Before an Examination
The little letters dance across the page,
Flaunt and retire, and trick the tired eyes;
Sick of the strain, the glaring light, I rise
Yawning and stretching, full of empty rage
At the dull maunderings of a long dead sage,
Fling up the windows, fling aside his lies;
Choosing to breathe, not stifle and be wise,
And let the air pour in upon my cage.
The breeze blows cool and there are stars and stars
Beyond the dark, soft masses of the elms
That whisper things in windy tones and light.
They seem to wheel for dim, celestial wars;
And I -- I hear the clash of silver helms
Ring icy-clear from the far deeps of night.
poem by Stephen Vincent Benet
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Campus Sonnets: Before An Examination
The little letters dance across the page,
Flaunt and retire, and trick the tired eyes;
Sick of the strain, the glaring light, I rise
Yawning and stretching, full of empty rage
At the dull maunderings of a long dead sage,
Fling up the windows, fling aside his lies;
Choosing to breathe, not stifle and be wise,
And let the air pour in upon my cage.
The breeze blows cool and there are stars and stars
Beyond the dark, soft masses of the elms
That whisper things in windy tones and light.
They seem to wheel for dim, celestial wars;
And I - I hear the clash of silver helms
Ring icy-clear from the far deeps of night.
poem by Stephen Vincent Benet
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Moonchild
Moonchild, moonchild
All day long I wait for the sun to disappear
So I can free myself in the cool night air
Take down my hair and feel the wind on my shoulders
With every breeze I feel my heart grow bolder and bolder
Chorus:
Moonchild, love it when your light shines down on me
Moonchild, want someone to dance the dream
Moonchild, wrap me up beneath the stars
Moonchild, come to me when the night grows dark
Tell me who you are, moonchild
I swear that I can feel your arms around me now
I know youre somewhere, ooh so Im reaching out
All day a misty shadow follows me
I can hear you calling, darling,
Cant you see
Im your
Chorus
Moonchild, moonchild
Moonchild, moonchild
Im your
Chorus
Love it when your light shines down on me
Want someone to dance the dream
Come on and wrap me up beneath the stars
Why dont you come to me when the night grows dark
Moonchild
Love it when your light shines down on me
Want someone to dance the dream
Stars
Come to me
When night grows dark
Moonchild
song performed by by Debbie Gibson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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On The Sea
No fog clear in the moonlight
The stars shine so bright nows the time
I close my eyes - soft wind touch my face
Cool sand upon the place where I once kissed you
And held you close
Now I will reach for the stars
Because oh my love, thats where you are
Chorus:
Though the storms of black night rage on
I still see your face
I still feel your lips on mine
And though my heart feels all alone without you
I still hear you sing to me
I still hear your voice on the sea
Waves crash break the silence
Gulls cry a song of lament
I walk on through the stormy night
The air cries flash of anger
Dark night enshrouds the stranger all alone without you
Now I will reach for the stars
Because oh my love, thats where you are
Chorus
No fog clear in the moonlight
The stars shine so bright nows the time
I close my eyes - soft wind touching my face
Cool sand upon the place where I once kissed you
And held you close
Now I will reach for the stars
Because oh my love, thats where you are
Chorus
song performed by by Vertical Horizon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Practising the Anthem
A summer wind blows through the open porch,
And, 'neath the rustling eaves,
A summer light of moonrise, calm and pale,
Shines through a vale of leaves.
The soft gusts bring a scent of summer flowers,
Fresh with the falling dew,
And round the doorway, glimmering white as snow,
The tender petals strew.
Clear through the silence, from a reedy pool
The curlew's whistle thrills;
A lonely mopoke sorrowfully cries
From the far-folding hills.
O lovely night, and yet so sad and strange!
My fingers touch the key;
And down the empty church my Christmas song
Goes ringing, glad and free.
Each sweet note knocks at dreaming memory's door,
And memory wakes in pain;
The spectral faces she had turn'd away
Come crowding in again.
