The Hinterland
You speak to me, but does your speech
With truest truth your thought convey?
I listen to your words and each
Is what I wait to hear you say.
The pattern that your lips reveal,
How does it measure with your mind?
What undertones do you conceal?
Your smile is sweet - but what's behind?
I speak to you, but do I tell
The secret working of my brain?
Frank honesty would make life hell,
And truth be tantamount to pain.
When deep into the mind one delves,
Appalling verities we view;
If we betrayed our inner selves,
Would you hate man and I hate you?
Are we not strangers each to each,
And all alone we live and die?
Deception is the stuff of speech,
And life a smug and glossy lie,
Where puppet-like our parts we play:
The first in public we rehearse,
The second when we shrink away
into our private universe.
The soul has its grim hinterland
'Twere better never to explore;
Dark jungles where obscenely planned
Prowl monsters of primaeval lore;
With primal fear our lives are fraught,
And cravenly we cower behind
The silences of secret thought,
The murky mazes of the Mind.
poem by Robert William Service
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
The Battle Between Lie And Truth
I lied
Throughout my life
My truth hid behind
Thoughts started
Bothering my mind
How long one can hide?
Truth ultimately shines
The moment
I opened my mouth
To reveal the truth
My past resisted
With all the might
Asking me to desist
From
Exposing all my truth
People shall hate
When they see
My true face
I replied
The fear of truth
Increased my lies
Weight increased
On my heart and mind
Peace and solace
Went far away
Everybody knows
Each one
Is double faced
May be one
Changes the mind
Decides to think
The way I thought
To reveal the truth
And end the battle
Between lie and truth
Win peace
For the heart and mind
poem by Nirantar Dr.Rajendra Tela
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
0013 And, Friend...
and if you wonder, friend, why I begin
a poem thus – you are to understand
that it’s as if
we have been close friends all our life,
friends, as Kabir defined a friend
as if no-one ever tried to speak of friend before –
friends, who share the silences between their words
as much as sharing their most inward thoughts;
so, our conversation’s just as much
a continuation of our friendship,
wasting no time in speaking passing things,
sharing some new thought in turn
and asking more for listening
than easy agreement for politeness’ sake;
for, we’re listening to the allness of the all -
all that has been said and
all that cannot yet be said
but thought in silences, in pauses between speech,
all that we might say
when we find words in which to say it,
and because
there’s not much time, to say what we would say
and so, we speak of that which time
can never steal; so there is always time
to speak, and hear the silence
out of which speech comes;
listening for the unspoken
bringing miracles
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Nevermind
The war was lost
The treaty signed
I was not caught
I crossed the line
I was not caught
Though many tried
I live among you
Well disguised
I had to leave
My life behind
I dug some graves
You’ll never find
The story’s told
With facts and lies
I had a name
But never mind
Never mind
Never mind
The war was lost
The treaty signed
There’s truth that lives
And truth that dies
I don’t know which
So never mind
Your victory
Was so complete
That some among you
Thought to keep
A record of
Our little lives
The clothes we wore
Our spoons our knives
The games of luck
Our soldiers played
The stones we cut
The songs we made
Our law of peace
Which understands
A husband leads
A wife commands
And all of this
Expressions of
The Sweet Indifference
Some call Love
The High Indifference
Some call Fate
But we had Names
More intimate
Names so deep and
Names so true
They’re blood to me
They’re dust to you
There is no need
That this survive
There’s truth that lives
And truth that dies
Never mind
Never mind
I live the life
I left behind
There’s truth that lives...
I could not kill
The way you kill
I could not hate
I tried I failed
You turned me in
At least you tried
You side with them
Whom you despise
This was your heart
This swarm of flies
This was once your mouth
This bowl of lies
You serve them well
I’m not surprised
You’re of their kin
You’re of their kind
Never mind
Never mind
The story’s told
With facts and lies
You own the world
So never mind
Never mind
Never mind
I live the life
I left behind
I live it full
I live it wide
Through layers of time
You can’t divide
My woman’s here
My children too
Their graves are safe
From ghosts like you
In places deep
With roots entwined
I live the life I left behind
song performed by by Leonard Cohen, music by Patrick Leonard, lyrics by Leonard Cohen (2016)
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
Vote! | Copy!
