Theodore Roethke

My Papa's Waltz

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

poem by Theodore RoethkeReport problemRelated quotes
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Tom Traubert's Blues

(Tom Waits)
Wasted and wounded
And it ain't what the moon did
I got what I paid for now
See you tomorrow
Hey Frank can I borrow
A couple of bucks from you
To go waltzing Matilda waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me
I'm an innocent victim
of a blinded alley
And I'm tired of all these soldiers here
No-one speaks English
And everything's broken
And my strength is soaking away
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Malitda with me
Now the dogs they are barking
and the taxi cab's parking
A lot they can do for me
I begged you to stab me
You tore my shirt open
And I'm down on my knees tonight
Old bushmills I staggered
You buried the dagger
Your silhouette window light
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me
Now I've lost my St. Christopher
Now that I kissed her
And the one-arm bandit knows
And the maverick Chinaman
with the cold-blooded sigh
And the girls down by the striptease shows go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me
No I don't want your sympathy
Fugitives say
that the streets aren't for dreaming now
Manslaughter dragnet
and the ghost that sells memories
Want a piece of the action anyhow
Go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me
And you can ask any sailor
And the keys from the jailor
And the old men in wheelchairs know
That Matilda's the defendant
She killed about a hundred
And she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me
And it's a battered old suitcase
in a hotel someplace
And a wound that would never heal
No prima donnas the perfume is on
and old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street-sweepers,
The night watchmen flame-keepers
And goodnight Matilda too
Goodnight Matilda too.

song performed by by Rod StewartReport problemRelated quotes
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Dizzy

D - I - z - z - y
D - I - z - z - y
You make me dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
D - I - z - z - y
You make me dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
Im so dizzy
My head is spinning
Like a whirlpool
It never ends
And its you girl
Making it spin
Youre making me dizzy
First time that I saw you girl
I knew that I just had to make you mine
But its so hard to talk to you
cause boys are hangin round you
All the time
I want you so much behind
But you keep playing hard to get
Im going round in circles all the time
Dizzy, Im so dizzy
My head is spinning
Like a whirlpool
It never ends
And its you girl
Making it spin
Youre making me dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
You make me dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
I finally got to talk to you
And told you just exactly how I felt
And I held you so close to me
And kissed you when my heart began to melt
How you took coltrol of me
cause Im so dizzy I cant see
I need to call a doctor for some help
Dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
D - I - z - z - y
You make me dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
Dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
Dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
Dizzy
D - I - z - z - y
Dizzy
D - I - z - z - y

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Waltzing Matilda

(sung by tico torres)
Wasted and wounded, it aint what the mood did,
Ive got what I prayed for now
Ill see you tomorrow, hey frank, can I borrow a couple of bucks from you
To go waltzing mathilda, waltzing mathilda,
Youll go waltzing mathilda with me
Im an innocent victim of a blinded alley
And Im tired of all these soldiers here
No one speaks english, and everythings broken, and my stacys are
Soaking wet to go waltzing mathilda, waltzing mathilda,
Youll go waltzing mathilda with me
Now I lost my saint christopher now that Ive kissed her
And the one-armed bandit knows
That the maverick chinaman with his cold-blooded style
And the girls stand by the strip-tease shows, go
Waltzing mathilda, waltzing mathilda,
Youll go waltzing mathilda with me
Now I dont want your sympathy, the fugitive says
That the streets aint for dreaming now
Manslaughter dragnets and the ghosts that sell memories,
Want a piece of the action anyhow
Go waltzing mathilda, waltzing mathilda,
Youll go waltzing mathilda with me
Its a battered old suitcase in a hotel someplace,
And a wound that will never heal
No prima donnas, the perfume is on
Its an old shirt thats stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street sweepers, the night watchmen, the flame
Keepers
Goodnight mathilda, too
And goodnight mathilda, too

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My heart beat

It all seems like today
Ages have passed by…

My heart missed a beat
When I first saw you
When you stretched out your hand
When you spoke to me first
When you said you look good
When you stood talking for hours
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I met you
When we started dating
When we went on shopping
When we spent time in each other’s company
When we were in each other’s arms
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I wanted to say something
When you found that life was miserable
When you thought I should live with you
When you enjoyed my company
When you proposed to me
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I felt your love
When we first had a talk
When we had a long walk
When we never heard the waves on the shore
When we knew we loved each other
My heart missed a leap

