My Best Neighbors
my best neighbors
are those that do not mind me
though
there are times when our paths
cross
and so we say hello
just that
and then we go back to our
own preoccupations
our poetry our short stories
our dogs
and chickens and our higher
fences this time
our roofs do not meet
our garage gates do not face each other
our plants are different
we never want to have the same lawns
our fruit trees do not bear fruits at the same
that would be an insult
(how crazy have we become?)
their cars do not make any honks
we keep this silent agreement
this noiseless world we live in
this mind your own business thing
when it rains so hard
we do not open our windows and look outside
(are we afraid to see our sad faces?)
we are what we are
we do not even know each others' names
how cruel
and yet how peaceful.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
As Sure As The Sun Rises To Set
Surviving natural disasters,
With the taking away of material things...
Treasured by those who turn up their noses,
On neighbors and others they 'had' believed,
Lived in standards below them...
To compare and tease some with what they've got.
Are overnight among the 'have nots'.
The only way to stop a wagging tongue...
Mother Nature seems to always have a remedy,
For those quick to pass their judgements.
To critically critique.
And for those snooping over fences,
To mind someone else's business...
No longer are they wondering why,
It's important to respect how others live!
Especially now that the business of theirs...
Hangs from barren trees and share as a part of debris,
Littering for as far as the eye can see.
As sure as the Sun rises to set...
Many folks are living through their experiences,
With much regret.
Especially if those defamed neighbors and lost friends...
Are gone from them forever.
As well as those fences they peeked over.
With those doors, windows, walls, roofs...
And other treasured things once glouted about,
As a peacocking through malls...
And other 'social' comparing stops to gossip.
From them instantly taken away.
No longer to exist.
No matter what it is they do,
To restore their lives...
As if they weren't caught by surprise.
With a keeping of a mouth shut.
And more empathy,
They wish they had given to others...
As a druther,
And not as a tedious charity hand out.
Since little of it seems to come their way.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Mind Your Own Business
Mind Your Own Business
(Words and music by Hank Williams, Sr.)
If the wife and I was fussin', brother that's our right
Me and that ole woman bought a license to fight
Why don't you mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Yeah,mind your own business(Mind your own business)
If youmind your own business, you won't be mindin' mine.
Well, the woman on the party line's a nosey thing
She picks up her receiver when she knows it's my ring
Why don't you mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Yeah, mind your own business(Mind your own business)
If you mind your own business, you won't be mindin' mine.
--- Instrumental with ad libs ---
Well, I got a little girl that wears her hair up high
The boys all hollar when she walks by
Why don't you mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Yeah, mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Just mind your own business, you wont be mindin' mine.
--- Instrumental with ad libs ---
I may tell a lot of stories that may not be true
But I can get to Heaven just as easy as you
Why don't you mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Yeah, will you mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Mind your business, and you won't be mindin' mine.
--- Instrumental with ad libs ---
Now, If I want to honky tonk 'til around two or three
Darlin' that's my headache, don't you worry 'bout me.
Why don't you mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Go on and mind your own business(Mind your own business)
If you're mindin' your business, you won't be mindin' mine.
--- Instrumental---
Mindin' other people's business seems to be high-toned
Well, I got all that I can do just to mind my own
Mind your own business(Mind your own business)
Yeah, mind your own business(Mind your own business)
If you mind your businessmyou won't be mindin' mine.
Dear Lord, If you mind your business, you'll be busy all the time...
song performed by by Alan Jackson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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German
being the German kid in the 20's in Los Angeles
was difficult.
there was much anti-German feeling then,
a carry-over from World War 1.
gangs of kids chased me through the neighborhood
yelling, 'Hieneie! Hieneie! Hienie!'
they never caught me.
I was like a cat.
I knew all the paths through brush and alleys.
I scaled 6-foot back fences in a flash and was off through
backyards and around blocks
and onto garage roofs and other hiding places.
then too, they didn't really want to catch me.
they were afraid I might bayonet them
or gouge out their eyes.
this went on for about 18 months
then all of a sudden it seemed to stop.
