Sparkles From The Wheel
WHERE the city's ceaseless crowd moves on, the live-long day,
Withdrawn, I join a group of children watching--I pause aside with
them.
By the curb, toward the edge of the flagging,
A knife-grinder works at his wheel, sharpening a great knife;
Bending over, he carefully holds it to the stone--by foot and knee,
With measur'd tread, he turns rapidly--As he presses with light but
firm hand,
Forth issue, then, in copious golden jets,
Sparkles from the wheel.
The scene, and all its belongings--how they seize and affect me!
The sad, sharp-chinn'd old man, with worn clothes, and broad
shoulder-band of leather; 10
Myself, effusing and fluid--a phantom curiously floating--now here
absorb'd and arrested;
The group, (an unminded point, set in a vast surrounding;)
The attentive, quiet children--the loud, proud, restive base of the
streets;
The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone--the light-press'd blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.
poem by Walt Whitman
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Related quotes
It All Comes True
I stand here a black man I have no history
I was brought up in east chicago and I grew up on the streets
The chains around the playground were the chains around my heart
The brand upon my shoulder well it reminds you who you are
Chorus:
And it all comes true yes it all comes true
Like a wheel inside a wheel it turns on you
And you think, what have I done? what can I do?
What you believe about yourself
It all comes true
I was just a young girl my mother called me hon
My father was unhappy cause I should have been his son
They said, learn to be a waitress and learn to be a wife
And be thankful for a chance to live an ordinary life
Chorus:
And it all comes true yes it all comes true
Like a wheel inside a wheel it turns on you
And you think, what have I done? what can I do?
What you believe about yourself
It all comes true
My life is a contradiction of sorrow and desire
I drag my heart across the ash to throw it on the fire
Maybe theres a reason and could there be a plan
Or are we all just fools to think well understand
Chorus:
And it all comes true yes it all comes true
Like a wheel inside a wheel it turns on you
And you think, what have I done? what can I do?
What you believe about yourself
It all comes true
And it all comes true yes it all comes true
Like a wheel inside a wheel it turns on you
And you think, what have I done? what can I do?
What you believe about yourself
It all comes true
song performed by by John Mellencamp
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Blades
SOJOURNER, set down
Your skimming wheel;
Nothing is sharp
That we have of steel:
Nothing has edge:
Oh, whirl around
Your wheel of stone
Till our blades be ground!
Harshly, quickly, under blades
Hafted with horn and wood and bone
Went the wheel:
Narrow long knives that should be one edge,
House-knives that sliced the loaf to the heel,
And scraped scales off mackerel,
And weighty knives that were shaped like a wedge-
Stone wakened keenness m their steel:
Knives with which besom-makers pare
Their heather-stalks, and hawkers' blades
Used by men of a dozen trades;
Broad-bladed knives that cut bacon-sides,
And stumpy knives for cobblers' hides,
With hunters' knives that were thinned with wear:-
All were brought to,
All were laid on,
All were ground by
The Sojourner's wheel.
And those who filled the market-square
Saw hand and eye upon their ware
That were well schooled and scrupulous
To spend upon that task their use.
But sparks came from the eyes and met
The sparks that were from the edges whet
As eagerly and wittingly
The dullness of each blade scoured he,
And the brow he bent was like a stone.
Over the grinding-stone he sang,
'The dalesman's sword shall make you fear,
And the dirk in the grasp of the mountaineer,
likewise the pirate's blue cutlass
have left your blades long edgeless!'
the men were thinking of games of cards,
the looks of the boys were turned towards
corner where they played pitch and toss,
the women thought of the herring across
tongs to roast where pot-hooks hang,
ready and unforward men have no right to any lien
the gifts of Tubal Cain,
The gifts of our father, Tubal Cain!'
But no one drew meaning from the song
As he made an equal edge along
One side of the blade and the other one,
And polished the surface till it shone.
'Now leave a blessing on what you have done.'
'For what I have done I take my fee,
But no blessing I leave on it,' said he,
'Everybody knows,
Everybody knows
That the knife-grinder
No blessing bestows.'