My heart missed a leap
When I lost words
When you found them for me
When you touched me first
When you blew in my ears
When you kissed me first
My heart missed a beat


My heart missed a beat
When I saw the ring
When we decided
When we finalized things
When we knew everything was fine
When we heard the revolt
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I saw you parents
When you said your mother’s decision
When you were thinking twice
When you wanted to satisfy both
When your thoughts wavered
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I understood you
When we decided to go ahead
When we said this is the right time
When we told our friends
When we held hands
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I became your wife
When you were all to myself
When you said you love me lots
When you and your mother accepted me
When you became my world
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I knew a life in me
When we realized the fact
When we understood our culmination’s fruit
When we were to be too proud
When we heard a heart in me
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I first heard them cry
When you saw with sparkling eyes our babies
When you said they resemble me
When you said I am now a proud father of two
When you said I love you for this
My heart missed a beat

My heat missed a beat
When I heard them call me mom
When we were proud parents
When we shared happy moments
When we saw them grow
When we heard good things about them
My heart missed a beat

My heart missed a beat
When I knew it was time for marriages again
When you said just both of us now
When you saw me with love
When you said you look young still
When you whispered I love you
My heart missed a beat

You are a part of me
Even in our ripe old age
My heart beats only for you from day one
The day yours stop so will mine stop
For my heart beats only for you…

It all seems like today
Ages have passed by…

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Hung Up On You

Orbison/melson
Hooked on the touch of your hand, high on how you understand
Lost when you whispered hello ,something in your eyes said dont go
I just had to stay, couldnt go away from you, you knew what to do to get me
Hung up on you,hung up on you,hung up on you,hung up on you
You knew, the first time we met that I could never forget
You held me so close to you, I could never get over you
You were so aware how to make me care and keep me
Hung up on you,hung up on you,hung up on you,hung up on you
Yeah, you got me where you wanted me, I am where I really want to be
Hung up,hung up,hung up on you
Im so hung up on you that I dont know what I would do without you
Oh it will take me forever to get enough of you and I cant help it if im
Hung up on you,hung up on you,hung up on you baby,hung up on you
Hung up on you,hung up on you...

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Chesterfield King

We stood in your room and laughed out loud.
Suddenly the laughter died and we were caught in an eye to eye.
We sat on the floor and did we sit close. I could smell your thoughts and thought. do you want to touch a lot like me? too scared to say a thing. I left your house and kicked myself. I put those
Ings on a shelf to die. I guess Im not a gambling type but think of what the two of us had lost.
Had lost.
I needed some time to think it out. 7-eleven parking lot. a toothless woman turned and stopped. I gave her a dime and a chesterfield. she leaned down and kissed my cheek. I was scared but it fel
Et.
Felt so sweet.
She asked me if I had a name. I told her I was glued up on some chick. we sat and smoked against the wall.
Drank a beer, felt the chill of fall.
Of fall.
I took my car and drove it down the hill by your house. I drove so fast. the wind it couldnt cool me down, so I turned it around and came back up. you were waiting on your step, steam showing o
Ur breath and water in your eyes. we pulled each other into one, parkas clinging on the lawn and kissed right there.
Said all my chicks they smoke these things and handed you a chesterfield king. held your hand and watched tv and traced the little lines along your palm.
Your palm.
I took my car and drove it down the hill by your house.
I drove so fast.
The wind it couldnt cool me down, so I turned it around
And came back up.
You were waiting on your step, steam showing off your breath
And water in your eyes.
We pulled each other into one, parkas
Clinging on the lawn and kissed right there.
Right there.

