Ring Out Your Bells
Ring out your bells, let mourning shows be spread;
For Love is dead--
All love is dead, infected
With plague of deep disdain;
Worth, as nought worth, rejected,
And Faith fair scorn doth gain.
From so ungrateful fancy,
From such a female franzy,
From them that use men thus,
Good Lord, deliver us!
Weep, neighbours, weep; do you not hear it said
That Love is dead?
His death-bed, peacock's folly;
His winding-sheet is shame;
His will, false-seeming holy;
His sole exec'tor, blame.
From so ungrateful fancy,
From such a female franzy,
From them that use men thus,
Good Lord, deliver us!
Let dirge be sung and trentals rightly read,
For Love is dead;
Sir Wrong his tomb ordaineth
My mistress' marble heart,
Which epitaph containeth,
"Her eyes were once his dart."
From so ungrateful fancy,
From such a female franzy,
From them that use men thus,
Good Lord, deliver us!
Alas, I lie, rage hath this error bred;
Love is not dead;
Love is not dead, but sleepeth
In her unmatched mind,
Where she his counsel keepeth,
Till due desert she find.
Therefore from so vile fancy,
To call such wit a franzy,
Who Love can temper thus,
Good Lord, deliver us!
poem by Philip Sidney

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A Litany (Cavatina Sequence)
(after Sir Philip Sidney)
Once huge church bells did ring at our wedding,
but love is gone,
as a plague its infected, by your whims has spread;
another one
finds grace in your eyes, now knows your deep flesh,
while like some stone
what was ours is petrified into dust,
good almighty Lord God, deliver us.
What once was high and holy is now dead,
only pain remain
while you acted very unscrupulous,
could not explain
your own female infatuating fancy
and then to gain
you breached our holy, pure, solemn trust
good almighty Lord God, deliver us.
No dirge, lament or even a prayer
can change your mind,
even if I at times do in pain weep
you stay unkind,
rushes away, with your eyes set and does
your lover find;
from a women that acts to true love thus,
good almighty Lord God, deliver us.
[Reference: “A Litany” by Sir Philip Sidney.]
poem by Gert Strydom

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Corn Grinders
O little mouse, why dost thou cry
While merry stars laugh in the sky?
Alas! alas! my lord is dead!
Ah, who will ease my bitter pain?
He went to seek a millet-grain
In the rich farmer's granary shed;
They caught him in a baited snare,
And slew my lover unaware:
Alas! alas! my lord is dead.
O little deer, why dost thou moan,
Hid in thy forest-bower alone?
Alas! alas! my lord is dead!
Ah! who will quiet my lament?
At fall of eventide he went
To drink beside the river-head;
A waiting hunter threw his dart,
And struck my lover through the heart.
Alas! alas! my lord is dead.
O little bride, why dost thou weep
With all the happy world asleep?
Alas! alas! my lord is dead!
Ah, who will stay these hungry tears,
Or still the want of famished years,
And crown with love my marriage-bed?
My soul burns with the quenchless fire
That lit my lover's funeral pyre:
Alas! alas! my lord is dead.
poem by Sarojini Naidu

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Don't Rush Through The Process
If I did not deliver to you my best each time...
What would be the point?
To show to you I can do this isn't easy.
To show to you I can do this,
Has not added hours to my sleep.
I have a need to prove to you,
I am dedicated.
I am loyal.
I am...
Are you listening to me?
'Yes.
I know you love me.
But making these errors...
I don't find acceptable.
Take your time.
Don't rush through the process.
I'm not going anywhere.'
That's what I am saying.
See how ungrateful you are?
'I am not ungrateful at all.
If you are calling 'this' your best...
I know you can deliver something far better!
Now...
IF you had said,
You were making attempts to produce your best...
I would not object at all.
In fact,
I would have thought of all of it as great.
And both of us would have been getting more rest!
But your confession that you can do better...
Has me wanting to get it as good as you can give it! '
I said nothing about doing or getting it better.
'No...
True!
'You' didn't.
I did! '
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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Psalm 41
In my time of trouble
The Lord shall deliver
Even on my sickbed
You are with me forever
Even when I am sick and weak
My enemies say 'he'll not arise'
Yet you are merciful to me o Lord
Your glory fills the morning skies
I cannot even trust my friend
Who sat and ate my bread
And now I feel so much alone
He would also see me dead
Blessed be the Lord my God
Set me before your face forever
And though they seek to trample me
By your hand you shall surely deliver
poem by Frank McEleny

