The Survivor
I am twenty-four
led to slaughter
I survived.
The following are empty synonyms:
man and beast
love and hate
friend and foe
darkness and light.
The way of killing men and beasts is the same
I've seen it:
truckfuls of chopped-up men
who will not be saved.
Ideas are mere words:
virtue and crime
truth and lies
beauty and ugliness
courage and cowardice.
Virtue and crime weigh the same
I've seen it:
in a man who was both
criminal and virtuous.
I seek a teacher and a master
may he restore my sight hearing and speech
may he again name objects and ideas
may he separate darkness from light.
I am twenty-four
led to slaughter
I survived.
Translated by Adam Czerniawski
poem by Tadeusz Ròzewicz
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Light In My Darkness
as the day gets closeri ponder on what i told her she sees the light in my darkness as i wonder what she has caressed and she sees my poteintial as i am hororendously altered to what i am yet to be and she sees me for who i truely am as i slam my fist into this door a crippleing blow i should say as i lay here wondering why she sees light in my dark ness
as light filter through a darkness that is so true we wander thy dark wood wondering how to find our fate not to hate the one ho put us through wondering pondering why she sees the light filter through a darkness that is so true
as light penitrates my dark and wounded heart paying no mind to what it has healed as i seal my fate of which i take and it to claims me as a true dark but light finds my soul and she sees the light in my darkness that is so true
i am not as dark as i seem to be cuase she sees the light in me and i see the light in her which i truely pefer
and as i ponder on which i have said and i have sped down the road of life which is truely darkand she has saved me because she sees the light in my darkness of which i may contort due to the light she sees
as the darkness is contorted to see optimistically of all this strife as this knife drops to the floor as the darkness begins to contort
with this life i shall change as li lay me down to sleep i pray my soul the lord to keep if i die before i wke i pray my soul the lord to take as i partake in this in a heavenly manner i believe i see the light in my darkness as i see ture the beloved i shoved all my grief down the drain and she sees the light in my darkness as do i
hate is a fate that we we all can partake as we see the key to life as the kife is droped to the floor as the door slams into its jam life is contorted and then altered as we all can falter as the slaughter of man takes place as an ace is droped on the table as we all can tell this is a fable to be heard as a hearse takes your friend to her grave and she told me to say this that you are gay like the fey folk al i sasy this life flies by as shooting star and the i drive my car off a cliff into a tidal rift and float to the very end as i send a message to those who dont have hope and then i float to the land of the dead to spread this hate as we partake in the slaughter of man as i pretend the light was never spread and as i am beheaded by the beast with three heads as a hockey puck goes throgh a staind glass window as she is made a widow because of the war of the worlds and the darkness is once more contorted to her will and she sees me and the light in the darkness
forsay to end this fable i say to thee my life is a creed of which to be fallowed as i swallow the waters of the holyto souly depend on her to see tme for who i am truely am and thy light with in me thierein lies the secret of life which we all pass and not see as light filters through allof the dark and not lighted as my foresight is met light and dark meet for one last battle as life begins to contort and falter
then again life is always contorting to her will and the light spreads through a darkeness so trueonce more she sees the light in me in order to see the doves fly for her love for me cause she sees light in me and as i weave a tread so thin i send a message of hope in order to cope with the sin of man as i tan the hide of the beast so fierce that has dieed due to the light she brought me cuz she sees the light with in me
poem by Andy Pierce
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Coffee Courage
The bitter coffee kicked;
I shook and then I licked
My lips and gave a sigh.
Shattered eyes encouraged,
I nearly had envisaged
Waking up an eye.
Another sip; a jolt –
Not unlike a bolt
Of wattage from the mains.
My sockets under strain,
I tried it once again:
Aha! The light, the searing white –
My God, the bloody pain!
