You Made Me Choose
it was a case of choosing
a stone, a snail, a hammer
i chose the hammer
just that
i never used it to drive a nail
to smash a snail
to break a stone
i chose the hammer and kept it
just that
i left it in the house
(bought a house five years ago)
i walked away
and then i whistled my way
in the woods
just that
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
The Stone-Cutter
We hammer, hammer, hammer on and on,
Day-out, day-in, throughout the year,
In blazing heat and tempests drear;
God's house we slowly heavenward rear--
We'll never see it done!
We hammer, hammer, hammer, might and main.
The sun torments, the rain drops prick,
Our eyes grow blind with dust so thick;
Our name is dust, too, fadeth quick--
No glory and no gain!
We hammer, hammer, hammer ever on.
O blessed God on Heaven's throne,
Dost thou take care of every stone
And leave the toiling poor alone,
Whom no one looks upon?
poem by Carmen Sylva
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Under The Hammer
Under the hammer, under the hammer again
Under the hammer, under the hammer again
I gotta be strong, gotta be strong yeah
I gotta hold on, hold on to the magical key
Somebody's following me
I've got to know some more than this suffering
There's something more but it's just not happening
I've got to know some more than this hammering
Hammering you
Under the hammer, under the hammer again
Under the hammer, under the hammer again
I've got to be free, heal me mantra
Send me an earthquake, drag the city into the sea
Somebody's following me
I've got some news, everybody's going down
Apocalypse now!
song performed by by Kula Shaker
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hammer Of Love
I was a young man,
When the hammer came down,
Thought I could handle it,
Wouldn't do me no harm.
She was a young girl,
Stars in her hair,
Rings on her finger tips,
A diamond so rare.
Hammer came down from above,
Hammer, Hammer of love.
Oho, won't you save me.
She was a young girl,
With dangerous ways,
The tears of a demon,
Kissed by a saint.
Hammer came down from above,
Oh, Hammer, Hammer of love.
Oho, yeah.
Though you pound this bitter heart,
Down to a molten steel,
Cast it in the furnace,
Of your burning spinning wheel,
I will rise up through the flames,
To wrap you in my arms,
Brand you with my loving seal
And steal your tender charms.
Oh, yeah.
The scent of our loving,
Woke my desire,
She stirred my smouldering heart,
Left me on fire.
Oh, Hammer down from above,
Oh, Hammer, Hammer of love.
Hammer, how you saved me
Hammer, how you saved me
Saved my soul.
Hear me calling you,
Through the misty morning,
Mountain and Valley,
Ocean and Sea.
song performed by by Bad Company
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rabid Child
Lord, please dont take me away.
Rabid child stays at home, talks on a cb
Truckers pass calling out their handles to the kid
Chess piece face and the big duluth call her every day
Hammer down and rabbit ears are the only words they know
Hammer down
Hammer down, rabbit ears
Hammer down, rabbit ears
Hammer down, rabbit ears, hammer down
If you pass the rabid child say hammer down for me
The rabid child
The rabid child
The rabid child
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Guido Sebaldi
Guido Sebaldi the mason
Worked at a house of stone:
Guido Sebaldi the mason
Sand at his work alone.
Till a stranger, he said unto him
As he hammer'd the stone one day'
'Guido Sebaldi the mason,
Hark to the words I say!'
'Leave thou this work, fit only
For oxen that draw the plough:
No longer Sebaldi the mason,
Guido the sculptor thou!'
Then Guido Sebaldi the mason
Look'd on his work in shame.
And 'Lo,' he said, 'I am lusty,
I will build me a noble name.'
Guido Sebaldi the sculptor
Toil'd till his heart grew sore.
Guido Sebaldi the sculptor
Sang at his work no more.
Vainly Sebaldi the mason
Hammer'd the senseless stone.
Vainly Sebaldi the mason
Sigh'd at his work alone.
His hands were ready and skillful,
And his days with toil were rife,
But the soul of the master was needed
To waken the stone to life.