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Autumn
Autumn hath all the summer's fruitful treasure;
Gone is our sport, fled is poor Croydon's pleasure.
Short days, sharp days, long nights come on apace,
Ah, who shall hide us from the winter's face?
Cold doth increase, the sickness will not cease,
And here we lie, God knows, with little ease.
From winter, plague, and pestilence, good Lord deliver us!
London doth mourn, Lambeth is quite forlorn;
Trades cry, Woe worth that ever they were born.
The want of term is town and city's harm;
Close chambers we do want to keep us warm.
Long banished must we live from our friends;
This low-built house will bring us to our ends.
From winter, plague, and pestilence, good Lord deliver us!
poem by Thomas Nashe

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Soldier, Soldier
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Why don't you march with my true love?"
"We're fresh from off the ship an' 'e's maybe give the slip,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
New love! True love!
Best go look for a new love,
The dead they cannot rise, an' you'd better dry your eyes,
An' you'd best go look for a new love.
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
What did you see o' my true love?"
"I seed 'im serve the Queen in a suit o' rifle-green,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Did ye see no more o' my true love?"
"I seed 'im runnin' by when the shots begun to fly --
But you'd best go look for a new love."
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Did aught take 'arm to my true love?"
"I couldn't see the fight, for the smoke it lay so white --
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
I'll up an' tend to my true love!"
"'E's lying on the dead with a bullet through 'is 'ead,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
I'll down an' die with my true love!"
"The pit we dug'll 'ide 'im an' the twenty men beside 'im --
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Do you bring no sign from my true love?"
"I bring a lock of 'air that 'e allus used to wear,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
O then I know it's true I've lost my true love!"
"An' I tell you truth again -- when you've lost the feel o' pain
You'd best take me for your true love."
True love! New love!
Best take 'im for a new love,
The dead they cannot rise, an' you'd better dry your eyes,
An' you'd best take 'im for your true love.
poem by Rudyard Kipling

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Psalm 116 part 1
Recovery from sickness.
I love the Lord; he heard my cries,
And pitied every groan;
Long as I live, when troubles rise,
I'll hasten to his throne.
I love the Lord; he bowed his ear,
And chased my griefs away;
O let my heart no more despair,
While I have breath to pray!
My flesh declined, my spirits fell,
And I drew near the dead;
While inward pangs and fears of hell
Perplexed my wakeful head.
"My God," I cried, "thy servant save,
"Thou ever good and just;
Thy power can rescue from the grave,
Thy power is all my trust."
The Lord beheld me sore distressed,
He bid my pains remove
Return, my soul, to God thy rest,
For thou hast known his love.
My God hath saved my soul from death,
And dried my falling tears;
Now to his praise I'll spend my breath,
And my remaining years.
poem by Isaac Watts

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Please Be The One
(gary burr, sunny russ)
This desert lies
Its so unfair
I think theres water everywhere
Im always fooled
Just when I think Im saved
But I dont have the strength
To do again
What always comes undone
Deliver me
Please be the one
Ive thought I wasted all those prayers
Till I looked up and you were there
Oh in your eyes
I see theres hope for me
I need your love
To finish off
What others have begun
Deliver me
Please be the one
Be the one who makes me see
Be wonderful a reason
Be the one who rescues me
With a love I can believe in
Let it be true
That you can do
What no one else has done
Deliver me
Please be the one
Oh deliver me
Please be the one
song performed by by Reba Mcentire

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Deliver Me
Deliver me from darkness.
Deliver me from pain.
Deliver me from loneliness
and let love remain.
Deliver me from blindness.
Deliver me from chains.
Deliver me from unhappiness
and let drops of rain
Shower me with acceptance,
Shower me with song,
Shower me with goodness.
Deliver me from wrong.
poem by Edwina Reizer

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Heriot's Ford
"What's that that hirples at my side?"
The foe that you must fight, my lord.
"That rides as fast as I can ride?"
The shadow of your might, my lord.
"Then wheel my horse against the foe!"
He's down and overpast, my lord.
You war against the sunset-glow,
The judgment follows fast, my lord!
"Oh, who will stay the sun's descent?"
King Joshua he is dead, my lord.
"I need an hour to repent!"
'Tis what our sister said, my lord.
"Oh, do not slay me in my sins!"
You're safe awhile with us, my lord.
"Nay, kill me ere my fear begins!"
We would not serve you thus, my lord.
"Where is the doom that I must face?"
Three little leagues away, my lord.
"Then mend the horses' laggard pace!"
We need them for next day, my lord.
"Next day--next day! Unloose my cords!"
Our sister needed none, my lord.
You had no mind to face our swords,
And--where can cowards run, my lord?
"You would not kill the soul alive?"
'Twas thus our sister cried, my lord.
"I dare not die with none to shrive."
But so our sister died, my lord.
"Then wipe the sweat from brow and cheek."
It runnels forth afresh, my lord.
"Uphold me--for the flesh is weak."
You've finished with the Flesh, my lord!
poem by Rudyard Kipling

