Neither Out Far Nor In Deep
The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.
As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull
The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be--
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.
They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
Btu when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?
poem by Robert Frost
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Related quotes
Turn Back
Only the wind sang the words he could hear
Born of the sand washed ashore on a tear
Time wrote the lines on his face like a scroll
Love is a loss to the man with no soul
Chorus:
Run through the darkness he hears - turn back
Theres no survivors, you cant turn back
Dreams keep him turning back the years
(instrumental break)
Raising his sail cast away on his own
Motherless child on a sea all alone
Morpheus calls but they wont lay him down
Creatures of midnight appear with no sound
Chorus
(instrumental break)
Run through the darkness, turn back the years, turn back the years
song performed by by Toto
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Path Of Mirrors
They walk so close to you, yet so far away
Their eyes are lost, their faces fixed like stone
They walk behind the mirrors and here they shall stay
You walk with other souls liveng, breathing, yet for them they are alone
You walk through the hall way down the path of glass
You watch as they walk on into eternity, into the dark
They walk there behind the glass,
People around you going through leaving their mark.
They walk past your reflection as if you never saw
They walk through time as if time weren’t there
They know you would never aproach them
They know you would never dare.
They walk through the glass and look straight ahead,
They know nothing lies ahead, yet they know they can not turn back,
So they walk into nothing instead,
Passing you so all you see is their back.
You pause infront of the glass looking looking past,
You know that you shall not join them you know it is not your fate
You think about the footsteps you take, wondering which shall be your last,
You walk on again only thinking of their fate
Their faces emotionless the souls so cold,
You think of how you own skin feels, so warm,
You watch as the move like action figures made from a mold,
All the same, all waiting out the storm
The storm of life, the storm of death,
You walk along side them as they walk past everyone,
They watch ahead never turning, never looking above,
They turn to noone.
You walk along beside them as they take no notice to lifes dance,
They only walk past, walk through the mirrors of fate,
Kepping one great stance,
You watch people finding their fate.
Their faces so still, alone in the world, without hope
You watch them walk on, you watch them pass
You see their unmoving faces, as they walk up the endless slope
They walk along, behind the glass.
You turn to watch as their souls move on,
You reach out your hand to touch the glass,
Only to feel the glass is gone,
You watch as your hand passes through the glass.
As you hand melts through one by one the spirits turn,
One takes your hand and pulls your arm through,
More spirits feel your presence and more turn,
They watch as you melt through.
You watch your world leave as you leave it,
You have found you fate and not you are here along with them,
They walk on as you pull your body through, leaving behind the sweater of life you knit,
You have come and joined them.
You look back at the mirror to look at your face,
And you see your eyes becoming lost,
As you enter their race,
The race that shall never end, the race through eternity, for now you are lost
You skin feels so cold you face feels so hard,
You walk with them, as one
As you emotions turn hard,
In true time you are done.
You walk with them, walk alone
They walk so close to you, yet so far away
As everything becomes an endless drone,
For now you are here to stay.
poem by Bethany Maxwell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Can't Turn Back Years
Could've given you everything that you need
but I cannot turn back the years
The perfect love was all you wanted from me
but I cannot turn back the years
So we have to be strong, and I'm finding that hard
we have to move on, but no matter how hard I try
if your heart's in pieces, you look for the truth
and when I look deep down inside I know, it's too bad I love you
Sometimes, hits me in the morning, hits me at night
that I cannot turn back the years
so I look out my window, turn off my light
but I cannot turn back the years
Can't make it seem easy, when you're all that I see
can't live in a dream and I won't serenade the truth
people are huring and they're looking to me
and I look at you there's nothing more to say, it's too bad I love you
But I'm never gonna give it up
All that I lived for, all that I dreamed
but I cannot turn back the years
You're the water I drink, you're the air that I breathe
but I cannot trun back the years
So we have to be strong, and I'm finding that hard
we have to move on, but no matter how hard I try
if your hearts in pieces you look for the truth
and when I look deep down inside I know, it's too bad I love you
But I'm never gonna give it up
song performed by by Phil Collins
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hourglass Sand
Through the hourglass
watching
grains of sand falling.
I see time slipping by.
To myself I wonder.
Do we pass with such ease
through the hourglass of life?
Like tiny grains of sand cascading?
When that sand has gone.
Does that mean time has stopped
until I turn the glass over?