The air seems full of music all around—
I know not what I hear,
The multitudinous echoes of the past,
Or these few voices near.
Ah me! the dim aisle vaguely widens out,
I see me stand therein;
A glory of grey sculpture takes the light
A winter morn brings in.
No more I smell the fragrant jessamine flowers
That flake a moonlit floor;
The rustling night-breeze and the open porch
I hear and see no more.
Great solemn windows, down a long, long nave
Their shadow'd rainbows fling;
Dark Purbeck shafts, with hoary capitals,
In carven archways spring.
And overhead the throbbing organ waves
Roll in one mighty sea,
Bearing the song the herald angels sang
Of Christ's nativity.
Dear hands touch mine beneath the open book,
Sweet eyes look in my face,—
They smile, they melt in darkness; I am snatch'd
From my familiar place.
The summer night-wind blows upon my tears;
Its flowery scent is pain.
O cold, white day! O noble minster—when
May I come back again!
To hear the angels' anthem shake the air,
Where never discord jars,—
The Christmas carols in the windy street,
Under the frosty stars;
The dream-like falling from the still, grey skies,
With falling flakes of snow,
Of mellow chimes from old cathedral bells,
Solemn and sweet and slow.
To hear loved footsteps beating time with mine
Along the churchyard path,—
To see that ring of faces once again
Drawn round the blazing hearth.
When may I come? O Lord, when may I go?
Nay, I must wait Thy will.
Give patience, Lord, and in Thine own best way
My hopes and prayers fulfil.
poem by Ada Cambridge
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To the Stars
What beholds
In my sight
My lover in the night
That she may sleep
In inner peace
Atop a bed of fleece
And how cruel of me
To confess
Of her long purple dress
We gazed upon the night sky
All of who we may try
And as we met each other's eyes
With love, to the stars we shall rise
And what is
My temptation
To ignore my condemnation
And how
Can I stay sane
Within a field of shame
We gazed upon the night sky
All of who we may try
And as we met each other's eyes
With love, to the stars we shall rise
As you gaze
Fixed upon the stars
All of who you are
Is revealed
Unto me
And I couldn't see
So I confess
Nontheless
Like a small bird in nest
In her long purple dress
We gazed upon the night sky
All of who we may try
And as we met each other's eyes
With love, to the stars we shall rise
And if I
May so hear
An unpleasant
To awake
To the news
Of one gone I would not lose
To know the one
In the dress
Is nothing now but dead
Then how can I live
With this utter feeling of dread
And as I gaze upon the night sky
All of who I may try
And as I close my tired eyes
With love, to you I shall rise
poem by Pete Rivera
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Stars in the dark night
Stars in the dark night, look like angels playing in the sky,
they twinkle and give light
radiant and bright bring life to,
silent sleepy night,
there aura fill the sky with long lasting grace,
whole night stars in sky are not tired of filling,
empty night with their glow taking away the lovers sighs,
stars twinkle never fades like blessing of god given to us,
for living life, their might changes the lonely night into maiden,
beautiful and filled with starry feeling in the eyes..
poem by Hemu Gupta
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The Trumpet
Rise up, rise up,
And, as the trumpet blowing
Chases the dreams of men,
As the dawn glowing
The stars that left unlit
The land and water,
Rise up and scatter
The dew that covers
The print of last night's lovers -
Scatter it, scatter it!
While you are listening
To the clear horn,
Forget, men, everything
On this earth newborn,
Except that it is lovelier
Than any mysteries.
Open your eyes to the air
That has washed the eyes of the stars
Through all the dewy night:
Up with the light,
To the old wars;
Arise, arise!
poem by Edward Thomas
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Fling Out The Flag
(For the Australian Labour Federation)
FLING out the Flag! Let her flap and rise in the rush of the eager air,
With the ring of the wild swan's wings as she soars from the swamp and
her reedy lair.
Fling out the Flag! And let friend and foe behold, for gain or loss,
The sign of our faith and the fight we fight, the Stars of the Southern
Cross!