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Psalm 140
O Lord you have seen my afflictions
Come now and deliver me
You see how they bind and chain me
Break these chains and set me free
O Lord I am caught in a mighty storm
Arise and say ' be still.'
I know when you speak but a single word
All creation must bow to your will
O Lord how the wicked would kill me
They despise me and would see me dead
Yet you deliver me from all of my fears
It's by the word that you speak I am fed
O Lord in my flesh I would hate them
Yet what should I do instead?
For you have called me to love them despite all
And heap coals of fire on then head
I will yield in the flesh to the Lord my God
And I shall turn the other cheek
And when I'm compelled to walk just one mile
I'll walk two, for thy presence I seek
For my battle is not against flesh and blood
Or the people that I can see
I battle against the unseen powers
You defeated on dark Calvary
I am sustained in this life by the presence of God
Though poor, I am fed by Hid hand
You give to me the waters of life
And on Calvary's victory I'll shall stand
poem by Frank McEleny

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Psalm II: Why Did the Nations
Why did the nations join to slay
The Lord's anointed Son?
Why did they cast His laws away
And tread His gospel down?
The Lord, that sits above the skies,
Derides their rage below;
He speaks with vengeance in His eyes
And strikes their spirits through.
"I call Him My Eternal Son,
And raise Him from the dead;
I make My holy hill His throne,
And wide His Kingdom spread."
"Ask me, My Son, and then enjoy
The utmost heathen lands:
Thy rod of iron shall destroy
The rebel that withstands."
Be wise, ye rulers of the earth,
Obey the anointed Lord,
Adore the King of Heav'nly birth,
And tremble at His word.
With humble love address his throne;
For if He frown, you die:
Those are secure, and those alone,
Who on His grace rely.
poem by Isaac Watts

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The Undying
She was so wonderful I wondered
If wedding me she had not blundered;
She was so pure, so high above me,
I marvelled how she came to love me:
Or did she? Well, in her own fashion -
Affection, pity, never passion.
I knew I was not worth her love;
Yet oh, how wistfully I strove
To be her equal in some way;
She knew I tried, and I would pray
Some day she'd hold her head in pride,
And stand with praising by my side.
A Weakling, I - she made me strong;
My finest thoughts to her belong;
Through twenty years she mothered me,
And then one day she smothered me
With kisses, saying wild with joy:
"Soon we'll be three - let's hope, a boy."
"Too old to bear a child," they said;
Well, they were right, for both are dead. . . .
Ah no, not dead - she is with me,
And by my side she'll ever be;
Her spirit lingers, half divine:
All good I do is hers, not mine.
God, by my works O let me strive
To keep her gentleness alive!
Let in my heart her spirit glow,
And by my thoughts for others show
She is not dead: she'll never die
While love for humankind have I.
poem by Robert William Service

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Plague Plague Plague
Dead dog dead dog
Guts all down the freeway
in a dirty red streak
fur all mangled lookin
like Bob Dylan's hair
Plague plague plague
My dog's name was Missi
after this cousin I kinda
didn't like
but I never hated either
one to where I wanted
a dead cousin or dead dog dead dog
Plague Plague Plague
My cousin never writes
so I don't know what's up with her
but I know I got a dead dog dead dog
hit by a semi and pasted on the freeway
like gaudy modern art
Plague Plague Plague
Missi was a boy and he was a good dog
now he's a dead dog dead dog
let's go get drunk and
sing songs about Missi
his favorite one was that rambling
one about
Plague Plague Plague
poem by Smack Thompson

