The Streetsweeper
goes by at 1:00 a.m. two nights of the week. I can
hear the feather whoosh of his machine and see
one red light.
I believe that the streetsweeper lives alone,
sleeping
through the cold days, waking clear-eyed and deft
as the sun goes down.
I believe that he works steadily without a portable
radio or a reading light or a nap. When he pauses
it is to stare placidly into
the potent night.
For reasons too numerous to mention, I think
about the
streetsweeper often and about the singular,
provident
cadence of his life.
poem by Ronald Koertge
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, "Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."
quote by Martin Luther King
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Embrace
(r gibb)
I dont know what you want, I dont hear what you said
Truth behind the lies
cause I cant see whats in your head
And spread your wings and fly, out in a brave new world
Let this be my prayer, to keep you safe when Im not there
Can we love and live apart, I dont know,no, I dont know
How can we divide the heart, I dont know, no, I dont know
And when the night falls, and when the sky falls,
I long for your embrace
And in the cold night, under the street light
I long for your embrace
Living separate lives, I have faith in you, away from you
Like a lonely child, I will hang on every word
Embrace
Through the mists of time, lovers can be friends
The power of the human heart
The secrets in the souls of men
All my blessings in disguise
I dont know, no, I dont know
Reunited we will rise
I dont know, no, I dont know
And when the night falls, and when the sky falls,
I long for your embrace
And in the cold night, under the street light
I long for your embrace
Living separate lives, I have faith in you, away from you
Like a lonely child, I will hang on every word
And when the night falls, and when the sky falls,
I long for your embrace
Another daybreak, another heartache
I long for your embrace
Living separate lives
Away from you
Embrace, embrace
The lonely, lonely life
Lonely days and nights
We can live our life
Embrace, embrace
With our separate lives
Embrace, embrace
The lonely, lonely lives
Lonely days and nights
I will never send away
Embrace, embrace
The lonely, lonely lives
Embrace the child inside
The lonely, lonely lives
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Red Light Lady
(copyright nazareth,tiflis tunes,inc.-ascap)
Down at the house with the red light
She works from seven til dawn
Youll find her there any time that you like
Some days a week shell be on
Down at the house with the red light
I was a boy not to sure of myself
When I was first taken down
Down to the house with the red light
Two miles west of town
I paid my fee and I went on in
Into the house with the red light
Pull up a chair, up the stairs
The key was cold and dampened my hand
Opened the door, heard her say;
Into my room and set yourself down
She let us lie on this shiny brass bed
Curtains and flowers in her hair
She played my soul and she shattered my head
Could not believe I was there
Down at the house with the red light
I fell in love with that lady
First love I knew, she gave me
Seven days a week, you can find her
Down at the house with the red light
I fell in love with that lady
song performed by by Nazareth
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Sestina
I saw my soul at rest upon a day
As a bird sleeping in the nest of night,
Among soft leaves that give the starlight way
To touch its wings but not its eyes with light;
So that it knew as one in visions may,
And knew not as men waking, of delight.
This was the measure of my soul's delight;
It had no power of joy to fly by day,
Nor part in the large lordship of the light;
But in a secret moon-beholden way
Had all its will of dreams and pleasant night,
And all the love and life that sleepers may.
But such life's triumph as men waking may
It might not have to feed its faint delight
Between the stars by night and sun by day,
Shut up with green leaves and a little light;
Because its way was as a lost star's way,
A world's not wholly known of day or night.
All loves and dreams and sounds and gleams of night
Made it all music that such minstrels may,
And all they had they gave it of delight;
But in the full face of the fire of day
What place shall be for any starry light,
What part of heaven in all the wide sun's way?
Yet the soul woke not, sleeping by the way,
Watched as a nursling of the large-eyed night,
And sought no strength nor knowledge of the day,
Nor closer touch conclusive of delight,
Nor mightier joy nor truer than dreamers may,
Nor more of song than they, nor more of light.
For who sleeps once and sees the secret light
Whereby sleep shows the soul a fairer way
Between the rise and rest of day and night,
Shall care no more to fare as all men may,
But be his place of pain or of delight,
There shall he dwell, beholding night as day.