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One Small Step

So many people
Need to go so many miles
How do we move them
To where the answer lies
Reach out to the ocean
Beyond the stars that shine
Weve got to take one small step in time
If we are the dreamers
Then the world must be the dream
Driven to question
All the things weve never seen
We search the horizon
Looking for a sign
Weve got to take one small step in time
One step beyond
All our hopes and our passion
There is the light of the universe flashin
All that it takes is one leap of faith
One small step, (one small step)
One small step in time
Deep in the darkness
(deep in the blackness)
Theres a wind that never dies
(theres a wind that never dies)
Out in the vastness
(out in the vastness)
Theres a road across the sky
(a road across the sky)
Out there is the reason
That we were meant to find
Weve got to take one small step in time
Weve got to take one small step in time
(one small step, one small step)
One small step in time
(one small step, one small step)
One small step in time
(one small step, one small step)

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Loves A Dangerous Language

Loves a dangerous language
Survey the damage
See what love has done
Oh, my precious darling my sacred angel
Look what weve done
Oh, youre scared and frightened
I know your frightened
Dont be afraid yes
Well take your problem wheel
Drive it slowly to a shallow grave
So in those special moments
That might make you think you were happy then
Moving blue through pink but youre happy now
And you think youll sink
The buckle is tied for a white knuckle ride
When the buckle is tied,
Then the judgements denied
Oh, my own she vixen were sworn to secrecy,
This crime is ours
Yeah, so quench your thirst
And when Im hungry
Ill eat my words
So in those special moments
That might make you think youre happy now
Moving blue through pink you were happy then
But you think youll sink
The buckle is tied for a white knuckle ride
When the buckle is tied,
Then the judgements denied wherever we go
Wherever we hide
In the white of your eyes
I see the feelings just died

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Choose

A blade held in one hand
A pen held in the other
Now I must decide
I must choose one or another
A gund sits in my left hand
A phone lies in the right
Should I try to ask for help
Or just give up the fight
One path cloaked in darkness
One is bright with life
Do I choose the easy one
Or continue through the strife
Some say we are nothing more
Than the choices that we make
That where we are going
Comes from the steps we take
Peolpe cry out for advise
Untill they lose their voice
They are all wasting their breath
It comes down to their choice
I have come across that point
I'm panting scarce of breath
Now I must make up my mind
Do I choose Life or Death?

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You, Me & This Autumn

It was you, me & this autumn, when
I stood an onlooker, then
You & the autumn romped again.

How I relish looking on, when
This autumn showered the golden
confetti on you, then
You & the autumn romped again.

Those birds, being envious of you, when
The silver heels & golden leaves would
make saccharine songs, then
You & the autumn romped again.

In our midst, this autumn was a bosom
pal, when
None would sing the songs with us, then
You & the autumn romped again.

You & Me were dashing on the greying
path, when
The autumn was younger & even younger,
our Love, then
You & the autumn romped again.

We met in every scuffle, we had, when
This autumn stood a witness, then
You & the autumn romped again.

Our deep ties with the autumn would
never go in vain, when
On our graves the golden confetti would
shower down again, then
You & the autumn romped again (close to
my grave)

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In Mrs Clarke's Wake

Mrs Clarke pushed
her battered bassinet
between market stalls

not listening
to the stallholder's
shouts and calls

Helen walked behind her mother
as told holding your hand
So I know where you are

Mrs Clarke had said
you sensed
Helen's small hand

in yours
her seven year old skin
touching your

seven year old flesh
her thin fingers
encircling yours

We'll see if they've got
a school skirt
for you here

her mother said
turning back her head
Helen nodded

and you noticed
Helen's enlarged eyes
behind her thick lens

spectacles
searching her mother's
large behind waddling on

stopping now and then
beside stalls
picking up clothes

searching for a skirt or dress
grey and the right size
Helen whispered to you

putting her head
close to yours
Rice pudding for tea

when we get home
with red jam
and sugar too

if you want
and she smiled
and you said shyly

That's good
because I'm starving
she looked at your hand

in hers and said
Then we can play
mums and dads

and my dolls
can be our family
her mother stopped

and picked up a skirt
and held it up
to the light

then held it against
her daughter's waist
judging for size

and you watched
her mother's hands
red with washing

and cleaning
thinking and gauging
the size and cost

as you studying
Helen's hand in yours
like a soul lost.

poem by Terry CollettReport problemRelated quotes
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The Touch

For months my hand was sealed off
in a tin box. Nothing was there but the subway railings.
Perhaps it is bruised, I thought,
and that is why they have locked it up.
You could tell time by this, I thought,
like a clock, by its five knuckles
and the thin underground veins.
It lay there like an unconscious woman
fed by tubes she knew not of.