Sadly Sebaldi the mason
Went back to the house of stone;
And his brow once more grew cheery
As he sat at his work alone.
But yet he was always thinking
Of hopes that were long since o'er;
And Guido Sebaldi the mason
Sang at his work no more.
poem by Cicely Fox Smith
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hole In The Wall
(alan jackson/jim mcbride)
Theres a hole in the wall
Where a nail used to be
A nail that held a picture of
The one that once held me
Now that walls tellin me
What I dont wanna hear
Im tired of the word fool
Ringin in my ears
Oh I guess a saner man
Would simply paint it
But Im not sane and after all
Its my wall, aint it
Ive got this hammer in my hand
And when Im through
Therell be a hole in that wall
Big enough to drive a truck through
When you lose the greatest love
Youve ever had
A little hole in the wall
Is enough to drive you mad
Oh I guess a saner man
Would simply paint it
But Im not sane and after all
Its my wall, aint it
Ive got this hammer in my hand
And when Im through
Therell be a hole in that wall
Big enough to drive a truck through
Oh Ive got this hammer in my hand
And when Im through
Therell be a hole in that wall
Big enough to drive a truck through
song performed by by Alan Jackson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Got To Work Too And Earn My Living
the hours passed
so swiftly
now it is 9: 04 on my watch
i have written
poems
candidly
direct from the mind
to this blank eyes
always staring at me
this dumb monitor
i like to write more
but what can i do?
got to work to and
earn my living
and got to hammer
some more
this mortar and pestle
of this justice
system that
does not really
work....
the Chief Justice
can kill me
but oh well,
this is nothing
but work
and work
and work
and work
nothing to do with justice
but work
nothing personal
(so it is but impersonal)
no eyes
just this blindness
hammer, hammer now
hammer out, hammer in
this gavel
this, oh, well, this bread
of life
this death for some
this escape for you
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hammer Horror
You stood in the belltower,
But now youre gone.
So who knows all the sights
Of notre dame?
Theyve got the stars for the gallant hearts.
Im the replacement for your part.
But all I want to do is forget
You, friend.
Hammer horror, hammer horror,
Wont leave me alone.
The first time in my life,
I leave the lights on
To ease my soul.
Hammer horror, hammer horror,
Wont leave it alone.
I dont know,
Is this the right thing to do?
Rehearsing in your things,
I feel guilty.
And retracing all the scenes,
Of your big hit,
Oh, god, you needed the leading role.
It wasnt me who made you go, though.
Now all I want to do is forget
You, friend.
Hammer horror, hammer horror,
Wont leave me alone.
The first time in my life,
I leave the lights on
To ease my soul.
Hammer horror, hammer horror,
Wont leave it alone.
I dont know,
Is this the right thing to do?
Who calls me from the other side
Of the street?
And who taps me on the shoulder?
I turn around, but youre gone.
Ive got a hunch that youre following,
To get your own back on me.
So all I want to do is forget
You, friend.
Hammer horror, hammer horror,
Wont leave me alone.
The first time in my life,
I leave the lights on
To ease my soul.
Hammer horror, hammer horror,
Wont leave it alone.
I dont know,
Is this the right thing to do?
song performed by by Kate Bush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The New Teacher
he prides himself about
this job
where he is all wise
and his students listen
he drives the points
like he's the hammer to
his nails
somehow the old teacher
listens
it is not supposed to
be
he picks a snail
a house actually where the hermit
crab lives
he whistles and the crab comes
out
learning the song of the
master
the wind, soft as breeze
the openness like the wide gate
of the morning sun
between the breasts of the hills
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I built this house just for you!
I built this house just for you
We built it together, but now its coming unglued.
I am your frame because I built you up
But you’re hammering me down, I have to watch out and duck.
Do you want this house and my frame work?
You are showing it and acting like a jerk.
Why listen to your friends because they are just jealous,
I am trying to have a house and your being rebellious.
You must want a new house or a big mansion,
But I am all you’ll need! Are you focused or maybe trancin?
I am all you need or maybe more,
Before me you were considered a whore.