Song, have thy day and take thy fill of light
Before the night be fallen across thy way;
Sing while he may, man hath no long delight.
poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Portable Radio
Words: j. oates
Music: j. oates, d. hall
Take your pick of the modulation
Like a kid in a candy store
Its a hand-carry situation
Made for lying on the beach
Or dancin in the streets
You got your pertinent information
Or you can tune in to hear the scores
Theres a power in a million stations
You cant ignore
Radio
Crank up the power
Radio
Rock it for hours and hours
Radio
Play it soft and low
Viva la portable radio
Turn up the power all night
Well I dont wanna hear no static
And I dont wanna hear no jaw
Put them platters on automatic
I cannot get enough
Got to give me more and more
Play some soul for the congregation
Rock n roll for the kids next door
Charge up your batteries across the nation
Viva la portable radio
Its x-static
song performed by by Hall & Oates
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
You Light Up My Life
So Many Nights I'd Sit By My Window
Waiting For Someone To Sing Me His Song
So Many Dreams I Kept Deep Inside Me
Alone In The Dark But Now You've Come Along
And You Light Up My Life
You Give Me Hope To Carry On
You Light Up My Days
And Fill My Nights With Song
Rollin' At Sea Adrift On The Waters
Could It Be Finally I'm Turning For Home
Finally A Chance To Say 'hey I Love You'
Never Again To Be All Alone
And You Light Up My Life
You Give Me Hope To Carry On
You Light Up My Days
And Fill My Nights With Song
You You Light Up My Life
You Give Me Hope To Carry On
You Light Up My Days
And Fill My Nights With Song
It Can't Be Wrong When It Feels So Right
'cause You You Light Up My Life
song performed by by LeAnn Rimes from You Light Up My Life
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Little Red Light
Sitting in traffic on the Tappan Zee
Fifty million people out in front of me
Trying to cross the water but it just might be a while
Rain's coming down I can't see a thing
Radio's broken so I'm whistling
New York to Nyack feels like a hundred miles
It's not right
It's not fair
I'm still a mess
And you still don't care
I go to work
I come back home
But you're still gone
And I'm still alone
And the little red light's not blinking
No, no the little red light's not blinking
No, no the little red light's not blinking
On my big black plastic Japanese cordless phone
Oh no
Stuck in a meeting on Monday night
Trying to get the numbers to come out right
I'm getting tired, I think I just might need a drink
And as I'm reaching in the bottom drawer
I'm dreaming 'bout the way it was before
Life was so easy I never really had to think
It's not right
It's not fair
I'm still a mess
And you still don't care
I go to sleep
When I wake up
The pain sets in
And it never stops
And the little red light's not blinking
No, no the little red light's not blinking
No, no the little red light's not blinking
On the desktop mailbox of my big black laptop
Oh no
It's not right
It's not fair
I'm still a mess
And you still don't care
I go to work
I come back home
But you're still gone
And I'm still alone
And the little red light's not blinking
No, no the little red light's not blinking
No, no the little red light's not blinking
On my big black Radio Shack digital portable phone
Oh no
song performed by by Fountains Of Wayne
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
You Light Up My Life
(Joe Brooks)
So many nights I sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dream I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark but now you've come along
You light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
Rollin' at sea, adrift on the water
Could it be finally I'm turning for home?
Finally, a chance to say hey, I love you
Never again to be all alone
You light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
Oh you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
It can't be wrong
When it feels so right
'Cause you, you light up my life.....
song performed by by Kenny Rogers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Sleepless On My Pillow
I'm sleepless on my pillow
just thinking of you,
remembering just what it's like to sleep
the whole night through.
I'm not too bad in daytime
when you're not here.
But when the nights come
and you're not here
I think of you and wonder
how I'll fall asleep?
Don't want to turn the light out
for I know I'll just be
Sleepless on my pillow
just thinking of you,
remembering what it's like to sleep
the whole night through.
I wonder if you're awake
just like me?
Or are you peaceful,
sleeping silently?
When you come home again
I sleep through the night,
never waking up until
the morning light.
But when you have to leave me
for a little while,
it's then I hate those nights again
for I know that I'll be
Sleepless on my pillow
thinking just of you,
remembering what it's like to sleep
the whole night through.
poem by Edwina Reizer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Radio Ga Ga
Words and music by roger taylor
Radio Id sit alone and watch your light
My only friend through teenage nights
And evrything I had to know
I heard it on my radio
You gave them all those old time stars
Through wars of worlds - invaded by mars
You made em laugh - you made em cry
You made us feel like we could fly
Radio
So dont become some background noise
A backdrop for the girls and boys
Who just dont know or just dont care
And just complain when youre not there
You had your time you had the power
Youve yet to have your finest hour
Radio
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah blah
Radio whats new?
Radio someone still loves you
We watch the shows - we watch the stars
On videos for hours and hours
We hardly need to use our ears
How music changes through the years
Lets hope you never leave old friend
Like all good things on you we depend
So stick around cos we might miss you
When we grow tired of all this visual
You had your time you had the power
Youve yet to have your finest hour
Radio
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah blah
Radio whats new?