The hand had collapse,
a small wood pigeon
that had gone into seclusion.
I turned it over and the palm was old,
its lines traced like fine needlepoint
and stitched up into fingers.
It was fat and soft and blind in places.
Nothing but vulnerable.

And all this is metaphor.
An ordinary hand - just lonely
for something to touch
that touches back.
The dog won't do it.
Her tail wags in the swamp for a frog.
I'm no better than a case of dog food.
She owns her own hunger.
My sisters won't do it.
They live in school except for buttons
and tears running down like lemonade.
My father won't do it.
He comes in the house and even at night
he lives in a machine made by my mother
and well oiled by his job, his job.

The trouble is
that I'd let my gestures freeze.
The trouble was not
in the kitchen or the tulips
but only in my head, my head.

Then all this became history.
Your hand found mine.
Life rushed to my fingers like a blood clot.
Oh, my carpenter,
the fingers are rebuilt.
They dance with yours.
They dance in the attic and in Vienna.
My hand is alive all over America.
Not even death will stop it,
death shedding her blood.
Nothing will stop it, for this is the kingdom
and the kingdom come.

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It Aint Easy

You make it all sound easy
Now youve tasted all my wine
I never wanted to hear the news
That youd found another man
But its hard to see
What you want from me
Its not easy to be in-between
Its now up to you to
Make the move this time
But it aint easy when you
Dont know where to turn
And it aint easy
But you take the chance
The final chance to learn
Yes, to learn
That it aint easy when you
Dont know where to turn
And it aint easy, so you take a look
Another look at life - look at life
cause it aint what youve got
In the palm of your hand
And its not what youll get
From another man
That will last you
The rest of your life my friend
Monday mornings waiting
Take a look at what you see
Make the most of your life
Dont keep the pages clean
Baby, now youve got this chance
Dont leave me out
Its so hard when
Youre in-between
What you need and
What may never be
It aint easy ...

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Judith and You and A Morning Mist

The morning mist
that hung over

the pond (or your lake
as Judith called it)

had moved away
by the time she came

and stood next to you
wrapped up in her

Sunday best
waiting until the time

for the bus to take
you both to sing

in the church
her breath flowing out

on the air
like cigarette smoke

her eyes focused
on the skin

of the still water
I dreamt of you

last night
she said

you and I
were snuggled

together in my bed
having made love

you watched
a magpie take flight

over the water
nice

wish I could
have been there

in person
you said

more breath
left her lips

and rose upwards
maybe next time

you can
she said

turning her head
spreading her lips

into a smile
just be my luck

your mother
will invade the dream

and catch us
you said

yes
Judith said

that would
spoil the dream

some what
there was a mist

over the pond earlier
you said

it looked beautiful
she turned

and stared
over the water

I missed that
as you missed

making love to me
in my dream

she whispered
drawing closer

her hands
taking hold

of yours
what did you

dream about?
she asked

an empty bed
and cold sheets

and a space
where you should

have been
you said

she smiled
and said

I couldn't be
in both beds

at once could I?
once more

there was the rising
of her breath

you couldn't tell her
you'd seen

an image
of her death.

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She Sinful Or Wild

All or nothing at all
her father had said
and it seemed right

until she met Harpoon
and he seemed her
Mr Right the one she

had been waiting for
the one she'd dreamed
about but then it all

went wrong and he
became Mr Wrong
and oh yes that was

the downfall that was
the way to her deep
depression and that

episode in the bath
when she tried to
drown herself as her

mother had before her
and she discovered her
as a child coming home

from school and the
door was ajar and when
she went in there was

her mother with her
wrists slit and blood
and her mother drowned

and dead and now sitting
there in her mother's
chair her father some

place her husband poking
some other and all or
nothing at all seemed all

there was left apart from
the few books on the shelf
the Bill Burroughs her mother

had read and left and that
Bukowski book she'd found
in some second shop and the

battered Bible which her
father had beat her about
the head and backside with

as a child when her father
had been boozing or she
had been sinful or wild.

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Robert Graves

Hawk And Buckle

Where is the landlord of old Hawk and Buckle,
And what of Master Straddler this hot summer weather?
He's along in the tap-room with broad cheeks a-chuckle,
And ten bold companions all drinking together.