Then the market-place, with wheel a-pack,
He left, and the men to their cards went back
And talked of a bird in the cocker's loft;
And of liming linnets beside the croft
The boys told between pitch and toss;
And the women laid the herring across
The tongs to roast for a sloven's meal.
And he went out beside the Peel
Tower, and through Saint Selskar's Gate,
Heading at a hearty rate
Towards the hilltops and the shades.
And three who brought back sharpened blades
To their fathers' stalls by the Tan-yard Side,
And then stayed while a blackbird cried
Quietly by their groundsills
The butcher's daughter,
The cobbler's daughter,
The hawker's daughter,
Were lost on the hills!
poem by Padraic Colum
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Another Shoulder At The Wheel
(gary burr/john jarrard)
There are times when the winds blow every word I cry back again
And it gets hard, hard as I try to find the strength to even survive
But when Ive done all I can do
I can always turn to you
Another shoulder at the wheel to see me through
When the road is long, and the tears are real
When Im past the poin of giving up
Theres nothing like the feel of another shoulder at the wheel
In my path theres stones I could never roll away alone
There are times when I wake and my knees will tremble and shake
But theres someone who cares
And when I need you, youll be there
Another shoulder at the wheel to see me through
When the road is long, and the tears are real
When Im past the poin of giving up
Theres nothing like the feel of another shoulder at the wheel
Another shoulder at the wheel to see me through
When the road is long, and the tears are real
When Im past the poin of giving up
Theres nothing like the feel of another shoulder at the wheel
Oh another shoulder at the wheel
song performed by by Jo Dee Messina
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Idylls Of The King: Song From The Marriage Of Geraint
Turn, Fortune, turn thy wheel, and lower the proud;
Turn thy wild wheel thro' sunshine, storm, and cloud;
Thy wheel and thee we neither love nor hate.
Turn, Fortune, turn thy wheel with smile or frown;
With that wild wheel we go not up or down;
Our hoard is little, but our hearts are great.
Smile and we smile, the lords of many lands;
Frown and we smile, the lords of our own hands;
For man is man and master of his fate.
Turn, turn thy wheel above the staring crowd;
Thy wheel and thou are shadows in the cloud;
Thy wheel and thee we neither love nor hate.
poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson
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The Friend of Humanity and the Knife-grinder
Friend of Humanity
1'Needy Knife-grinder! whither are you going?
2Rough is the road, your wheel is out of order-
3Bleak blows the blast;-your hat has got a hole in't,
4 So have your breeches!
5'Weary Knife-grinder! little think the proud ones,
6Who in their coaches roll along the turnpike{\-}
7-road, what hard work 'tis crying all day 'knives and
8 'scissors to grind O!'
9'Tell me, Knife-grinder, how you came to grind knives?
10Did some rich man tyranically use you?
11Was it the squire? or parson of the parish?
12 Or the attorney?
13'Was it the squire, for the killing of his game? or
14Covetous parson, for his tithes distraining?
15Or roguish lawyer, made you lose your little
16 All in a lawsuit?
17'(Have you not read the Rights of Man, by Tom Paine?)
18Drops of compassion tremble on my eyelids,
19Ready to fall, as soon as you have told your
20 Pitiful story.'
Knife-grinder
21'Story! God bless you! I have none to tell, sir,
22Only last night a-drinking at the Chequers,
23This poor old hat and breeches, as you see, were
24 Torn in a scuffle.
25'Constables came up for to take me into
26Custody; they took me before the justice;
27Justice Oldmixon put me in the parish{\-}
28 Stocks for a vagrant.
29'I should be glad to drink your Honour's health in
30A pot of beer, if you will give me sixpence;
31But for my part, I never love to meddle
32 With politics, sir.'
Friend of Humanity
33'I give thee sixpence! I will see thee damn'd first-
34Wretch! whom no sense of wrongs can rouse to vengeance-
35Sordid, unfeeling, reprobate, degraded,
36 Spiritless outcast!'
[Kicks the Knife-grinder, overturns his wheel, and exit in a transport of Republican enthusiasm and universal philanthropy.
poem by George Canning
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Friend of Humanity, and the Knife-Grinder
FRIEND OF HUMANITY.
"Needy Knife-grinder! whether are you going?