And the sand again begins to fall.
Through our hourglass
as we pass like grains of sand.
How many frowns can we turn to smiles?
How much good can we make from bad?
When our sand has run out.
Has our time stopped as well?
Who will turn over our hourglass?
Restart our time renew our opportunities?
poem by Kurt Hearth
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Turn Of The Screw
Do you feel the turn of the screw?
Pushing harder, breaking through
It's better than you ever knew
Now it gets to take care of you
I won't go and tell it
Don't bet you're due
It swings enough to know the truth
It even left you black and blue
Never stop when there's nothing left to do
The turn of the screw, the turn of the screw
The thing you said you'd never do
The turn of the screw, the turn of the screw
There's no backing out once you've turned the screw
You never thought what they say could be
One night alone and you would see
I think you'll take back all those doubts
Now you know what the talk was all about
The turn of the screw, the turn of the screw
The thing you said you'd never do
The turn of the screw, the turn of the screw
There's no backing out once you've turned the screw
Turn, Turn, Turn it around
Turn, Turn, Turn it here on the ground
Turn, Turn, Turn it around
Turn, Turn, Turn it here on the ground
The turn of the screw, the turn of the screw
The thing you said you'd never do
The turn of the screw, the turn of the screw
There's no backing out once you've turned the screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw1
song performed by by 1208
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Coarse Morning
OH the yellow boisterous sea,
The surging, chafing, murderous sea!
And the wind-gusts hurtle the torn clouds by,
On to the south through a shuddering sky,
And the bare black ships scud aloof from the land.
'Tis as like the day as can be,
When the ship came in sight that came never to strand,
The ship that was blown on the sunken sand—
And he coming back to me!
Oh the great white snake of foam,
The coiling, writhing, snake of white foam,
Hissing and huddering out in the bay,
Over the banks where the wrecked ship lay,
Over the sands where the dead may lie deep!
There are some in the churchyard loam,
Some two or three the sea flung to our keep:
Their mothers can sit by a grave to weep,
But my son never came home.
Never, never, living or dead—
Oh, never, Willie, living or dead,
Could you keep your word and come back to me!
Oh, my darling! As like this day as can be,
When the ship came in sight that came never to strand,
When the ship came rounding the head,
Close to the haven and close to the sand.—
And their graves are long green that were tossed to land.
Ah, 'Sure to come back,' he said!
poem by Augusta Davies Webster
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Cant Turn Back The Years
no matter how much you think you want or need it, the past has to remain just that, the past...
Couldve given you everything that you need
But I cannot turn back the years
The perfect love was all you wanted from me
But I cannot turn back the years
So we have to be strong, and Im finding that hard
We have to move on, but no matter how hard I try
If your hearts in pieces, you look for the truth
And when I look deep down inside I know, its too bad I love you
Sometimes. hits me in the morning, hits me at night
That I cannot turn back the years
So I look out my window, turn off my light
But I cannot turn back the years
Cant make it seem easy, when youre all that I see
Cant live in a dream and I wont serenade the truth
People are hurting and theyre looking to me
And I look at you theres nothing more to say, its too bad I love you
But Im never gonna give it up
All that I lived for, all that I dreamed
But I cannot turn back the years
Youre the water I drink, youre the air that I breathe
But I cannot turn back the years
So we have to be strong, and Im finding that hard
We have to move on, but no matter how hard I try
If your hearts in pieces, you look for the truth
And when I look deep down inside I know, its too bad I love you
But Im never gonna give it up
song performed by by Phil Collins
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Warakurna
There is enough for everyone
In redfern as there is in alice
This is not the buckingham palace
This the crown land
This is the brown land
This is not our land
Some folks live in water tanks
Some folks live in red brick flats
There is enough, the law is carved in granite
Its been shaped by wind and rain
White law could be wrong
Black law could be strong
Warakurna, cars will roll
Dont drink by the water hole
Court fines on the shopfront wall
Beat the grog and save your soul
Some people laugh, some never learn
This land must change or land must burn
Some people sleep, some people yearn
This land must change or land must burn
Diesel and dust is what we breathe
This land dont change and we dont leave
Some people live, some never die
This land dont change this land must lie
Some people leave, always return
This land must change or land must burn
Warakurna, camels roam
Fires are warm and dogs are cold
Not since lassiter was here
Black mans got a lot to fear
Some people laugh, some never learn
This land must change or land must burn
Some people leave, always return
This land must change or land must burn
song performed by by Midnight Oil
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ship To Shore
When you pulled at the wheel with me
To steer our fragile ship of state
We nosed toward uncharted seas
But found our course within a lake.