Hate That Is Not Mine
I hate the way we live
I hate we have to die
I hate the way you want it to be all over
And suddenly change ur mind
I hate you want to hurt yourself
I hate you always cry
I hate I see myself somewhere deep inside your eyes
I hate that I can relate to you
I hate that you cant see
All the good things in your life
I hate you cant see me
I hate when I look in the mirror
Your the person looking back
I hate that every day seems like someone will attack
I hate that I am weak
I hate that you are hear
I hate that I can't change all the things I fear
I hate that I dont hate you
instead I hate myself
for im the one who can't even remember my true self
I hate I let you into my mind
I hate you let me stop living
I hate that I can't stand up to you and understand what im forgiving
I hate I dont talk to you
I hate its not like it use to be
I hate time that makes me change to what you want to see
I hate you couldnt tell this wasn't all my hate
I take your hate into myself and understand my fate
sometimes I dont understand the hate
and still I continue to see
all the hate deep down inside of you
is now inside of me.
poem by Kendra Short
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
No More Praise
Once they said you were so sweet
But now they say that you are a cheat
So maybe then someday you might learn
Your deeds speak louder than any word
As you think walking down your street.
Once they said your soul was loyal
But now they say its used and soiled
So I say this to you my dear, dear friend
If you did once before you will do it again
You once had nothing but now you are spoiled.
Once they said you were knowledgeable
Now they say that you are intolerable
As you think your better than everyone else
And no one is as smart as yourself
Now your ways and acts are unpardonable.
Once they said you were very honest
But then you became very dishonest
You hid your truth as you would hide a tear
Then you made your past and deeds disappear
As then you thought you were a goddess.
Once they said you were trustworthy
But then you became uncouth and earthy
You became a person that we never knew
As inside your soul and mind evil and hate grew
Now for your salvation you will never be worthy.
Once they said you were true to the core
But now your mind is empty and your soul is poor
You had let evil and sin enter into your life
Now honesty and love is out of your sight
Statements of praises, you wont hear anymore.
poem by Randy McClave
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Hate...
I hate,
hate that I can't trust
I hate,
hate that I must lie because they'd rather believe I'm fine.
I hate,
hate who I've been.
I hate,
hate to make decisions.
I hate,
hate that I can't hate those I should.
I hate,
hate my life.
I hate,
hate that I can't die.
I hate,
hate to live in fear and hate.
I hate,
hate my uncertainty.
I hate,
hate the lies people tell me.
I hate,
hate that I believe.
I hate,
hate those that wish their lives were mine.
I hate,
hate all emotion that's mine.
I hate,
hate that I need others.
I hate,
hate my own d*mn incompetence.
I hate,
hate that there's so much to hate.
poem by Dama Tristeza
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Truth and Lies
Is the truth beyond our lies,
Say what you want,
Watch what you say,
For our hidden lies, we must pay.
In the darkness of the night,
In the brightness of the day,
Truth and lies have gone astray.
Does your truth contain a lie?
Black as coal, the midnight sky.
Truth will shine,
It is the light,
To tell the truth,
With a soul so bright.
Is truth defined just in the mind?
In the Prince of Darkenss lies defined.
Love of the truth will scorn the Devil,
Our truth must stay at our highest level.
Of these shortcomings,
Are we aware?
That we speak of lies so unaware!
Every lie turns the truth aside,
Our secret truths, we sometimes hide.
poem by Philip Lore
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Eternal Wait
Fear of becoming sane
inherits the hate of earth.
I wake up in the rains of time.
Fire of soul
extracts the thought shapes
like stark naked truth
in the desert of pain –
unbirthing the child of wisdom.
I hardly think, in my failures.
The house will go up in blaze
by the earthen lamp of fading glory.
There was no light, a quick death
of lips and speech. The human touch-
prints had avenged for words.