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The Alienated Mistress; A Madrigal. (From An Unfinished Melodrama)
Lady.
If Love be dead (and you aver it!)
Tell me, Bard! where Love lies buried.
Poet.
Love lies buried where 'twas born,
Ah, faithless nymph! think it no scorn
If in my fancy I presume
To name thy bosom poor Love's Tomb,
And on that Tomb to read the line,
Here lies a Love that once was mine,
But took a chill, as I divine,
And died at length of a decline.
poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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O Star!
o star, how i love you
o star, won't you love me too
o star, you say who am i and i say am i but we both know who we are
o star, just as you know me i know you
o star, won't you shine on me once again
o star, if it weren't for you i would dead
o star, go back to your head
o star, deliver to her my secret message love
o star, fly true and fly fast as a dove
o star, be there with her and tell her i want to be there with her
o star, please deliver this message lest i choke on life
o star, i will now fill
o star, fill you with my secret love message so that i may not kill
o star, kill myself out of agony
o star, please let no one know this message but my sweet
o star, pass on the message to only her lest i die of heat
o star, be true
o star, on your path to deliver my love do not go askew
o star, find the one love find her o star find her and tell
o star, . tell my angel that i love her
poem by David Knox

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Community
Good we must love, and must hate ill,
For ill is ill, and good good still;
But there are things indifferent,
Which wee may neither hate, nor love,
But one, and then another prove,
As we shall find our fancy bent.
If then at first wise Nature had
Made women either good or bad,
Then some wee might hate, and some choose;
But since she did them so create,
That we may neither love, nor hate,
Only this rests, all all may use.
If they were good it would be seen;
Good is as visible as green,
And to all eyes itself betrays.
If they were bad, they could not last;
Bad doth itself, and others waste;
So they deserve nor blame, nor praise.
But they are ours as fruits are ours;
He that but tastes, he that devours,
And he that leaves all, doth as well;
Changed loves are but changed sorts of meat;
And when he hath the kernel eat,
Who doth not fling away the shell?
poem by John Donne

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Its About Time
I used to be a famous artist
Proud as I could be
Struggling to express myself
For the whole world to see
I used to blow my mind sky high
Searching for the lost elation
Little did I know the joy I was to find
In knowing I am only me
Im singin in my heart
Im singin in my heart
Im singin love to sing
I love to sing it from my heart
Oh the creation yeah
Of a good time doin my part
With an open-hearted laugh of realization in my mind
And now Im but a child who art
Erect in humility
Serving out a love for everyone I meet
In truth who are really me
Im singin in my heart
Im singin in my heart
Im singin love to sing
I love to sing it from my heart
No-no-no no no
Hoo no hey yeah no-no-no-no
Its about time now its about time now
Its about time now dont you know now
Its about time now its about time now
Its about time now dont you know now
Its about time we get together
To be out front and love one another
Brothers sisters everybody
We better start to help each other now
We need it now
When were sharin our love brother
Thats when we know we can shape another world
Lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord
Oooh lord
Lord lord lord lord lord oh oh
Oh no lord no no oh
song performed by by Beach Boys

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Love
Foolish love is only folly;
Wanton love is too unholy;
Greedy love is covetous;
Idle love is frivolous;
But the gracious love is it
That doth prove the work of it.
Beauty but deceives the eye;
Flattery leads the ear awry;
Wealth doth but enchant the wit;
Want, the overthrow of it;
While in Wisdom's worthy grace,
Virtue sees the sweetest face.
There hath Love found out his life,
Peace without all thought of strife;
Kindness in Discretion's care;
Truth, that clearly doth declare
Faith doth in true fancy prove,
Lust the excrements of Love.
Then in faith may fancy see
How my love may constru'd be;
How it grows and what it seeks;
How it lives and what it likes;
So in highest grace regard it,
Or in lowest scorn discard it.
poem by Nicholas Breton

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Lord May I Come?
Life and night are falling from me,
Death and day are opening on me,
Wherever my footsteps come and go,
Life is a stony way of woe.
Lord, have I long to go?
Hallow hearts are ever near me,
Soulless eyes have ceased to cheer me:
Lord may I come to thee?
Life and youth and summer weather
To my heart no joy can gather.
Lord, lift me from life’s stony way!
Loved eyes long closed in death watch for me:
Holy death is waiting for me –
Lord, may I come to-day?
My outward life feels sad and still
Like lilies in a frozen rill;
I am gazing upwards to the sun,
Lord, Lord, remembering my lost one.
O Lord, remember me!
How is it in the unknown land?
Do the dead wander hand in hand?
God, give me trust in thee.
Do we clasp dead hands and quiver
With an endless joy for ever?
Do tall white angels gaze and wend
Along the banks where lilies bend?
Lord, we know not how this may be:
Good Lord we put our faith in thee –
O God, remember me.
poem by Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal

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