Rough is the road, your wheel is out of order--
Bleak blows the Blast;--your hat has got a hole in't,
So have your breeches!
"Weary Knife-grinder! little think the proud ones
Who in their coaches roll along the turnpike-
-road, what hard work 'tis crying all day, 'Knives and
'Scissars to grind O!'
"Tell me Knife-grinder, how came you to grind knives?
Did some rich man tyrannically use you?
Was it the squire? or parson of the parish;
Or the attorney?
"Was it the squire, for killing of his game? or
Covetous parson, for his tithes distraining?
Or roguish lawyer, made you lose your little
All in a lawsuit?
"(Have you not read the Rights of Man, by Tom Paine?)
Drops of compassion tremble on my eyelids,
Ready to fall, as soon as you have told your
Pitiful story."
KNIFE-GRINDER.
"Story! God bless you! I have none to tell, Sir,
Only last night a-drinking at the Chequers,
This poor old hat and breeches, as you see, were
Torn in a scuffle.
"Constables came up for to take me into
Custody; they took me before the justice;
Justice Oldmixon put me in the parish-
stocks for a vagrant.
"I should be glad to drink your Honor's health in
A pot of beer, if you will give me sixpence;
But for my part, I never love to meddle
With Politics, Sir."
FRIEND OF HUMANITY.
"I give thee sixpence! I will see thee damn'd first--
Wretch! whom no sense of wrongs can rouse to vengeance--
Sordid, unfeeling, reprobate, degraded,
Spiritless outcast!"
Kicks the Knife-grinder, overturns his wheel, and exit in a transport of Republican enthusiasm and universal philanthropy.
poem by John Hookham Frere
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Let It Happen
Let it happen
Honey dont you live on the edge of your life
Let it happen
Honey dont you live on the edge of a sigh
Let it happen
Honey dont you live on the edge of a smile
Let it happen
Honey dont you live on the edge of your time
Baby all you got to do
Is let the rythm get to you
Baby all you got to do
Is let the rythm get to you
Let it happen
Honey take a ride on the wheel of life
Let it happen
Open up your heart to the wheel of life
Let it happen
You can put your trust to the wheel of life
Let it happen
Throw away your fear on the wheel of life
Baby all you got to do
Is let the rythm get to you
Baby all you got to do
Is let the rythm get to you
[interlude]
Let it happen
All you need is love on the wheel of life let it happen
All you need is love on the wheel of life
Let it happen
All you need is love on the wheel of life
Let it happen
All you need is love on the wheel of life
Baby all you got to do
Is let the rythm get to you
Baby all you got to do
Is let the rythm get to you
Let it happen
All you need is love on the wheel of life
Let it happen
All you need is love on the wheel of life
All you need is love on the wheel of life
All you need is love on the wheel of life
All you need is love on the wheel of life
All you need is love on the wheel of life
All you need is love on the wheel of life
song performed by by Vangelis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Life Is A Wheel
Life
Is a wheel
The heart, brain,
Lung lever, kidney
The spokes
The blood works
The same way as
The air in the tube
Of the body like tire
A small leak
Can make the tire flat
One broken spoke
Can halt the wheel
The living
Becomes dead
The present
Turns into past
Let the
Wheel of life move
Exercise a bit
Keep the spokes fit
Air full
Live as long as the
Almighty wants
poem by Nirantar Dr.Rajendra Tela
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Who Invented the Wheel?
Who invented the wheel?
It is an F. A. Q.
That is here eversince
The wheel came into view
Were it the Sumerians?
Can anyone say who?
Everybody's asking
Nobody seems to know
Who did first use the wheel?