Oh! Blue's for the sky that is fair for all, whoever, wherever he be,
And Silver's the light that shines on all for hope and for liberty,
And that's the desire that burns in our hearts, for ever quenchless and
bright,
And that's the sign of our flawless faith and the glorious fight we fight!
What is the wealthiest land on earth, if the millions suffer and cry,
And all but the happy selfish Few would fain curse God and die?
What are the glorious Arts, as they sit and sing on their jewelled thrones,
If their hands are wet with blood and their feet befouled with festering
bones?
What are the splendid Sciences, driving Nature with a bit of steel,
If only the Rich can mount the car and the Poor are dragged at the
wheel?
Wealth is a curse, and Art a mock, and Science worse than a lie,
When they're but the gift of the greedy Thieves, the leeches that suck
men dry!
Nay, brothers, nay! it is not for this — for a land of wealth and woe —
That we hoped and trusted all these years, that we toiled and struggled
so!
It is not for a race of taskmasters and pitiful cringing slaves,
That our strength and skill raised up happy homes and dreamed of
fearless graves.
It is not for a Cause that is less than for all, that is not for Truth but a lie,
That we raise our faces and grip our hands, and lift our voices high,
As we fling out the Flag that friend and foe may see, for gain or loss,
The sign of our faith and the fight we fight, the Stars of the Southern
Cross!
As the sky above is fair for all, whoever, wherever he be,
As the blessèd stars on all shed their light of hope and of liberty:
So let the earth, this fertile earth, this well-loved Southern land,
Be fair to all, be free to all, from strand to shining strand!
Let boy and girl and woman and man in it at least be sure,
That all can earn their daily bread with hearts as proud as pure;
Let man and woman and girl and boy in it for ever be
Heirs to the best this world can give, happy, fearless, free!
Fling out the Flag! Let her flap and rise in the rush of the eager air,
With the ring of the wild swan's wings as she soars from the swamp and
her reedy lair!
Fling out the Flag! and let friend and foe behold, for gain or loss,
The sign of our faith and the fight we fight, the Stars of the Southern
Cross!
Oh! Blue's the sky that is fair for all, whoever, wherever he be,
And Silver's the light that shines on all, for hope and for liberty;
And that's the desire that burns in our hearts, for ever quenchless and
bright,
And that's the sign of our flawless faith, and the glorious fight we fight.
poem by Francis William Lauderdale Adams
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A Bread and Butter Letter
THERE is a willow grows beside a pool;
Its long gray branches sweep the marble rim;
And from those waters shadowy and cool,
The stars shine, large and dim.
From open valleys filled with little lakes
All through the night a hundred breezes blow,
All through the night the little willow makes
A whispering soft and low.
Here in the dusty street there are no trees
To whisper, and the sky is dark and gray,
And yet I see the stars, I feel the breeze,
So far, so far away.
poem by Alice Duer Miller
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A Moth Life
What is this moth life?
To sleep all day
to hide from the light
the heat the warmth of the sun...
To awake with night
the night sounds night senses
to see by light of moon tread stellar stars...
To fly with dark air
still air night breezes winds
like dark matter currents of the universe...
To fly with celestial navigation
upon moon beams, or flickering stars these pulsing points,
guide your path, as you dance with radio waves, unseen in human unaided perception...
God created you in dull form
to mask your presence in daylight hiding,
do you see ultra violet, by night shapes humans are unaware of?
Do your eyes senses
detect dimensions of life humanity,
has never beheld, do stars whisper night secrets to you?
What secrets of nature
did God gift bestow upon you,
ultra sound radar, like bats to see with exceptional perception?
Do you perceive human civilization
do you care in your existence realities soaring,
naked bulbs glow like suns, draw you in like moth, to flame embracing?
So you burn fall in a moment
singed falling like meteor demons cast down,
out of heaven, but your innocent dust soul is freed by light?