I was more or less accepted(but never really)
which was all right with me.
those sons-of-bitches were Americans,
they and their parents had been born here.
they had names like Jones and Sullivan and
Baker.
they were pale and often fat with runny
noses and big belt buckles.
I decided never to become an American.
my hero was Baron Manfred von Richthofen
the German air ace;
he'd shot down 80 of their best
and there was nothing they could do about
that now.
their parents didn't like my parents
(I didn't either) and
I decided when I got big I'd go live in some place
like Iceland,
never open my door to anybody and live on my
luck, live with a beautiful wife and a bunch of wild
animals:
which is, more or less, what
happened
poem by Charles Bukowski
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Open Minds, Eyes, Ears and 'Dialogue
Making attempts,
To reach back for times...
That should have long been lived,
And put into existence THEN...
Will not do a thing for you 'now'.
And you were told that,
When those times then...
Were behind the times!
Just like a season or a holiday missed,
That has gone...
Think of your mind like that.
Something once here...
But now has gone.
Remember when you were teaching me,
And others a lesson by ignoring our suggestions?
Remember you made it a point to tell your friends,
You wish I'd learned how to mind my business...
And live my life,
Since you knew more about yours?
Well...
You should have seen these days,
We now live.
You and others like you...
Are the only ones asking, 'What is happening? '
Open minds, eyes, ears and 'dialogue'...
Should have revealed that to you!
And you were right...
I have learned to mind my own business.
As The World Turns,
I have One Life To Live...
To remain Bold and Beautiful.
And no more will I be giving my time,
To those who are Young and Restless...
In their minds.
I am not living for that kind of drama!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Poetry, Poesy, Ars Poetica, Erotica,
i am hooked to you.
i need rehabilitation
in China, the bamboo rafts there
can help, i will sail
on the Yangtze river
together with you
my rudder on the shallow
jade green waters,
i shall hear robins making
love calls,
i am stuck on this trip
lots of rainbow illusions
colors in my mind
i am jailed in your arms
my heart enthralled to
this injunction
everyday i set aside other
works, the plants are wilting
and the trees are dying,
my dogs are hungry
unfed
my chickens cross the
fence
to feed on other grains
i am stuck in here
because i like it here
China can wait
the chickens may die
even my dogs
let them be impounded.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Some Stories
some stories
about ourselves
are also the stories of
themselves
and then we write
these stories and
pretend that these are
but some short stories
from our mind
now in different names
and places
we read them and then
we wish that some of
these short stories
are not true at all
sometimes for those
we want to be
we want to believe
them to be true
wishes and hopes and
regrets, what if? what if i
chose that rather than this?
we poets write about pain
and joys and we tell sometimes
that we only fake them
deep inside we are silent
we prefer just to be left alone
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Im Afraid
Afraid of the dark
Afraid of the light
Dont walk in the park
Afraid of the night
Afraid to get stabbed
Or hit by a car
Afraid of the streets
Afraid to go far
Afraid of the sky
Dont like to be high
I dont want to fall
Afraid I might die
Afraid of my friends
Dont like to be seen
Afraid to be nice
Afraid to be mean
Afraid that the wind
Will knock over trees
Afraid of my dog
Afraid of his fleas
[chorus]
Peace of mind
Hard to keep
Hard to find
Look ahead
Look behind
Looking for
Peace of mind
Cant relax
Cant unwind
Deep inside
Secret mind
Oh no!
Afraid to be caught
Afraid to be free
Afraid to make love
Afraid of vd
Afraid of the rain
Dont like to get wet
Afraid to take drugs
They make me forget
Afraid that the air
Will make me get sick
Afraid that a girl
Will cut off my....oh!
Someone tell me how it happened
Why my head is so confused
Can it be my circuits finally blew a fuse
Can a human being really change into a humanoid
Or is my imagination paranoid
All I need is peace and quiet, maybe just a little time
Turn the channel, turn the channel piece of mind
[repeat chorus]
Afraid of success
Afraid to grow old
Afraid that my brain
Is covered with mold
Afraid that I might
Ce put on a shelf
But thats not the least, oh, oh!