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2009
Courage, courage, coffee courage,
Courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage, coffee courage,
Courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage, coffee courage,
Courage, courage, courage,
Courage, courage, coffee courage,
Courage, courage, courage,
poem by Mark R Slaughter
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Winter Solstice: The Return of the Light and the Redemption of Darkness
Darkness follows light as light the darkness
the stunned sun halts mid-dance
Shiva Nataraj
motionless
balancing lightly the luminous and tenebrous
exhorting us again to brave the redeeming depth of the shadow
Beyond the celebrated land of light
that seems so divinely uplifting
that dabbles in the windfall waters of virtue
and dallies in the Garden of Diversion...
we find the locus of the Shadow
that disquieting darkness
the vision that threatens to char the sockets of the eyes
We know the shadow by our avoidance
the nimble step,
the sideward glance
the drowsy daydream
the sidestepped fantasy
the impulse denied
or not
We know it by our accidents of speech
the slip of the tongue
the telltale blush
and the complaints of friends
We know it by our nightly dreams
that render such faithful and unswerving service to the shadow.
Go then
taking as your virtue
both courage and impeccability
swords against fear and pride
That from which we turn away grows stronger
poem by Joan Woodbridge
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God Said Do Not Be Calling Evil Good
God said do not be calling evil good
therefore why will I offend my Lord God
and give that evil dude Satan pleasure
because my lord and creator said
'Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil, who put darkness
for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter. ' Make no excuse for evil. Isaiah 5: 20
Do not spin each lie boldly call evil evil
radiate sin darkness with God’s light.
'The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes
are good, your whole body will be full of light.' Matthew 6: 22
Beware those who call evil good perverting
and confounding truth because darkness is
ignorance false doctrines alas justified crime.
Light is truth knowledge of God devout piety.
Bitter are wages of sin sweet is virtue holiness.
Bitter are painful consequences come judgement.
Copyright © Terence George Craddock
Isaiah quotation from the New International Version (©1984) .
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Wrong Is Never Right
The Bible is clear about right and wrong and wrong is never right,
The two are as different as the light of day and the dark of night.
First, God Himself is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all,
Then man made in God's image slipped into darkness at Adam's fall.
From perfect fellowship with God into the lap of sin's dreaded curse,
Man is not evolving into something better, he's only getting worse.
Paul said that men and impostors will wax worse as we near the end,
And the heart's deceitful above all things and beyond cure my friend.
But Christ came as The Light of the world to offer all men new life,
This life one receives allows them to live above this world's strife.
Christ told His disciples in this world they would have tribulation,
He then said be of good cheer as He overcame the world's degradation.
Christ didn't come into the world to condemn those who were depraved,
But He came as The Light so out of this darkness some may be saved.
Men are not condemned who believed and His Light they have received,
But unbelievers are condemned, loving darkness they remain deceived.
He who believes can not stay in darkness for His Light lives within,
And as we walk in The Light, Christ's blood purifies us from all sin.
We were of the darkness but were saved to live as children of Light,
To live submitting to one another, out of reverence for Jesus Christ.
Hope
an angel a bridge
of heart
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
a light
of humanity tree
Darkness Of...
Darkness is not the darkness of night
it is the darkness of mind and soul.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of discrimination between poor and rich.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of dishonesty.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of aggravate.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is darkness of corruption.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of indiscipline.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of animosity.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of inveterate.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of perjury.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness that we all brought up inside us,
so, light the lamp of light inside you...
poem by Suniya Garg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Light Of Darkness
I trained my soul for the lies ahead,
I saved my time for the new dawn.
I tried to decipher life using light,
I tried to purge my soul with light,
But strange as it may sound
The light didn’t heal my soul.
Do I know how to use the light?
If not, how can I reform my ways?
I craved for some knowledge.
Teach me how to use the light, I cried.
All that came was an echo,
None heard my cry.
I wondered why I wasn’t able to use the light,
Everyone knew it, but why can’t I?
My patience drained out of me,
But my will kept me on,
I tried to crawl into the light.
But then I asked myself.
Why the light? Why not darkness?
There, my cry was answered.
I found a new way to use the light,
But strange as it may sound,
The light showed me its true face,
A face that was common for all,
A face of darkness.
I ran into the new face of light,
I ran into the darkness,
And there, my life revealed itself,
I was able to purge my soul with the light of darkness.
poem by Vivek Kartha
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Light and Darkness
houses house bodies
bodies house life
life houses souls
souls house light
light shrinks from darkness
darkness douses light...
yet Light overcomes darkness
with spiritual sight
...in the beginning was darkness
darkness again at the end
awaiting those who despise Light - -
Light's gift of love for all men
yes, Light overcomes darkness
with love's perfect sight
(5.19.06)
poem by Esther Leclerc
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Light.