The same and old query
The answer is around
Though not easy to see
Salamander or spider
Transforms into a ball
And like a wheel he goes
Down of a hill he rolls
A wheel without axle
He doesn't have to crawl
poem by Pacific Hernandez
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Drivin Wheel
(t-bone burnett/billy swan)
Well, all I want is a love thats hot
Cant be sold, cant be bought
Yeah, love that dont try to be somethin its not
Well, all I need is a love thats real
None can rob and none can steal
Hey, love that moves like a drivin wheel
Well, all I want is drivin wheel
All I want is a drivin wheel
All round love my ideal
Well, all I want is love thats right
To hold onto with all my might
Hey, early in the mornin and late at night
Well, all I want is drivin wheel
All I want is a drivin wheel
Hey, all round love my ideal
All I want is a drivin wheel
All I want is a drivin wheel
Hey, all round love my ideal
All I want is a drivin wheel
All I want is a drivin wheel
Well, all round love my ideal
song performed by by Emmylou Harris
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Six Blade Knife
Your six blade knife can do anything for you
Anything you want it to
One blade for breaking my heart
One blade for tearing me apart
Your six blade knife-do anything for you
You can take away my mind like you take away the top of a tin
When you come up from behind and lay it down cold on my skin
Took a stone from my soul when I was lame
Just so you could make me tame
You take away my mind like you take away the top of a tin
Id like to be free of it now - I dont want it no more
Id like to be free of it now - you know I dont want it no more
Everybody got a knife it can be just what they want it to be
A needle a wife or something that you just cant see
You know it keeps you strong
Yes and itll do me wrong
Your six blade knife - do anything for you
song performed by by Dire Straits
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My Winding Wheel
Well nighttime let her through
Yeah Im talking to you
I wanna see her
Precious little thing
With eyes that dance around without their clothes
So buy a pretty dress
Wear it out tonight
For anyone you think could out do me
Or better still be my winding wheel
Cause I feel just like a map
Without a single place to go of interest
And Im further north than south
If I could shut my mouth shed probably like this
So buy a pretty dress
And wear it out tonight
For all the boys you think could out do me
Or better still be my winding wheel
Be my winding wheel
Well the children laugh and sing a song that ushers in her driving rain
And Im standing in the station like some old record waiting on a train
So buy a pretty dress
Wear it out tonight
For anyone you think could out do me
Or better still be my winding wheel
Be my winding wheel
song performed by by Ryan Adams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Celtic Sonant
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining star to you
Deep peace of the son of peace to you
One man stood firm guarding cups overflowing
Brimful of memories and yesterdays dreams
He could never explain his own silent thunder
The ocean just blows rough at this time of year
And the wheel keeps on turning
The wheel keeps on turning
The wheel keeps on turning
Turning around
Away we will sail with all our flags flying
Too many changes can cause us delay
Each star in the sky is there for a reason
Making it so bright for this time of day
And the wheel keeps on turning
The wheel keeps on turning
The wheel keeps on turning
This fool made it round
song performed by by Moody Blues
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My Winding Wheel
(Original by Ryan Adams )
Well night time let her through
Yeah I am talking to you
I wanna see her
Precious little thing
with eyes that dance around without their clothes
So buy a pretty dress
Wear it out tonight
For anyone you think could out do me
Or better still, be my winding wheel
Cause I feel just like a map
Without a single place to go of interest
And I am further north than south
If I could shut my mouth she'd probably like this
So buy a pretty dress
And wear it out tonight
For all the boys you think could out do me
Or better still, be my winding wheel
Be my winding wheel
Well the children laugh and sing a song that ushers in her driving rain
And I am standing in the station like some old record waiting on a train
So buy a pretty dress
Wear it out tonight
For anyone you think could out do me
Or better still be my winding wheel
Be my winding wheel
song performed by by Counting Crows
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sitting At The Wheel
I can hear the music playing
I can hear the word that youre saying
I can see the lovelife in your eyes
Whats the use in looking for an answer
I might find out
It could be a disaster
Hold on to your own time
Dont let go
Dont let go
Im sitting at the wheel
Watching the river roll roll on by
Sitting at the wheel
Dont let the river run dry
I can see your face on a piece of tomorrow
Ill hang my dream on a road I can follow
I gotta touch the warmth of your love
Not gonna take a chance a
Change of direction
Gonna keep on rolling till I find the connection
Hold on to your lifeline
Dont let
Dont let go
Sitting at the wheel
Watching the river roll roll on by
Sitting at the wheel
Dont let the river run dry
Im sitting at
Im sitting at the wheel
Like a voyeur standing at the edge of time
Looking for a reason
Thats got no rhyme
Love took a corner
Shot off for a mile
Rock on --- rocker
I can hear the music playing
I can hear the word that youre saying
I can see the lovelife in your eyes
Aint no use in looking for an answer
I might find out
It could be a disaster
Hold on to your own time
Dont let go
Dont let go
Im sitting at the wheel
Watching the river rock and roll on by
Sitting at the wheel
I am just sitting
Im just sitting at the wheel
Im just sitting at the wheel
Watching the river roll by
Rock and roll by
Sitting at the wheel
I am just sitting
Sitting at the wheel
If youre sitting at the wheel
Watch the rocker roll by
song performed by by Moody Blues
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Beneath The Face of A Clown
My mother’s uncle was a circus clown
forever tripping up and falling down.