Inspiration will wait.
poem by Satish Verma
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
You hate Me
You hate me
Is not a statement
Neither it's an impression
It's just you hate me
You hate me
In yr words and doing
So yr mind and feeling
Why on earth do you hate me?
You hate me
Without specific reason
Nor any single explanation
For you to hate me
You hate me
I dont play along with you
Or figure out things to do
You would just hate me
You hate me
I cant recall when you start
Or expect when you would stop
The bussiness of you hate me
You hate me
As if i'd killed you before reincarnate
As if i'd banish yr family with granade
Are those imagination that made you hate me?
You hate me
As the sun and moon gather in a day
They shine together in different way
Can they represent how do you hate me?
You hate me,
I dont mind but indeed feel sorry
I wish you could live more happy
Without have to hate me
Anyway... You hate me
For Stephan & Ray
both who always make my day
poem by Niken Kusuma Wardani
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My Poetry
Through poetry,
I am set free
Better able to reveal
The secret part of me
That hides beyond the shadows
In my eyes
Every poem that I write,
Tells my life in different parts
I bare my soul, although vulnerable,
I share with you
What's in my heart
Exploring the corners of my mind
I mold into words,
The feelings I find
Each thought expressed
Is uniquely told
Wrapping itself around
The meaning it holds
Emotions are endless
It's understanding that I seek
It's simply easier at times
To write the words I cannot speak
poem by Erika Wingo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Waiting
Everyday I sit and wait
I don't know what it takes
I build it up until it breaks
Left with nothing but fear and hate
You think your life gets unnoticed
But the truth is people abuse it
Trying to live the right way, unacceptable by most
Everybody thinks they're right until the day they lose it
Now the trouble comes
Twist the second guess
People think it's a game
I think it's a test
Truth is I rhyme all the time
Pen and paper completely unnecessary
Because these thoughts come from an open mind
And I know my mind is one of a kind
When I speak up, people say it's scary
Never know what comes next
Waiting for the day I'm dead and buried
Highly doubt I'll live long enough to get married
Don't look down and treat me like a pest
I could destroy your whole world with just one breath
poem by ryan Cravatta
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Truth Or Lie
If all I knew was a lie
Twisted truth do wickedness imply
Words no meaning certainty deny
Surreal speech reason belie
Truth enslaves purpose lie
That life I would live and die
Memories doped and passion cry
Reality betray my tears to try
A lie is truth compel comply
Friendship foe breath is shy
To be or not my mind standby
Question all I ask why
All that I know is a lie
A truth with purpose to untie
Exist in mystery love defy
Worthless to time hate underlie
If all I knew was a lie
What is life for me to try?
poem by Stephen Dantes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
G*d Unnamed
So many are reluctant, in their speech,
to make referral to the name of God;
as if to speak thus is to overreach
what may by human mind be understood.
Yet is it not the given power of mind
to do this very thing, and boldly seek
always the greater picture, there to find
the greater causes, and of them to speak?
Our consciousness is greater than the Sun;
it shines beyond the shadows of the mind;
in universal thoughts that look to One
a richer life this greater love may find.
Thus unnamed unity may head our quest;
for Goodness, Truth and Beauty there still rest..
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Music Of The Night
In the night the music plays,
I lay alone in the covers hidden from the dark,
I do not turn I do not look, I listen to the music play,
The horror of reality has left its’ mark,
On my soul, on my mind,
I am alone in the truth, in the past.
I know what they have seen, as others are blind,
I know the cast,
Of their play, of their lives,
Yet I still lay here scared, weak,
It is on my knowing that they thrive,
So I am left, weak.
The music plays over the sounds, all their goodbyes
I do not hear them, yet I feel them,
I see their faces, their eyes,
I know they hold onto life by it’s hem,
Trying not to let go, to hold to life,
They hold onto me, my mind,
I am their source of life,
And so I lay, waiting for sleep,
I lay with the nightlights in their small light,
Yet still the darkness is so deep,
For this is the same every day, I fall asleep, to the music of the night.