Someone still loves you
Radio ga ga
Radio ga ga
Radio ga ga
Radio
You had your time you had the power
Youve yet to have your finest hour
Radio
song performed by by Queen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
From A Bleak Start
Another day that’s gray and bleak; and what a way to start the week.
But, as the weather changes friend, we too, could have a better end.
With the sun, the sky is brighter, and with The Lord a load is lighter.
When your heart is weighed down, only in Jesus, a Peace is found.
It always seems darkest when, your strength seems to be at its end,
That is when you will see The Lord, open for you a brand new door.
It’s always darkest before the light, as Christ Jesus breaks the night.
Then you see as you regain full sight, that everything will be all right.
So when your life seems overcast, you can be certain it will not last.
As the sun sheds away the gray, Jesus Christ will light up your way.
When in the darkness of this life, use the Light that’s found in Christ.
For Christ’s Light shines so bright, when the days are dark as night.
During these times, it is Christ, who guides you through all your life.
For He will not forsake you friend, indeed, He is with you to the end.
Through the week lean upon Him, Jesus will guide you in everything.
And all the gray will soon subside, as in Christ Jesus you fully abide,
Friend, others shall see your light, when their days are not so bright.
And any light that others can see, is just a small glimpse of eternity.
When Jesus will be The Light, that continually shines forever bright.
A time when all darkness will be, banished throughout all of eternity.
Never again shall we see night, as Christ my friend is Eternal Light.
A time when His Light won’t lack, so to the world we won’t look back.
It is this hope that is in our heart, that keeps us going from the start.
You will see by the week’s end, that it’s not like the beginning friend.
Days Of Our Lives
How many times have you walked through my door
How many times have you heard my song before
How many lines until the end of time
These are the days of our lives
How many times did you hear mother say
You would do fine if you didn't sleep all day
Oh mother dear, I'll get a job next year
These are the days of our lives
How many times did you walk down the street
Avoiding cracks that were thrown at your feet
These rainy days were sent to make us pay
But these are the days of our lives
How many roads must a woman walk down
How many walls will surround the town
All that I am could get us out of here
These are the days of our lives
Did you believe in the stories at night
Weren't you afraid when they turned out the light
Oh, such a gas, I'm sorry it won't last
These are the days of our lives
These are the days that some of us regret
These are the days we learn to forget
These are the days that turn us out this way
These are the days of our lives
Of our lives
song performed by by Travis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Seven Days In The Sun
I've got a friend, her name is Laura
We took a holiday, seven sweet days in Majorca
We took a plane through to southern Spain
To see the ocean wave's blue
We sat and watched the moon
As crickets sung back cover tunes
Way back in May
Seven days in the sun, seven days in the sun
She's my heaven
She's a spark
Feels like heaven
So light me up
She's got this friend, his name is Paula
He likes to cross dress every friday night in clothes from Prada
We took a train, left behind the rain
To see the summer sunset glow
But now she's not around
I'm hanging on with broken hands
Way above the clouds
Seven days in the sun, seven days in the sun...sun
She's my heaven
She's a spark
Feels like heaven
So light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really
Staring out through the crowd
It's pulling me underground
And who's gonna dig me out?
We used to take a walk on velvet sands across the beach
We used to build a fire, and stare into the rising heat
You used to set me free, lift me from the concrete seas
Seven days in the sun
She's my heaven
She's a spark
Feels like heaven
So light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You blow my mind
song performed by by Feeder
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Nights
Who said
Nights are
For sleeping?
They are for
Poetry-writing!
The whole day
I wait for them
To come to me.
They always
Choose nights
To come and
Awaken me!
These poems
Have a mind
Of their own!
Having the
Topsy-turvy
Routine of
Sleeping in
The day, and
Waking all night
To make poets
Moan!
poem by Aparna Chatterjee
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Days Are Exhusting
Days are exhausting
So much to do
So little time to do it
Light hours
Extinguish leaving only
Night
Sleepy and tired
Waking to another day
When light vanishes quickly
Waking to another day
With its own work
That must be completed
Wishing to simply stop
To not have anything to do
Just stoping for awhile
poem by Autumn Winds
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Am Radio
The VCR and the DVD
There wasn't none of that crap
Back in 1970
We didn't know about
A world wide web
It was a whole different game being played
Back when I was a kid
You wanna get down
In a cool way?