Where is the daughter of old Hawk and Buckle,
And what of Mistress Jenny this hot summer weather?
She sits in the parlour with smell of honeysuckle,
Trimming her bonnet with red ostrich feather.

Where is the ostler of old Hawk and Buckle,
And what of Willy Jakeman this hot summer weather?
He is rubbing his eyes with a slow and lazy knuckle
As he wakes from his nap on a bank of fresh heather.

Where is the page boy of old Hawk and Buckle,
And what of our young Charlie this hot summer weather?
He is bobbing for tiddlers in a little trickle-truckle,
With his line and his hook and his breeches of leather.

Where is the grey goat of old Hawk and Buckle,
And what of pretty Nanny this hot summer weather?
She stays not contented with little or with muckle,
Straining for daisies at the end of her tether.

For this is our motto at old Hawk and Buckle,
We cling to it close and we sing all together,
'Every man for himself at our old Hawk and Buckle,
And devil take the hindmost this hot summer weather.'

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A Therapy For Pain

I welcome death with open arms
Her soft breath and simple charm
Wandering through memories
Takes my hand for me to see

Tried so hard
Tried so hard

Echoes of innocence
Are my thoughts into dissent

Tried so hard
Tried so hard
Tried so hard
Tried so hard

When we finally reach the end
She lets go of my hand
Waking into realms of light
There will be no death tonight

Tried so hard
Tried so hard
Tried so hard
Tried so hard


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The wedding cake couple

The wedding cake couple
Held hands on-top in vigil
Clinging on to each other tightly
There ‘I do's' written in song
Lasted just as long as it took!
Mother in law to take another
Man across the ebony dance floor.
Her six more devoured the cake
But are wedding cake couple
They still held hands in vigil
On the last tier of the disaffected
So they pervaded and kissed
But then great grandma waltzed
In like an elephant to depose
All those who imposed self will
She cared little for our wedding cake couple
She snapped them down the middle
Just to see if they weren't just candy too.
But are wedding cake couple
They still held hands somewhere later
They pervaded and kissed
And renewed their vows
Clinging on to each other tightly,
There 'I do's' written in song
Lasted just as long as it took!
The disco-ball world to end...

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Step Inside

(clarke / hicks / nash)
Side, step inside.
You can knock on my door anytime youre passing by
You dont need an invitation, step inside.
Well have tea and crumpets toasted by the fireside.
You dont need an invitation, step inside.
Step inside my doorway. theres no admission fee at all.
If youre in the neighborhood, you only have to call.
Ill be glad to see you, it just cannot be denied.
Its been a long time since I held you, step inside.
Dont tell your mother about me.
Shell only get angry knowing youve come back.
What her heart cant see cant hurt her.
So take my hand and step inside, take my hand and step inside.
Dont tell your mother about me.
You know shell only get angry knowing youve come back.
What her heart cant see cant hurt her.
So take my hand and step inside, take my hand and step inside.
If it gets too late, I have a bed that you can use.
You dont need an invitation
If you feel the inclination
You just call on speculation.
Step inside.
Side, step inside.
Step inside.
Step inside.
Step inside.

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Instant Mash

In the supermarket there is music while you work
It drives you crazy, sends you screaming for the door
Work there for a year or two and you can't get to like it
I don't work in supermarkets anymore
It's so easy, it's so easy
Grab can, lift arm, stack can, turn around
It's so easy, it's so easy
Do the instant mash, do the instant mash
Do the instant mash, make an instant smash
Doin' the instant mash
In the discorama there's a dj tries to charm ya
They got flashin' lights to dance to if you're shy
Red for treble, green for bass, they're wired in sequence round the place
You wait till ten, then try take off your tie
It's so easy, it's so easy
Lift hand, flick wrist, drop hand, turn around
It's so easy, it's so easy
Do the instant mash, do the instant mash
Do the instant mash, make some instant cash
Doin' the instant mash
In the cinema tonight they sit and watch the robots fight
The human beings don't have much to say
Robots making lots of cash and all they eat is instant mash
Oh wouldn't you just love to be that way?
It's so easy, it's so easy
Heat it, beat it, eat it, turn around
It's so easy, it's so easy
Do the instant mash, do the instant mash
Do the instant mash, make an instant smash
Doin' the instant mash

song performed by by Joe JacksonReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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