Afraid of myself
song performed by by Oingo Boingo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Tree Without Fruits
the way they handle
a tree without fruits is
crazy
it is as though
the leaves do not matter anymore
or the roots
or even the wood itself
or the living rings
within
that tell about
a certain
age
they are thinking about
a fire
they are cruel
and i think they deserve
to be
burned in hell
the value of the tree
is not just its fruits
mind you
trees also present memories
of their own
their roots too have
beautiful stories to tell
their twigs and lentils
too have dreams
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Rain
When it rains
Roads, trees, houses, birds
Fences, lawns, porches, terraces
Flowerpots, climbers, flowers, windows
Words, books, poems, conversation
Dreams and faces
Sun and shades
All get wet
Memories are inundated
Life spans turn into ephemeral moments
Dry eyes are filled with water
(and are washed clean)
When it stops
Winds start blowing.
poem by Naseer Ahmed Nasir
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Back Off
Respect our rotten life
Better not be hypnotised this time
You talk a heavy load
A mental overdose youre slime
Open up your mind
Welcome to the gates of nowhere
Freedoms not for sale
We are the right - cause we are the law
So back off - power in a minute
Back off - bastard hard and combat high
Back off - power is a winner
Back off - dont you cross this line
Were true and metalised
These crazy territorial nights
n red-hot burning roads
We are the predators of life
Bridge
So back off - gotta be a limit
Back off - bastard hard and combat high
Back off - power is a winner
Back off - dont you cross this line
Chorus
song performed by by U. D. O.
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Truth Everlasting
ocean waves beating up against the beach
the cool water against my feet
faces in the rocks looking up to the sky
the ocean waves reaching forever high.
the seagulls flying in to land on the sand
as i reached over with my hand.
gently touching his soft white back
my mind racing faster-never letting up the slack
the reflections of times gone by
when life was young and not full of lies.
the only thing that ever seemed the same
was some faces and some names.
faces and names of a past gone by
as i looked up towards the sky.
trying to figure why the rock faces looked up
and what they could possibly see
as it all seemed very naked to me
when a thought came into my mind
as the ocean reflected off the sky.
the faces were looking up to see
god looking down unhappily.
of him seeing all of his creations
being all torn down.
of human life laying on the ground.
unhappiness all around and not one voice to be found
to tell the world of its mistakes and the lies we live are all fakes.
and now i see what is to be-his truth everlasting.
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Faces & Names
Faces and names, I wish they were the same
Faces and names only cause trouble for me
Faces and names
If we all looked the same and we all had the same name
I wouldnt be jealous of you or you jealous of me
Faces and names
I always fall in love with someone who looks
The way I wish that I could be
Im always staring at someone who hurts
And the one they hurt is me
Faces and names, to me theyre all the same
If I looked like you and you looked like me
Thered be less trouble you see
Faces and names, I wish theyd go away
Id disappear into that wall and never talk
Talk, not talk
I wish I was a robot or a machine
Without a feeling or a thought
People who want to meet the name I have
Are always disappointed when they meet me
Faces and names, I wish they were the same
Faces and names only cause problems for me
Faces and names
Id rather be a hole in the wall
Looking out on the other side
Id rather look and listen, listen and not talk
To faces and names
If I had a breakdown when I was a kid
I lost my hair when I was young
If you dress older when youre not
As your really age you look the same
If we all looked the same, we wouldnt play these games
Me dressing for you and you dressing for me
Undressing for me
Faces and names, if they all were the same
You wouldnt be jealous of me or me jealous of you
Me jealous of you, me jealous of you
Your face and your name
Your face and your name
Faces and names
Faces and names
song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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384
how i wish the world is blind to see me naked and broken
they always say
ever since i was small
this little boy is ugly
he will not have a promising future
(did they think that i better be thrown
to the sea and be eaten by sharks
or to the forest so i can be the prey
to those predators?)