Sometimes I too align to stars
twinkle atmospheric messages kindle my soul,
glimpse the unseen, contemplate alien consciousness, abundant unseen!
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Dancing with the stars
On a clear starry night,
I was cordially invited
To a celestial party
Where my presence was a must
And of course, I gladly attended…
In this exciting party,
I was honored to dance
With all the beautiful stars
While the angels
Happily played
In the background!
Time passed rapidly
And we were having so much fun
But I notice that the Moon
Was completely possessed
By a rage of jealousy
Since she wanted to dance with me!
Politely, I excused myself
From all the stars
And I started to dance with her!
We danced all night long
Until the Sun arrived
And with a big and bright smile
She said to me: 'What a party',
Which I replied: 'Darling, you are right'
'Let's do it again another night'
©All Rights Reserved-2012
poem by Romeo Della Valle
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Moon Glow
The darkest night, flows with a
wind hush through open blackness.
Ya'ever see the moon glow?
Ya' ever hear the wind whisper?
Rivulets spill with water
across the mountain plains;
as liquid rolls down along the steep slope-
ya'ever see the moon glow?
Ya' ever hear the wind whisper?
Stars glitter through sparkles
of the darkest night.
Wind cold breeze swifts;
swiftly into space.
Laughter engulfs the moon light.
Ya' ever see the moon glow?
Ya' ever hear the wind whisper?
Moon light angles corners,
as sweet melodies swell into air,
of silence.
You ever sight the bird dance,
as shadow flicker
upon the moon?
Ya' ever see the moon glow?
Ya' ever hear the wind whisper?
poem by Celine Berghmans
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Summer At Night
We dance under the nascent moon
delicate twirls, eye twinkles
and tree shadows
far away horns blowing
and I
take your hand;
delicately
placed lips
linger there
as soft
soft breaths
straddle index
and ring fingers
and you quiver quietly.
I hear the night owl hoot
musical strains
from the dance
sail out to us
offering a caress
to eager ears
buffeted by Jasmine perfumes
intoxicating
recklessly
heart fibers
which only come out
for brilliant moon-stars
under magnolia trees
where fireflies
in the Carolina night
dance to light heavens lights
and I
allow my soul to
brush across
your summer nape
like a softly shooting star
descending into your hair's drape
where I breathe deeply
of its fragrances
and those of the fire-fly night
as you shudder into
me
breasts erect
offering too
their loving caress
and I
smell you
like summer
at night.
You whisper to me that you want to have a baby, my baby.
To be continued.
poem by Lonnie Hicks
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Crazed Institution
Just a little touch of make-up; just a little touch of bull;
Just a little 3-chord trick embedded in your platform soul;
You can wear a gold piaget on your semaphore wrist;
You can dance the old adage with a dapper new twist.
And you can ring a crown of roses round your cranium,
Live and die upon your cross of platinum.
Join the crazed institution of the stars.
Be the man that you think (know) you really are.
Crawl inside your major triad, curl up and laugh as your agent scores another front page photograph.
Is it them or is it you throwing dice inside the loo awaiting someone else to pull the chain.
Well grab the old bog-handle, hold your breath and light a candle.
Clear your throat and pray for rain to irrigate the corridors that echo in your brain
Filled with empty nothingness, empty hunger pains.
And you can ring a crown of roses round your cranium,
Live and die upon your cross of platinum.
Join the crazed institution of the stars.
Be the man that you think (know) you really are.
song performed by by Jethro Tull
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Blank Space Inside Us
there are blank pages
some say that it is a must that something must be drawn
words to be written
thoughts to stifle, capture,
stuffed,
there is a day that you prefer
to keep a blank sky
a dark sky without stars
no light
when you close your eyes
you are at home with this blank page
words become
invincible
but they are all there
perfectly correct
well viewed by the eyes of your heart
somehow you go beyond
your every
day fences
move away, jump and run towards
an island of light
a patch of green grass
still no stars
pure blank
it is when you do not believe in the power of thoughts
when what preoccupies you
is nothing when you are finally one with all
space
it is too peaceful to even dropp a word
like a pin on
a shiny floor of tiles....