I have your back, but my doesn’t seem good enough,
What more could you want, what other stuff?
I admire your goals and that’s a fact,
But the way you have been acting is totally whack!
I still love you and you know that’s true,
Because when I close my eyes all I see is you!
Please don’t hammer down our house,
On your own, your house would only be suited for a mouse.
So forgive me if this is a little harsh or if it hurts your feelings,
But the truth is the truth and its out and revealing.
So let’s work on our house and build it back up,
Since the truth is out, we will have good luck.
Together our house will be stronger, beautiful, and even a mess.
But if we are honest with one another, the relationship won’t be a guess.
Now it’s all up to you to lay the hammer down and be my shoulder,
But if you don’t stop messing with me, it certainly will be over.
poem by Melanie Weeks
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Of Two Hammers
I gave a hammer to Al
Because he was great co-worker and pal
Although he called me 'Sir'
I was never taken in.
The hammer was silver not gold
Of no great worth did it hold
The silver was of steel, friendship and respect.
The hammer I kept is ugly.
It works well all the same
And is not insane
In trying to meet this world's demand for beauty.
poem by Bill Grace
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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El Condor Pasa
I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail
Yes I would, if I could, I surely would
I'd rather be a hammer than a nail
Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would
Away, I'd rather sail away
Like a swan that's here and gone
A man gets tired out to the ground
He gives the world
Its saddest sound
Its saddest sound
I'd rather be a forest than a street
Yes I would, if I could, I surely would
I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet
Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would
song performed by by Simon & Garfunkel
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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El Condor Pasa
Id rather be a sparrow than a snail.
Yes I would.
If I could,
I surely would.
Id rather be a hammer than a nail.
Yes I would.
If I could,
I surely would.
Chorus
Away, Id rather sail away
Like a swan thats here and gone
A man grows older every day
It gives the world
Its saddest sound,
Its saddest sound.
Id rather be a forest than a street.
Yes I would.
If I could,
I surely would.
Id rather feel the earth beneath my feet,
Yes I would.
If I could,
I surely would.
Chorus
song performed by by Paul Simon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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104
This is the house of my father
The termites eat every wall
The beams fall
And the roofs shatter
And the ceiling splits with the gutter
I come back today to remember
The past
And here I am to reconstruct better
The future i must
The present
Shall be this condiment this complement
Now, these hands shall be the hammer
To every nail in the mind of this dreamer
This house shall stand again
Proud against the wind & rain.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hammer To Fall
Words and music by brian may
Here we stand or here we fall
History wont care at all
Make the bed light the light
Lady mercy wont be home tonight yeah
You dont waste no time at all
Dont hear the bell but you answer the call
It comes to you as to us all
Were just waiting
For the hammer to fall
Oh evry night and every day
A little piece of you is falling away
But lift your face the western way
Build your muscles as your body decays yeah
Toe your line and play their game yeah
Let the anaesthetic cover it all
Till one day they call your name
You know its time for the hammer to fall
Rich or poor or famous
For your truth its all the same (oh no oh no)
Lock your door the rain is pouring
Through your window pane (oh no)
Baby now your struggles all in vain
For we who grew up tall and proud
In the shadow of the mushroom cloud
Convinced our voices cant be heard
We just wanna scream it louder and louder louder
What the hell we fighting for?
Just surrender and it wont hurt at all
You just got time to say your prayers
While your waiting for the hammer to hammer to fall
Its gonna fall
Hammer..you know..hammer to fall
Waiting for the hammer to fall now baby
While youre waiting for the hammer to fall
Give it to me one more time
song performed by by Queen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Stones
unless you use a hammer
a stone is a stone
with its steadfast character
cold, shapely and colourful
a consciousness
linked it to the centre to my heart
we are one
if there are enough men
who have more characters
than these stones!