Light me a light any kind of light,
Just shine its beam into my darkest night,
For like a child I stay up in fright,
So light me a light any light tonight.
Candlelight, moonlight any light is just right,
For in that light I might find my might!
Don’t sing me a song, don’t hold me tight,
Just light me a light, any light tonight.
Light me a light to assist my sight,
Just my naked eye darkness cannot fight,
So before darkness gets a chance to bite,
Light me a light any kind of light.
Flickering, glaring or outright bright,
I don’t care what kind just light me a light,
All I need is darkness away tonight,
So light me a light any kind of light.
poem by Barak Al'Mondia
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You Who Wronged
You who wronged a simple man
Bursting into laughter at the crime,
And kept a pack of fools around you
To mix good and evil, to blur the line,
Though everyone bowed down before you,
Saying virtue and wisdom lit your way,
Striking gold medals in your honor,
Glad to have survived another day,
Do not feel safe. The poet remembers.
You can kill one, but another is born.
The words are written down, the deed, the date.
And you’d have done better with a winter dawn,
A rope, and a branch bowed beneath your weight.
poem by Czeslaw Milosz
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Your Light Has Come
In truth; God’s world, is hard to tell
Gross darkness clouds her mind
While Satan leads her brood to hell
She’s wicked proud and blind
You may not even like God’s child
Who stands within your sight
Sometimes I’ll even make you wild
Because I’m of “The Light”
God’s Light and darkness can’t agree
They can’t see eye to eye
That’s why you’re not at ease with me
No matter how you try
In love I come to speak of peace
No need to use your sword
Your Light has come, that you may cease
To hide from Christ the Lord
God’s Light is truth who comes to live
To touch with Love’s own hand
He comes to save God’s joy to give
And lead to understand
When light comes through an open door
All darkness must depart
Please bear with me a moment more
To shine within your heart
Allow God’s Light, to come to you
Let darkness disappear
In just a while you’ll feel brand new
There’ll be no need to fear
You’ll feel the Father’s love arrive
His warm reviving Light
And you yet dead He’ll bring alive
In Christ; to stand and fight.
poem by Michael P. Johnson
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Surrounded By Evil
Surrounded by man’s evil ways, we head into much darker days,
With the world on a dark descent, ignoring all Truth God has sent.
Truth built upon a Righteousness, that dispels man’s wickedness,
God’s Truth, that sets men free, from the wickedness that we see.
Their evil terror is far from right, by forcing change by their might,
Having not one shade of love, from The Lord, who Reigns above.
Terror and oppression alone, is all they promote among their own,
Radically extreme is what they are, killing and hurting more by far.
They breed terror on every side, boasting over those who’ve died,
Thinking their dark killing spree, is instrumental in setting men free.
Leading men to bondage instead, led by those spiritually mislead.
Not only are these men not free, but shall be in bondage eternally.
This darkness that fills their mind, will be darker in the end of time,
For the thinking they perpetuate, is not out of love, but, from hate.
They terrorize in the name of God, men all across this earthly sod,
By distorting the Word of Truth, and will see God’s strong reproof.
Only in Christ can men be saved, from thinking that’s so depraved,
And only through the Truth of Christ, can men see the Light of Life,
All this darkness that we see friend, in God’s time shall see its end,
When Truth, who they despise, will bring on them, their own demise.
(Copyright ©09/2007)
These are ideas. I could say that they just came to me, but it would be more accurate to say that I went to them. Ideas - and new connections between ideas - lead you away from commonly held perceptions of reality. Ideas lead you out here. Ideas lead you into the darkness.
Easter Morning In the Twenty First Century
I have stood in total darkness
Without the redeeming glimmer of light
I have waited in the darkness for sight to come
The waiting was intolerable long and unfulfilled
I have reached out to those near to me
Unable to identify even my own hand in the darkness
But when the light came all was revealed the fear dispersed
I saw others as they were and rejoiced to see myself.
This is the light of Easter joy the light of hope
This light forever shines on into eternity
The darkness cannot overcome it.
poem by James Tipp
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‘To the Slaughter-house’- A Cattle-song!
To the slaughter-house! To the slaughter-house!
Here we cows all go;
We gave men milk and butter, ghee;
They want our beef now;
We’ve no other go.
