I wonder what the day has in store
In the distance i hear the waves crashing the shore
For it is morning time and all is a buzz
From the depths of the oceans
To the skies above
Good morning morning i always say
My your a beautiful day
Maybe you might rain today
Your still beautiful anyway
The sombre breeze that blows around
The birds singing
As i spread my blanket on the ground
So i lay here looking into the sky
Motionless waiting and watching the world pass me by
A few drops of rain speckle my face
I would not give up being here for any place
Open Your Box
Open your box,
Open your box,
Open your trousers,
Open your thighs,
Open your legs,
Open, open, open, open, oooh.
Open, open, open, open,
Open your legs,
Open your flies,
Open your ears,
Open your nose,
Open your mouth,
Open, open, open, open, oooh.
Open.
Open your cold feet,
Open, open,
Open, open, open, let's open, let's open the cities.
Open the cities,
Open, open, open the world,
Open, let's open the world.
Open, open, oooh -
Open, open, ooh!
song performed by by Yoko Ono
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Open Your Box
Open your box,
Open your box,
Open your trousers,
Open your thighs,
Open your legs,
Open, open, open, open, oooh.
Open, open, open, open,
Open your legs,
Open your flies,
Open your ears,
Open your nose,
Open your mouth,
Open, open, open, open, oooh.
Open.
Open your cold feet,
Open, open,
Open, open, open, let's open, let's open the cities.
Open the cities,
Open, open, open the world,
Open, let's open the world.
Open, open, oooh -
Open, open, ooh!
song performed by by Yoko Ono
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Even if my life without you comes to a halt
(for M)
I
Even if my life without you comes to a halt,
even if I see your face in those of other women
I continue with the steps of each day,
while I have got to give you up.
Daisies are flowering; roses open in the garden,
the sun hangs yellow-gold in the cobalt sky;
and when each morning I go to town
I return again back home
and although this separation
makes me feel very much alone
and comes between us with distance
there is still the wind whose fingers play over me
and I am not connected to your humanity anymore
while I try to find my way into the wide world.
Sometimes I drive long distances
when my motorbikes comes to life under me.
II
When my motorbikes comes to life under me,
I am aware of the world around me
as when I left the house that we did share,
my hand was on the throttle
while streets, traffic lights and cars just glided past
and I had been so without even God in that event;
with a city, a whole world that came between you and me
as if there is no mercy and I had been punished
and had to jump to the way of destiny and your wishes
with trucks, cars and pickups on the highways
as if our love did not anymore speak to your heart
while everything moved on in our separation
and when I opened the throttle we finally took our farewell
when my world disappeared into the naught.
III
When my world disappeared into the naught,
when there was nothing that remained between us,
when far too many things had come between us,
when too many words, acts
broke our bond to pieces,
in pain that distorts,
until no oblivion comes and memories remain
with the meaning
that we still adore each other,
then I wonder
why you draw a world between us,
why you send me off to hell
and force us to live in different places
while your love still reaches out to me?
IV
While your love still reaches out to me,
I wonder how I can affect
that which was high and holy
here with words written in pain,
how I can force destiny to a standstill
and put something that was honourable and pure
on only a piece of paper,
when I rather want to throw my pen down?
Let me rather remember your bright eyes,
your hot lips that could tell me about your world,
that opened softly under mine,
how your body softly tilted
with the lights of the city in the distance,
when the leaves whirl in and out.
V
When the leaves whirl in and out
in the depths of your soul,
blow as against the windows,
wrecking the last days to dust,
when the first signs of winter come
and I am stripped from old dreams and every expectation
with signs of my disrepair all around,
when nothing remains of my passion and yearning
it is as if the last summer already fades,
as if I am destined to death,
as if never again something great will come,
as if I stand alone against life and the whole world
and still when love remains
the surprise is pass time, place and meaning.
VI
The surprise is pass time, place and meaning
with the shining glance in the eyes
or did you only pretend at times?
My darling, now a rainbow of tears
hang over your cheeks
as if the falling rain forces you to struggle
with the problems of the world,
as if the lightning bolts of life fall around us
and your eyes have caught somebody else,
in the mystery of your heart,
it is somebody else to whom you long
and the sky is covered with darkness,
its cold and the atmosphere somewhat chilly,
in the evenings it's so very silent.
VII
In the evenings it's so very silent
that I can hear my own breathing
as if in the night I loose time and meaning,
as if I do not want to go any further,
as if I do not want to waste time
on our past love,
and think over and over again
while you frolic somewhere else.
Days have a own way
with events occurring unplanned
and I wonder from where I get my poems
as the world lies open before me
and I do not want to let anything else vex my poetry,
even if my life without you comes to a halt.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Freed of All Costumes Worn
How out in the open,
Can an out in the open get?
When those in masquerade,
Can be identify by...
Well,
A masquerading.
And those parading their charades,
Are obvious enough to solicit a snoring...
From those bored.
And those bored ignore to the point...
They rather walk away than to play anymore.
How out in the open,
Can an out in the open get?
Before the screaming is heard from those...
That a clarity of reality,
Has been freed of all costumes worn.
'Will you please stop singing,
'Send In The Clowns'?
Don't bother...
They're here! '
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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An Attempt To Describe
i wish to describe
anxiety on a shaking glass of water
held by your hand, but i do not wish to be
tactless about it,
with due respect i transferred
my gaze to the other side
of the window and told you about
the dancing leaves of the bamboo
being blown by the gentle
wind from a very green mountain
on the left side of
our house.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Blood Red Roses
Heavens above
What on earth has this come to
What have I done
What can I do now to show you
Theres still a chance
If youre ready to make up
Its not too late
cause Im not ready to break up
I try to call
But you dont hear at all
Im sending roses
Im sending blood red roses
This burning in my heart
Is tearing me apart
Im sending roses
Im sending blood red roses
Youve got to understand
Thats my heart in your hand
Dont walk away
We can get this heart mended
Or am I the fool
And has this love just ended
I tried to call
But you dont hear at all
I gotta keep on trying
To stop this love from dying
Youve got to understand
That my heart is in your hand
Roses
Im sending blood red roses
This burning in my heart
Is tearing me apart
Im sending roses
Im sending blood red roses
Roses
Im sending blood red roses
This burning in my heart
Tears me apart
Roses - blood red roses
Youve got to understand
Thats my heart in your hand
Roses
Im sending blood red roses
cause this burning in my heart
Tears me apart
song performed by by Uriah Heep
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Change
Last year I heard the songs of birds,
And heard the trumpets of the bees.
I caught the winding river’s words,
And clutched at leaves of trees.
I heard the gales upon the height;
And heard each frightened windy rush,
I lay within the sultry night,
Eaves-dropping in the bush.
But now I walk within a town,
And hear the slyness of its feet.
Great cruel things stride up and down
Within a shady street.
I see quick things with ugly nails,
And hear their low half-smothered cries.
I hear men tell strange trembling tales
With big beseeching eyes.
I do not hear the singing bough.
I hear soft murders in a lane,
I do not feel the bush-call, now
I feel my brother’s pain.
poem by Leon Gellert
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