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hammer Hammer Hammer
The hammer
The nail
One in sympathy
One uses the other
Until the crucifixion is complete
Who will suffer
At the fulcrum
Between
The good thief
And the bad
Freed from the tomb
And the stone wall of death
Risen and bathed in tranquil Jordan
Who will feel my wounds
And believe that I ever lived?
poem by Guillermo Veloso
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Never To Be Heard From Again!
gonna lay down my pen,
and pick up a hammer.
gonna build a house big enough
to house all the homeless.
gonna build a bridge
over the chasm of need.
then i'm gonna lay down my hammer,
and pick up the cookpot.
gonna fill it with enough food
to feed all the hungry.
gonna build a fire
that both lights the way
and warms...
gonna talk, and listen,
and really hear!
gonna show them how to plant,
and how to work the fields.
gonna work side by side,
and know every man's name.
gonna take everything
that i've seen and felt,
and lay it like an offering
on the path to tomorrow.
then i'm gonna put on my hat,
and walk out the door...
never to be heard from again!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hammers (A trilogy)
Hammered
The hammer is inside my head,
it's a never ending drum beat
that is my husband, berating me.
As he his key turns in the lock
my blood pressure
rises.
He'll check the wallpaper
for marks that the children
may have made.
He'll demand I keep them quiet,
take them away,
control them.
They are only toddlers
and I have only
one pair of hands
but he'll moan about it
until he goes to bed at
12 o'clock
As he gets into bed
his moaning will stop
but my head still aches
then at 7 while he shaves,
he'll continue to remonstrate
he won't stop
and I'm sure he's still talking
as he walks to the station.
It's the hammering,
the constant hammering
and it's driving me insane -
one day the hammer will fall.
Bad Fit
How many nails do I have to have
hammered into my brain to realise
we don't fit?
This liaison has always been flawed.
Gel, we never did, but we had passion.
A wealth of it.
Should I take this hammer
and strike the final blow?
I don't know.
Hammers strike memories,
as though they're all piano keys
and the sound is harsh..
They have me re-visiting old war wounds
that I should have buried years ago.
They are awakening.
They've been dormant for so long.
Maybe I should have had one final strike
and put them to rest.
The trouble is, if I pick up the hammer
and strike the first blow,
I may never stop.
Broken heart.
She took a hammer to the mirror,
the paintings, the vase, the table
and battered them to death.
She took a hammer to the car,
its bonnet, its boot and its roof
and made dents.
She took a hammer to her heart,
hit it hard, tried to gouge it out
with its claw
and then she realised -
it was already dying; bleeding,
all over the floor.
poem by Ruth Walters
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Life Is Beautiful
You plant a rose
And if the rose comes up
You're thankful to God
And when it doesn't you cuss him
You raise a child
And when the child grows up
You got to learn to let go
If you can't learn to love him
But, oh, what a beautiful thing when you sing
Hear all them bells ringing out in the street
Hammer strikes the metal and it makes me believe
'Cause if I don't believe in love
Then I don't believe in you
And I do
Now I'm not saying only bad news comes
For the people who want it
But you gotta play that music for who's listening
You got to have someone you wanna sing it to
Oh, what a beautiful thing when you sing
Hear all them bells ringing out in the street
Blue sky cracking and it makes me believe
Oh, hear all them bells ringing out in the street
Hammer strikes the metal and it makes me believe
'Cause if I don't believe in love
Then I don't believe in you
And I do
Close my eyes, see the glorious sunset
Through the windows of a store and I want it
Anyway, if I ever felt haunted
You were there for me
These angry people who are waiting to judge you
Have their own judgment that they'll have live up to
Open your mouth
And if nothing come through
Remember
You're the one that sings
And it's a gift
And life's a beautiful thing
Oh, don't waste it doll
You build a house and if the house comes up
You gotta work on that house
If you want to make it your home
'Cause everything inside that's not something you own
Is what you're taking with you
On the day that you go
And oh, what a beautiful world when we sing
Hear all them bells ringing out in the street
Hammer strikes the metal and it makes me believe
Hear all them bells ringing out in the street
Oh, hammer strikes the metal and it makes me believe
'Cause if I don't believe in love
Then I don't believe in you
And I do
song performed by by Ryan Adams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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