And every where that we did turn
There loomed another barren shore,
We turned, and then did turn about
To find we'd sailed each course before.
And you would chafe at each restraint
And I would rush to catch each squall
That filled our sails a little while
Before we lay becalmed once more.
Then you would see each distant point
As bearings, where your freedom lay
And drive our ship before the storm
For day upon each battered day.
'Til we had sailed on every course
That wit or will could still devise
While biting tongue and sharp retort
Became the language of our lives.
At every turn, a shallow reef
To wreck the hopes that we had shared,
Each tack would bring us near to grief
Each luff would leave us near despair.
But then you spied some promised ground
And took the boat on that same shore
That we had left together, once
Though never to return, we swore.
The ship of state rolled drunkenly,
I could not steer, nor go ashore
And so each watched the other weep
For you would cry, and I implore.
'Til you rowed back to join the ship
But we were fast upon some reef,
And soon you turned to carp and wit
To speed you on your long retreat.
A thousand times you made that trip,
A thousand times from ship to shore
But now the tide's exposed the rip,
There's nothing left to journey for.
And you may live your life ashore
While I attend some new design,
Our ship of state once went to war -
I burned her to the waterline.
20 September 1989
poem by David Lewis Paget
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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This Is Your Land
This is your land
Its the way it was planned
Sky to the sea, something to see
Old ancient town, to the old people ground
I wanna know, something to go
This is your land, laid out in your hand
This is your land
Wherever I go, way down here I know
This is your land
Oh churches and steeples, big city people
I wanna know something to hold
Walk down the track, to the old railroad track
I wanna leave something to see
This is your land, laid out in your hand
This is your land
Wherever I go, way down here I know
This is your land
Money cant buy me
Money cant buy me
Ive got time
Time is on my side
You dont know what youve got till the whole things gone
The days are dark and the road is long
And when you walk away, the hope is gone
Tell me what is right, and what is wrong
Is this the way it was planned
This is your land, take it in your hand
This is your land
Wherever I go, way down here I know
This is your land, take it in your hand
This is your land
Wherever I go, way down here I know
This is your land
Words and music : simple minds reproduced without permission
song performed by by Simple Minds
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our Lady Of The Well
It is a dance we do in silence
Far below this morning sun
You in your life, me in mine
We have begun
Here we stand and without speaking
Draw the water from the well
And stare beyond the plains
To where the mountains lie so still
But its a long way that I have come
Across the sand to find this peace among your people in the sun
Where the families work the land as they have always done
Oh its so far the other way my countrys gone
Across my home has grown the shadow
Of a cruel and senseless hand
Though in some strong hearts
The love and truth remain
And it has taken me this distance
And a womans smile to learn
That my heart remains among them
And to them I must return
But its a long way that I have come
Across the sand to find you here among these people in the sun
Where your children will be born
Youll watch them as they run
Oh its so far the other way my life has gone
If you look for me, maria
You will find me in the shade
Wide awake or in a dream
Its hard to tell--
If you come to me, maria
I will show you what Ive made
Its a picture for our lady of the well
song performed by by Jackson Browne
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Waka
Shinning and gleaming she sits and waits.
Created with love and sweat of many she waits.
At last she is placed gently into the water.
She is at last where she belongs.
She feels at one with the water.
It gathers round her, her shape forms to it.
Then its time to begin her first journey.
The chosen crew mounts her with pride and joy.
In time to an ancient chant, their paddles dig deep into the water.
She surges forward cutting into the water like a giant knife cutting its way through life.
Splashes of water land on her hull and shine like diamonds.
The people watch hearts full of pride and excitement.
She is alive now and will serve them for many years.
poem by lindsay Dougherty
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Show me my Africa!
Show me my origin...
Show me my land...
Show me my Africa...
Shine and support the spirit of UBUNTU.
Take me back to where i belong,
Where birds fly well peacefully,
Where every creature is happy.
Let me hear African stories,
Let me see its natural beauty landscapes.
Show me my land...
The land of great heroes,
Where Nobel peace price winners were born.