A circus performer through and through
who would try anything they asked him to.
With a tiny umbrella attached to his hat
and a blonde haired wig under that.
A huge red nose that he honked so loud
always brought a smile from the crowd.
Apart from that he never made a sound,
but the humour button he always found.
He made the most timid of children smile
by sharing his talent for just a little while.
But beneath the face of this funny clown
was one of anguish, sadness, and frown.
A tragic event struck the funny man’s life
whilst performing with a throwing knife.
A hooded assistant attached to a turning wheel;
her shout of okay released the knife of steel.
A gasping audience watched it cut through the air…
yells and cries witnessed the death of her.
A lapse of concentration, a hesitant troubled mind,
an unfortunate twist of fate that was so unkind.
It was then he discovered that his throwing knife
had found the heart of his newly wed wife.
poem by Orlando Belo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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In The Midst Of War
in the midst of war with bodies lying on the ground
walks a band of children-their families can't be found
searching through the rubble of homes that used to be
looking for food and clothes just to survive
because of their elders who choose to live a lie.
as i look through their eyes-all i can see
is death and destruction staring at me.
these children are not to blame for what is all around
but! if its not stopped they'll be laying on the ground.
they search thru this destruction in hopes that
they'll find-others to join them.
as they walk down the streets-the elders stop their fighting
to let them pass.
but this is just temporary- they know it will not last.
other children see them marching down the streets
they dropp what they are doing to join this band
knowing in their hearts it's time to take a stand.
this band is getting larger and the children start to shout..
what is this war? whats it all about?
can't you see the lives that have been taken?
because of this war the ground is still shaking.
the elders stop their fighting as the children all sit down.
they scream'we are not moving until this fight is through.
if this is what you want we will die with you.
you think only of yourselves and not what we're going through.
and when we die-what are you going to do.
there will be no one to carry on your name
there will be no heritage to be found
it will be burned to the ground.
look at our faces and you know what you will see
death and destruction surrounding me.
so we ask you from our hearts-it's time to change.
it is not something which is hard to do
it's all up to every one of you.
poem by Louis Rams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Wheelwright. For David
The wheelwright worked, as carefully,
yet so fast, as a wheel spins.
One day, someone said to him,
the centre of the wheel never moves.
Infuriated, the wheelwright worked night and day
neglecting his other work,
to prove this was not true;
he invented a wheel which was all rim;
but it still needed a hub, an axle;
but he had invented the flywheel;
his business flourished despite him.
He invented a wheel with a hollow at its centre;
but had to devise a radiating hub;
yet he had invented machinery;
his business thrived.
After many years, he sank back,
beaten by philosophy; reduced to stillness.
Around him, a huge business enterprise;
he, the hub, the axle,
the still centre.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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By what strange law of mind is it that an idea long overlooked, and trodden under foot as a useless stone, suddenly sparkles out in new light, as a discovered diamond?
quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Enoughs Enough
So early in the morning
Its the same now every day
Sign your name and number
Cutting from the ball and chain
Never letting go when
The weight was so deceiving
Treading on a turning wheel
Machinery is screaming
Shoulder to the stone again
Praying for the evening
Hiding as the fist hits steel
Chorus:
Enoughs enough
Its eye to eye
Enoughs enough
We cry
Enoughs enough
Of smoke and steel
Enoughs enough
Of turning this wheel
Looking at his picture
Steel did turn the skin to bone
Father I remember
The hands that had to break the stone
Chorus
song performed by by Asia
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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