they let me live, however,
thanks, nonetheless, and i have grown to be what i am
ugly
learning to live this way
ugly
time however has told me a different story
about the ugliness that lies only on the surface of
things, and living memories have grown in me
the seeds
some possibilities
for beauty
like i can grow a mind of my own
like i can be cultivated like a beautiful flower
of my choosing
in my own garden
like i can have the possibility of
a sweet scent
or i can be a slender plant that will bear
some luscious fruits
to feed the world and make it feel
that i can
quench its thirst
or satisfy its hunger
i have learned patiently
how to be a better possibility and long time ago
when i undressed myself
removing some layers of sadness
and confusion
skin upon skin upon skin
i was once afraid of everything
the windows
the cracks and the crevices
i was once afraid of the hundred eyes of this world
those walls barring me
those writings on the fences of my existence
shouting that
i am ugly
(that i do not have the right to live
or anything to live with)
i go naked again
time places another mirror at the center of my
thoughts,
to see another me
i am beautiful
in my nakedness
now, i do not wish anymore a blind world
so it can see the unfolding
the coming of my
thousand possibilities like some kind winds
white sea caps and gentle sands,
i am beautiful and i really know it now
by heart
this confident soul undressed and still so beautiful.
that you, my lovely world,
must start to see.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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How I Wish The World Does Not Have A Hundred Eyes To See Me Naked
how i wish the world is blind to see me naked and broken
they always say
ever since i was small
this little girl is ugly
she will not have a promising future
(did they think that i better be thrown
to the sea and be eaten by sharks
or to the forest so i can be the prey
to those predators?)
they let me live, however,
thanks, nonetheless, and i have grown to be what i am
ugly
learning to live this way
ugly
time however has told me a different story
about the ugliness that lies only on the surface of
things, and living memories have grown in me
the seeds
some possibilities
for beauty
like i can grow a mind of my own
like i can be cultivated like a beautiful flower
of my choosing
in my own garden
like i can have the possibility of
a sweet scent
or i can be a slender plant that will bear
some luscious fruits
to feed the world and make it feel
that i can
quench its thirst
or satisfy its hunger
i have learned patiently
how to be a better possibility and long time ago
when i undressed myself
removing some layers of sadness
and confusion
skin upon skin upon skin
i was once afraid of everything
the windows
the cracks and the crevices
i was once afraid of the hundred eyes of this world
those walls barring me
those writings on the fences of my existence
shouting that
i am ugly
(that i do not have the right to live
or anything to live with)
i go naked again
time places another mirror at the center of my
thoughts,
to see another me
i am beautiful
in my nakedness
now, i do not wish anymore a blind world
so it can see the unfolding
the coming of my
thousand possibilities like some kind winds
white sea caps and gentle sands,
i am beautiful and i really know it now
by heart
this confident soul undressed and still so beautiful.
that you, my lovely world, must start to see.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Crazy Nights
From the moment I walked in the room
I knew what I was in for
Soft music, the smell of perfume
And that lacy little thing you wore
And by the way youre lookin at me
Its lookin like its gonna be one of those
Crazy nights
One of those going out of our mind times
You always make it worth the wait
Baby, Ive been going crazy all day
For one of those crazy nights
The moon is makin shadows on the wall
Something in the air is calling
Theres no need to say anything at all
Our hearts are doing all the talkin
You make me feel so wild and free
I think Id lose my sanity without those
Crazy nights
One of those going out of our mind times
You always make it worth the wait
Baby, Ive been going crazy all day
For one of those crazy nights
One of those crazy nights
One of those going out of our mind times
You always make it worth the wait
Baby, Ive been going crazy all day
For one of those crazy nights
One of those crazy nights
One of those crazy nights.
song performed by by Lonestar
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In The Back Of My Mind
Written by billy burnette and david malloy.