Where fighting and murder is a sin,
Where all people wish one thing,
Where all people preach one thing,
Where all people practice one thing,
Where everyone wants PEACE.
Let me hear those voices of hope...
Land of admissible and prosperity,
Where cultural diversity means nothing, but
Brings us together as valiant regiments.
Past is the past and let us let it pass...
Show me my Africa...
Where robust and intrepid people lives,
Where the beauty of cultures reflects.
Let discrimination be the history
And believe in the beauty of Africa.
Show me my origin...
Let me venerate and cherish its traditions..
Let me be the true African.
Take me back to Africa.
Show me my origin,
Show me my land,
Show me my AFRICA..
('ubuntu' is a Zulu word meaning humanity)
poem by Siyabonga A nxumalo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Land, Ho!
I know ’tis but a loom of land,
Yet is it land, and so I will rejoice,
I know I cannot hear His voice
Upon the shore, nor see Him stand;
Yet is it land, ho! land.
The land! the land! the lovely land!
‘Far off,’ dost say? Far off—ah, blessèd home!
Farewell! farewell! thou salt sea-foam!
Ah, keel upon the silver sand—
Land, ho! land.
You cannot see the land, my land,
You cannot see, and yet the land is there—
My land, my land, through murky air—
I did not say ’twas close at hand—
But—land, ho! land.
Dost hear the bells of my sweet land,
Dost hear the kine, dost hear the merry birds?
No voice, ’tis true, no spoken words,
No tongue that thou may’st understand—
Yet is it land, ho! land.
It’s clad in purple mist, my land,
In regal robe it is apparellèd,
A crown is set upon its head,
And on its breast a golden band—
Land, ho! land.
Dost wonder that I long for land?
My land is not a land as others are—
Upon its crest there beams a star,
And lilies grow upon the strand—
Land, ho! land.
Give me the helm! there is the land!
Ha! lusty mariners, she takes the breeze!
And what my spirit sees it sees—
Leap, bark, as leaps the thunderbrand—
Land, ho! land.
poem by Thomas Edward Brown
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Dripping Water
Dripping water, dripping water,
everywhere!
from the horizon of heaven,
on the land, on the sand,
makes me happy, and so elated,
Dripping water, dripping water,
everywhere!
from the dark black clouds,
on the leaves, on the tress,
gives them a slow quick bath,
Dripping water, dripping water,
everywhere!
from the thunderstruck light,
on the eyes, on the cheeks,
makes everyone to turn the face up!
Dripping water, dripping water,
everywhere!
from the beauty of sky,
onthe mud, on the rivers,
makes musical splashes when gets strike,
Dripping water, dripping water,
everywhere!
from the love of vast scream,
to the beautiful murmors of land,
makes me sing, and dance.
poem by Tayyeba Mustafa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Two Fine People
Now that Ive passed your test
How can I prove to you baby Ill never let you down
If I led you around, Im sorry
But I never meant to worry you.... no
Now that Ive kissed your breast
How can I prove to you baby Ill never make you sad
If I ever had , do believe your tears tears wont come back again
I love you, though the stars may fade
And mountains turn into sand. I love you
til my body changes into an old man. I love you
And the song that I sing is the only way that I can explain
La la la la la la
You know I wish for you baby nothing but good times ahead
Anything that heaven can give you, I can give you instead
La la la la la la
How could I lie to you baby, Ill never lead you around
Ill take care of everything you need, darling
Every little needll be found. I love you
Thought the time may change and snowmen sleep in the sea
And I really only want you to want me. I love you
And the song that I sing is the only way that I can explain
Now that youve shown your heart
Ill be right with you baby, Ill never leave you alone
Anywhere you want me to be honey, Ill be there to have and to hold
And now that the clouds roll back, hold on to me baby
Were going never to land, flying on the power of love
Flying on the power of love. I love you
Though time may fade and mountains turn into sand
I love you, til the very same come back to the land
I love you and the song that I sing is the only way that
I can explain
Two fine people should love each other
Two fine people should help each other
song performed by by Cat Stevens
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Big Square People
Another square day
And another square week
And another square year
And another square lifetime
If you turn me on like you turn it on
Big square people
If you look at me the way you watch tv
Big square people
Youre digging it round when it should be square
Big square people
When the screen is blank theres no-one there
Big square people
Ive seen you watching it day and night
You dont miss the big game or big fight
All those dimensions all those race (? )
Come in action (? )
The worlds full of greed and envy and lust
If they dont get you the (? ) must
Turn on at daybreak before youre awake
I turn it off now
Big square people
(repeat)
Turn of the brightness, the colour and sound
The big square people in sensorround
Before too long the damage is done
To big square people television is such fun
They come in action from every direction
With every booster and (? )
Theyre sending signals from satellite sky
Soon youre on tv and you dont know why
Hey, come on down, youre looking good
If they said jump I really think that you would
cause tv is God and heavens hollywood
Youre digging it round when it should be square
Big square people
When the screen is blank theres no-one there
Big square people
Get up from the chair you look like a slug (? )
Take the tip from the tv go and find a job
But there are no jobs, there is no pay
but thats not what the people on the tv say
They say to me Ill be what you wanna be,
Lets join the army maybe see the sea
Turn of the brightness, the colour and sound
Turn of the (? ) lets going around
Turn on at daybreak before youre awake
Lets turn it off now before its too late
(turn it off !)