To the slaughter-house! To the slaughter-house!
Here we oxen go;
We tilled their lands and milled oil-seeds;
They want our hide now;
We’ve no other go.
To the slaughter-house! To the slaughter-house!
Here we sheep all go;
We grazed their meadows, eating grass;
They want our mutton now;
We’ve no other go.
To the slaughter-house! To the slaughter-house!
Here we cattle go;
We served mankind as God said so;
Selfish men want our flesh now;
We’ve no other go.
To the slaughter-house! To the slaughter-house!
Here we animals go;
Jostled, huddled, unfed, crowded;
Men want our lives now;
This is our last ride, we all know;
We’ve no other go.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 1-20-2008
poem by John Celes
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Light & Darkness
I remember light dimmed without darkness and darkness dimmed without light if you think about it there would be no light if there were no darkness, darkness needs lights, and light needs darkness, is that why heaven and hell do not fight, there calm but why.... they are enemies no? ....but even enemies know how to maintain balance... this light there is darkness on it... i see why.... what is light without darkness, if there were no darkness how would there be a light....... it would be a void of emptiness, thank you hells thank you heavens, thank you demons, thank you angels you know we must last so you maintain balance, you know of light and darkness......
poem by Richie Rampershad
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To my teacher...
Oh my teacher...
let me praise you,
for you sprouted me out,
from a darkened life.
Oh my teacher...
show me -
your magical spirit..
by which you made-
the darkness to light.
oh my teacher...
let me thank you...
for which you, quenched my thirst-
for knowledge.
My teacher...,
thank you...
for you took out-
words from my throat-
and you showed me to-
make finest garland,
by those words...
My teacher...
you showed me,
the stars....
pointing up the sky..,
saying 'its stars...-
..shining stars...
..glittering..., twinkling...'
My teacher...
it's because of you,
i loved butterflies...,
and green grasshoppers..!
and it's because of you..
that i have,
dreams; unending.
My teacher..
i am always
indebted....for your deeds..
for the lifeline..
which you -
in my forehead!
My teacher....,
ne'er let your lamp-
to be gone into darkness.
My teacher...
this is for you...
dedicated with..,
sincere respect.
poem by Fayeda Vanimel
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Rembrandt's Darkness, Rembrandt's Light
Here’s a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn –
mark how he bestows the light…
the light of Rembrandt’s conscious painted scenes
falls where consciousness itself shines strongest:
here on a thinking head, deep
in contemplation of the truth invisible;
here on a melting heart; there,
on a pregnant belly full of life;
on this marriage bed, her body
dissolves into the light of love;
here, the golden helmet and the breastplate
say, heroism has descended on mere man.
But mark, too, that other miracle:
see in this corner, the area of black paint:
this is not darkness; not negation of the light;
this is what cannot comprehend the light;
this is the darkness of the unmanifest,
from which all miracles shall in time arise:
this is the black paint stroked on the canvas
by the same dazzling intelligence
which was Rembrandt; the light
yet stored in darkness; what would that light
of things seen, be, without the mind
that understood and marked the not yet lit?
The secret of that darkness fills
with a brightness that's more beautiful than beauty,
the mind that knows to shut its mortal eyes.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Eyes To See And Ears To Hear
My friend, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink,
And so you can fill a man with wisdom, but he can't eternally think.
He can have eyes like both you and I and see colors of every kind,
But point him to the things above and he is often spiritually blind.
Many men listen to and even heed the advice given by a fellow peer,
But speak to them The Word of God and they will not be able to hear.
It seemed so easy for you and me, so why yet have they not believed?
Christ may seem obvious to you and me but friend they are deceived.
For the god of this world has blinded the minds of those perishing,
And unless we speak God's Truth Satan's lies will keep flourishing.
They perish because they refuse to embrace the Truth and be saved,
So God has given them over to their lusts to become utterly depraved.
But we can't be hasty and forget the life which we were saved from,
And how someone cared and pointed us to The Kingdom soon to come.
For we were all born into this world of sin where wrong seems right,
Led by our old nature we lived in darkness as children of the night.
But by God's Grace, The Spirit came upon us and gave us new sight.
And we were saved out of that darkness and brought into His Light.
For it is by the power of The Blood that we are no longer deceived,
And by His Grace we were then given ears to hear and truly believed.