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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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
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Stars On The Water
(Rodney Crowell)
Down in Louisiana bayous by and by
A peirot pole or your natural soul
Keeps you tied to a tree high tide
Beer joint lights come on
And then crowd starts rollin' in
Pretty soon you got stars on the water
You got stars on the water
You got stars on the water
When it rains
Beaumont to Biloxi sea breeze at your door
Gypsy rains dang hurricanes
White silver sandy shores
Blue light lounge is shinin'
Why out on the pier
Makes it look just like stars on the water
Just like stars on the water
Just like stars on the water
When it rains
When it's midnight down in Mobile
Shining moon beams on the bay
They come from miles around
To dance the jukebox down
Th hear the good time sounds they play
And all across the harbor night life shinin' on
Makes you feel just like stars on the water
Just like stars on the water
Just like stars on the water
When it rains
song performed by by George Strait
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dancing in the Moon Light
Dance, love and romance
Turn the music and let's dance
Pour the Champagne in the glass
The moon is singing a serenade
Listen to the music melodies
and the happy tunes
Hold your partner closer
Float around
and tap your feet
Follow the music soft beat
Wake up dreams
Look at the silver bright moon
the lucky diamond stars
The panorama lights
lightening the dark skies
feel the night chill
the cool breeze
Dance bit closer
feel your partner body warmth
Dance, love and romance
to the late hours of the night
and the wee hours of the morning
Let the joyful time rolls
Hope it never ends
poem by Sherif Monem
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The Alley
Because you are four years old
the candle is all dressed up in a new frill.
And stars nod to you through the hole in the curtain,
(except the big stiff planets
too fat to move about much,)
and you curtsey back to the stars
when no one is looking.
You feel sorry for the poor wooden chair
that knows it isn’t nice to sit on,
and no one is sad but mama.
You don’t like mama to be sad
when you are four years old,
so you pretend
you like the bitter gold-pale tea—
you pretend
if you don’t drink it up pretty quick
a little gold-fish
will think it is a pond
and come and get born in it.
It’s hot in our street
and the breeze is a dirty little broom
that sweeps dust into our room
and bits of paper out of the alley.
You are not let to play
with the children in the alley
But you must be very polite—
so you pass them and say good day
and when they fling banana skins
you fling them back again.
There is no one to play with
and the flies on the window
buzz and buzz…
…you can pull out their legs
and stick pins in their bodies
but still they buzz…
and mama says:
When Nero was a little boy
he caught flies on his mama’s window
and pulled out their legs
and stuck pins in their bodies
and nobody loved him.
Buzz, blue-bellied flies—
buzz, nasty black wheel
of mama’s machine—
you are the biggest fly of all—
you have the loudest buzz.
I hear you at dawn before the locusts.
But I like the picture of the Flood
and the little babies getting drowned….
If I were there I would save them,
but as I can’t save them
I like to watch them
getting drowned.
When mama buys of Ling Ho,
he smiles very wide
and picks her the largest loquots.
The greens-man gave her a cabbage
and she held it against her black bodice
and said what a beautiful green it was
and put it on the table
as though it had been a flower.
But next day we boiled and ate it with salt.
It was our dinner.
Christmas day
I found Janie on my pillow.
Janie is made of rubber.
Her red and blue jacket won’t come off.
Christmas dinner was green and white
chicken and lettuce and peas
and drops of oil on the salad
smiley and full of light
like the gold on the lady’s teeth.
But mama said politely
Thank you, we are dining out.
She wouldn’t let you take one pea
to put in the hole where the whistle was
at the back of Janie’s head,
so Janie should have some dinner
So you went to the park with biscuits
and black tea in a bottle.
You feel very sad
when you climb on the fence
to watch mama out of sight.
The women in the alley
poke their heads out of doorways
and watch her too.