Well I try and I try
You cant forget her
Cant run, cant hide
When you remember
Nights that wont fade away
Yea fade away
Well I still go crazy
When you hear her name
Feels like you just left today
And it drives you insane
But you keep holding on
Yea holding on
In the back of my mind
You live all the time
In the back of my mind
In the back of my mind
Every night, every day
Thats where you still play
In the back of my mind
When I close my eyes
You can still touch her
And I fantasize
Shes still your lover
When I wake up I see
The only place youll be
I know where youll be
In the back of my mind
You live all the time
In the back of my mind
In the back of my mind
Every night, every day
Thats where you still play
In the back of my mind
I remember your eyes burning bright
Like we touched the summer sun
I can see your shadow standing there
On the streets where we used to run
Remember
In the back of my mind
You live all the time
In the back of my mind
In the back of my mind
Every night, every day
Thats where you still play
In the back of my mind
In the back of my mind
You live all the time
In the back of my mind
In the back of my mind
song performed by by Fleetwood Mac
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Passing day
With every passing day
And with every morning sun
I lift my eyes and mind
To the new world that has just begun
No longer afraid
No longer alone
This planet earth
Makes me feel fine
Although weightlessness cannot be found
In space it is all around
Mind can span worlds sometimes time
So let's enjoy it - I feel fine
Free as a bird soaring high
Invisible as the air it needs
When one's mind is elsewhere
Who's to say where life will lead
Looking down to where you stand
And higher than the trees
See all around you
And listen to the breeze
Many things can be told
And as time goes by other things unfold
So listen my friend and don't be afraid
We cannot live forever so live each day
poem by JeanJacques Evendon
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How Cruel the World Can Be
How cruel the world can be at times,
too cruel to think upon.
For the pain and suffering that visits us
is a lingering marathon.
We pray that when it is our time
to welcome something new
that the parting from the life we know
will be a quick adieu.
Somehow we gather strength to face
what comes to us tomorrow.
And on the day before that
we must not dwell on sorrow.
For surely all the pain we've known
will be left to this cruel world.
And the quiet peaceful sleep we need
will finally be unfurled.
How cruel the world can be at times,
too cruel to think upon.
poem by Edwina Reizer
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Faces
Key:-a - anita r - ray
A: look around you
What do those faces tell you?
R: faces, joy and pain
A: faces
All around different faces I see
Some are happy, some in misery
They express joy and pain
No two faces are the same.
R: people, people all over town
Some of them are poor and others wear a crown
Ive seen alot of many faces
Joy and pain in different places
Open your mind, set yourself free
Figure it out, what could it be?
Sympathise, understand
Give love and peace to the other fellow man
A: faces
R: faces, joy and pain
A: look around you
Do you see those faces
What do those faces tell you
A: everywhere I go, different faces I see
A: faces
All around different faces I see
Some are happy, some in misery
They express joy and pain
No two faces are the same.
R: playing with your life, playing with your soul
You all scream out Im the one in control
Killing of the colours, silly stupid games
You know who you are without no names
Dont mess the world cause that the sequal
Open your mind cause we talking about the people
In the world, all kind of places
Different races, different faces
A: different faces
Everywhere
song performed by by 2 Unlimited
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Ikon
On a day like no other
In a time unique, in a place divine
Keep your eye on the ikon
Shining in the light of eternal mind.
I went to sleep a blind man
But when I awoke I saw
The legions of the lonely
See their faces, hear them call.
See how they hang on
Each one in a world of his own design
Listen to the ikon
Ringing in the sound of eternal mind.
And the music plays forever
And it captures every ear
And the sound of barriers crashing down
Is the sweet harmony you hear.
Still, be still
To strong, so be still
Much too long, come down
Be still, look around
Listen here, be still
Hear the sound, be still.
Still we are here
We are still
Will we sing sweet
Sing we will
Still we are here
We are still
Nil is a fear all is nil
Still we are here we are still
Spill it let go let it spill.
The question comes to mind
About what should be done
And how much of the old will die
That the new may be begun
But you dont have to be afraid
Of being alone with nowhere to run.
You dont have to be afraid
To look yourself in the eye
You dont have to be afraid not to lie.
Someone knows who you are
Someone watches over you
Someone knows how you feel
And someone feels the same.
So you dont have to be afraid
Never fear, for you are living in eternal mind
For those who still recoil
For those who fear the pain
Of peering oer the edge of
A new and different plane.
You dont have to be afraid
Whenever you go you come back again
So you dont have to be afraid
We live and we die
You dont have to be afraid to know why.
You dont have to be afraid
Whenever you go you come back again
So you dont have to be afraid
We live and we die
You dont have to be afraid to know why.
song performed by by Utopia
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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