~This is the truth, this is how I live, this is my night.
poem by Bethany Maxwell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Be Not Afraid: You and Me
Make up your mind-complicated thought,
Which lane to take in a two way
Street ahead, Choose a path but one,
And if you've to catch up, you ought.
Your mind's confused when honesty's
In recluse, come walk my way
And let's reveal the truth - a walk of destiny
Hang on tightly to me...
And let us build a path to life's reality.
Be not afraid of who you are to me,
I in return will make the best I see
Of who you are sans your infirmity
Just build your mind a solid destiny.
Now can you see decision has to be
But just a step-your feelings are so free,
Remember who you are to many just like me
Decide with ease between what not to be,
Fall back and forth but with solid identity
Discover you and me in a world of...
Truth and honesty.
poem by Jona PoloRamirez
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A dark secrete
I have a big dark secret, stored deep inside of me
should i tell? should i not? what should it be?
for every day that comes, this big dark secret grows
and the fear that i live in takes ahold
it will not go, this big dark secret
it must be told, this big dark secret
so why have i waited for so long?
life will never get better if i just play along
because this big dark secret destroys my life
and it must be told, no matter what the price
poem by Kat Temple
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I H@tE yOu! !
I hate it when you spoil my day,
I hate you when you walk away.
I hate the way you look at me,
I hate you when you say sorry.
I hate the way you at me stare,
I hate the way you touch my hair.
I hate it when you vanish my pain,
I hate it when you make me smile again.
I hate the way you at me scream,
I hate the way you sit and dream.
I hate the way you shout,
I hate it when you walk out.
I hate the way you look into my eyes,
I hate it when you speak all lies.
I hate the way you look at my face,
I hate you when you don't call at my place.
I hate it when you don't come home,
I hate you when you leave me all alone.
And i hate to break this to you,
But i gotta tell you what is true.
I don't hate you the way i should,
And i don't think i ever could! ! !
poem by Tanvi Damle
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Too Much To Think About
Sister help take this pain from my heart
Help me stand up and find out whats right
Dont want to exist here in the dark
When the gates of eden offer so much light
But theres too much to think about
Too many problems in my brain
Yeah, theres too much to think about
How could I ever make up my mind
Young man lay down your guns
And hold your woman in your arms
The concretes not worth dying fo
They say theres more to this life
But theres too much to think about
Too many problems in my brain
Yeah, theres too much to think about
How could I ever make up my mind
So what am I living for
They say the truth is not hard to find
Its right here in front of my eyes
If I could just open my heart sometimes
But theres too much to think about
Too many problems in my brain
Yeah, theres too much to think about
How could I ever make up my mind
But theres too much to think about
Too many problems in my brain
Yeah, theres too much to think about
How could I ever make up my mind
Make up my mind
Make up my mind
Make up make up my mind
Make up make up my mind
song performed by by John Mellencamp
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Sonnet: Speak the Truth Always
Open your heart and speak the truth therein;
Let not your tongue utter its usual lies;
For bearing false witness is mortal sin,
And Hell is punishment if man so dies!
Just listen to your conscience and speak;
Your evil words will one day God’s wrath reap;
John Celes is a doctor in his peak;
And God, his Friend and Guide who loves him deep.
No man is cleverer than God you know;
His justice, honesty prevails on earth;
To these ideals as doctors, we must bow,
Until we take our earthly life’s last breath.
Just speak the truth until the very last,
And do your duty to your God steadfast.
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
From Sengtzan (died 606 AD/CE) , the Third Patriarch of Zen
How may we walk all free and undisturbed
through life, as if there were no other way?
So that our human nature finds no break
between our nature, and all nature's play?
The answer lies in thought: for if our mind
holds any thought that some restriction makes
on truth itself, then Truth is thus constrained
in every part; can never show itself.
For hence comes false requirement, then to judge
between all these embordered things in mind -
Which wearies angered mind, like some old grudge;
No freedom then, nor peace, nor truth, to find.
So curb that game divisive mind will play
with anything at all; that is the Way.
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!