You know her
by the way she holds her shoulders
till she is only a speck
in a chain of specks—
till she is swallowed up.
But suppose
that day after day
you were to watch for her face
and it didn’t come back?
Suppose
it were to drop out of the string of white faces
like the pearl out of my chain
I never found again?
Mabel minds you while mama is out,
she washes while she sings
Three blind mice!
they all run away from the farmer’s wife
who cut off their tails
with a carving knife—
Wind blows out Mabel’s sheets,
way you blow in a bag before you burst it.
Wind has a soapy smell.
It’s heavier’n sun
that lies all over you without any weight
and makes you feel happy
and crinkly like bubbling water.
There’s no sun on the empty house—
sly-looking house—
you can’t see in its windows
that watch you out of their corners.
Perhaps there’s a big spider there
spinning gray threads over the windows
till they look like dead people’s faces….
Jimmie says:
Jimmie’s hair is white as a white mouse.
His lashes are gold as mama’s wedding ring
and his mouth feels cool and smooth
like a flower wet with rain.
You wouldn’t believe Jimmie was different…
till he showed you….
Blind wet sheets
flapping on the lines…
sun in your eyes,
dark gold sun
full of little black spots,
you have to blink and blink…
round eyes of Jimmie….
Jimmie’s blue jumper…
blue shadow of wall…
all the world holding still
as when a clock stops…
streets still… people still…
no streets… no people…
only sky and wall…
sun glaring bright as God
down at you and Jimmie…
shadow like a purple cloth
trailing off the wall…
Wild wet sheets
flapping in the wind…
big slippered feet flapping too…
big-balloon-face
rushing up the alley…
houses closing up again…
windows looking round…
… Mabel pulls you in the gate and shakes you
and tells you not to tell your mama…
And you wonder
if God has spoiled Jimmie.
poem by Lola Ridge
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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For My Dream (song)
A sea of grass I haven't seen
is swaying and rustling in silver
The scenery at the boundary near dreams and consciousness
(CHORUS)
Is it in order to meet you?
Or is it for the eyes of someone I haven't seen yet?
I'll continue, dividing the wind
For my dream…..
The alarm clock will ring soon, right?
But what lies ahead might still be a dream
No matter where you are, your important things don't change, you know
(Sittin' in the silence...everlasting night breeze...)
Even though I wake up, I'm sure I'll still be here
(Sittin' in the silence...everlasting night breeze...)
I think that might be what they call courage
Sittin' in the silence...everlasting night breeze...
(I believe...I deceive...I relieve...)
Sittin' in the silence...In my...
Sittin' in the silence...everlasting night breeze
(I believe... I deceive... I relieve...)
It's just too dark to see......
Sittin' in the silence...In my...
I threw away the piece of my heart because I didn't want to cry
Now it chases me and I can't breathe
And the reality I clung to withers and falls apart, piece by piece
Right now, I just can't see very well......
Sittin' in the silence...everlasting night breeze...
Everlasting night breeze…
Sittin' in the silence...everlasting night breeze...
It's because whether it's reality or a dream, it will just confuse you
Everlasting night breeze..
Sittin' in the silence...
There are bends in the road at the top of the hill, but I want to go further
Beyond the scenery that exists only in music
It's just too dark to see...
In the continuing dream, there's another dream
Like a maze with seven colors
For the sake of finding a song on a reed pipe without scales
Even if it's too wide and my eyes become tired
Even if I sing too much and my throat becomes dry
With that sea of grass I haven't seen, I'll...
Even if you disappear...
It's just too dark to see...
Sittin' in the silence...
Sittin' in the silence...
Sittin' in the silence... Everlasting night breeze...
Sittin' in the silence...
For my dream
Sittin' in the silence... Everlasting night breeze...
It's just too dark to see...
Sittin' in the silence...
FOR MY DREAM~!
(CHORUS) (X2) ~!
im sittin in my silence!
poem by Annie Tuck
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