Just picture yourself on a beautiful day
With the big bell bottoms
And groovy long hair
Justa walking in style
With a portable CD player
No
No...you would listen
To the music on
The AM radio
Yeah...you could hear the music
The AM radio
Flashback to '72
Another summer in the neighborhood
Hanging out with nothing to do
Sometimes
We'd go driving around
In my sister's Pinto
Cruisin' with the windows rolled down
We'd listen to the radio station
We were too damn poor
To buy the 8 track tapes
There wasn't any good time
To want to be inside
My mom would want to watch that TV all night
I'd be in bed with the radio on
I would listen to it all night long
Just to hear my favorite song
You'd have to wait
But you could hear it
On the AM radio
Yeah...you could hear the music
On the AM radio
I can still hear mama say
"Boy...Turn that radio down!"
Things changed back in '75
We were all growing up
On the in
And the outside
We got in trouble with the police man
We got busted
Getting high
In the back of my friend's van
I remember 1977
I started going to concerts
And I saw the Led Zeppelin
I got a guitar
On a Christmas day
I dreamed that Jimmy Page
Would come to Santa Monica
And teach me to play
There isn't any other place that I need to go
There isn't anything that I need to know
That I did not learn from the radio
Yeah when things get stupid
And I just don't know
Where to find my happy
I listen to the music
From the AM radio
(You could hear the music
On the AM radio)
(You could hear the music
On the AM radio)
I like pop and I like soul
I like rock
But I never liked disco
(On the AM radio)
We like pop...We like soul
We like to rock
But we never liked disco
(On the AM radio)
I never liked disco...no I never liked disco
song performed by by Everclear
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
7 Days In The Sun
I've got a friend, her name is Laura
We took a holiday, seven sweet days in Majorca
We took a plane, through to southern Spain
To see the ocean wave's blue
We sat and watched the moon
As crickets sung back cover tunes
Way back in May
Seven days in the sun...yeah
She's my heaven
She's a spark
Feels like heaven
So light me up
She's got this friend, his name is Paula
He likes to cross dress every friday night in clothes from Prada
We took a train, left behind the rain
To see the summer sunset glow
But now she's not around
I'm hanging on with broken hands
Way for the clouds
Seven days in the sun
Seven days in the sun...sun
She's my heaven
She's a spark
Feels like heaven
So light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really
Staring through the crowd
It's pulling me underground
And who's gonna dig me out?
We used to take a walk on velvet sands across the beach
We used to build a fire, and stare into the rising heat
You used to set me free, lift me from the concrete sea
Seven days in the sun
She's my heaven
She's a spark
Feels like heaven
So light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You really light me up
You blow my mind
song performed by by Feeder
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
(Love Poem) 4 Days and Counting
4 days and counting,
the excitement is mounting,
a new a life, a better life, full of happiness.
Saying all these goodbyes,
bring tears to the eyes.
Its a fading sunrise.
That first moment Ill forever cherish.
First impressions, first impressions,
will everything go right.
Its the mornings delight, to see you.
Even if it means the loss of a future that
I don't know what holds.
Only in a world so cold could
I either say no or let go.
4 days and counting,
the truest emotions surmounting.
Going for it all, the story book fight.
Reading it under a child's night light.
Making it work even when were at our worse.
All my energy being dispersed,
dispatched, by a higher calling.
My life was stalling over, and over again.
The constant wounding and mending.
It was never ending till I found my greatness in you.
4 days and counting.
The soul searching is over.
I have been delivered from my solitude and
we have raised the aptitude.
The skies so high, afraid to fall,
well do it together.
Floating down like a feather.
poem by Ace Of Black Hearts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Light?
Have you ever wounderd from where light came
If the wondering of light is just a game
If light is playing a trick on our eyes
If light is just a bunch of lies
If light has a tempreture cold as ice
If light is actually hot as rice
If light can run around the room
If light will lead us to our doom
If light can catch a traveling ball
If light can hear our pleading call
If light needs us to see ing the dark
If light can produce a menacing bark
If light can flow as fast as sound
If light is only on earth bound
If light can take a human form
If light can get caught up ina storm
I often wonder what light can do
but its secrets are not for me and you
poem by Samantha Ridley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Best Days
Over the river they all go again
Out into leafy nowhere hope someone's waiting out there for them
Cabbie has his mind on a fare to the sun
He works nights but it's not much fun
Picks up the london yo-yos
All on their own down soho
Take me home
Other people wouldn't like to hear you
If you said that these are the best days of their lives
Other people turn around and laugh at you
If you said that these are the best days of our lives
Trellick tower's been calling
I know she'll leave me in the morning
In hotel cells listening to dull tones
Remote controls and cable moans
In his drink he's been talking
Gets disconnected sleepwalking back home
Other people wouldn't like to hear you
If you said that these are the best days of our lives
Other people turn around and laugh at you
If you said that these are the best days of our lives
song performed by by Blur from The Great Escape
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!