song performed by by Heaven 17
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Stranded On The Island Of Life
Life sometimes seems like
You're stranded on a desert island
Waiting for the ship to come and rescue you
When no one knows you're missing
So you keep waiting and hoping they will come for you
Not knowing that they don't know your missing
There having so much fun on the yacht
That they won't come back for you
So you keep hoping that one day
They'll come back for you
And not knowing that your
Only 5 miles off shore
You sit there and wait
Not knowing you could swim to shore
It's only 5 miles away
You're so close to the shore
And you don't even know it
But you keep waiting
For them to come back for you
So years pass
Months pass
Weeks pass
Days pass
Hours pass
Minutes pass
Seconds pass
Eventually you give up
Not knowing you're so close to shore
And all you had to do was swim 5 miles
There might be some danger in the water
But it's worth all that you go through
Just to get to the main land
Where all the other people are
The Slow Pacific Swell
Far out of sight forever stands the sea,
Bounding the land with pale tranquillity.
When a small child, I watched it from a hill
At thirty miles or more. The vision still
Lies in the eye, soft blue and far away:
The rain has washed the dust from April day;
Paint-brush and lupine lie against the ground;
The wind above the hill-top has the sound
Of distant water in unbroken sky;
Dark and precise the little steamers ply-
Firm in direction they seem not to stir.
That is illusion. The artificer
Of quiet, distance holds me in a vise
And holds the ocean steady to my eyes.
Once when I rounded Flattery, the sea
Hove its loose weight like sand to tangle me
Upon the washing deck, to crush the hull;
Subsiding, dragged flesh at the bone. The skull
Felt the retreating wash of dreaming hair.
Half drenched in dissolution, I lay bare.
I scarcely pulled myself erect; I came
Back slowly, slowly knew myself the same.
That was the ocean. From the ship we saw
Gray whales for miles: the long sweep of the jaw,
The blunt head plunging clean above the wave.
And one rose in a tent of sea and gave
A darkening shudder; water fell away;
The whale stood shining, and then sank in spray.
A landsman, I. The sea is but a sound.
I would be near it on a sandy mound,
And hear the steady rushing of the deep
While I lay stinging in the sand with sleep.
I have lived inland long. The land is numb.
It stands beneath the feet, and one may come
Walking securely, till the sea extends
Its limber margin, and precision ends.
By night a chaos of commingling power,
The whole Pacific hovers hour by hour.
The slow Pacific swell stirs on the sand,
Sleeping to sink away, withdrawing land,
Heaving and wrinkled in the moon, and blind;
Or gathers seaward, ebbing out of mind.
poem by Yvor Winters
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Dusts.................
i was once a worm
people look at me with anticipation
and then i became a fly
the good people did not swat me
and then i turn into
a donkey
oh, the children had fun
riding on my back
and then i turn into a
horse,
men love me,
and then i turn into
a man,
oh, the demands are too many
i have to read
the codes of humanity
ethics, philosophy
science, logic,
and then i become old
and turn into
a rotten flesh
where all the worms are
having fun eating me
and i remember joy
and freedom
and being not minded at all
deep in the dark
underground
back to worms, i sensed
that i am complete
and then i must turn to dust
and then
i have become
so perfect
in the solitude of my tiny strains
in the peace of
the grave
where we all started and then
must end.....dusts....dusts....
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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