On A Bath, By Plato
Did Cytherea to the skies
From this pellucid lymph arise?
Or was it Cytherea's touch,
When bathing here, that made it such?
poem by William Cowper
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A Lament For Adonis
Cytherea, thy dainty Adonis is dying!
Ah, what shall we do?
O Nymphs, let it echo, the voice of your crying,
The greenwood through!
O Forest-maidens, smite on the breast,
Rend ye the delicate-woven vest!
Let the wail ring wild and high:
'Ah for Adonis!' cry.
O Sappho, how canst thou chant the bliss
Of Kypris — after such day as this?
'Oh Adonis, thou leavest me — woe for my lot!
And Eros, my servant, availeth me not!'
So wails Cytherea, grief-distraught.
'Who shall console me for thee? There is none —
Not Ares my god-lover, passionate one
Who sware in his jealousy forth to hale
Hephaestus my spouse from his palace, if he
Dared but to lift his eyes unto me.
Not he can console me, Adonis, for thee!'
Wail for Adonis, wail!
Cupid And Folly
CUPID, ere depriv'd of Sight,
Young and apt for all Delight,
Met with Folly on the way,
As Idle and as fond of Play.
In gay Sports the time they pass;
Now run, now wrestle on the Grass;
Their painted Wings then nimbly ply,
And ev'ry way for Mast'ry try:
'Till a Contest do's arise,
Who has won th' appointed Prize.
Gentle Love refers the Case
To the next, that comes in Place;
Trusting to his flatt'ring Wiles,
And softens the Dispute with Smiles.
But Folly, who no Temper knows,
Words pursues with hotter Blows:
'Till the eyes of Love were lost,
Which has such Pain to Mortals cost.
Venus hears his mournful Crys,
And repeats 'em, in the Skys,
To Jupiter in Council set,
With Peers for the Occasion met;
In her Arms the Boy she bears,
Bathing him in falling Tears;
And whilst his want of Eyes is shown,
Secures the Judges by her Own.
Folly to the Board must come,
And hear the Tryal and the Doom;
Which Cytherea loudly prays
May be as heavy as the Case:
Which, when All was justly weigh'd,
Cupid's Wings now useless made,
That a staff, his Feet must guide,
Which wou'd still be apt to slide;
This Decree at last was read,
That Love by Folly shou'd be lead.
poem by Anne Kingsmill Finch
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Poetic Murder
The murder scenes continue
On my papers so cute.
My pen is the victim,
Ferociously starved of its blood and lymph.
I'm the callous murderer
But I seem not to bother.
I don't need a defense counsel
Cos my cases are obviously goanna to sell.
It is as speechless as silence,
With no iota of violence.
Painlessly its blue-blood flowed with ease,
To make my pellucid lines an awesome piece.
This is no doubt a poetic murder
That will surely take me beyond Africa's border.
poem by Emmanuel Damilola Adeyemo
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The Lid
Whatever place he goes, on land or sea,
under a sky on fire, or a polar sun,
servant of Jesus, follower of Cytherea,
shadowy beggar, or Croesus the glittering one,
city-dweller or rustic, traveller or sedentary,
whether his tiny brain works fast or slow,
everywhere man knows the terror of mystery,
and with a trembling eye looks high or low.
Above, the Sky! That burial vault that stifles,
a ceiling lit for a comic opera, blind walls,
where each actor treads a blood-drenched stage:
Freethinkers’ fear, the hermit sets his hope on:
the Sky! The black lid of the giant cauldron,
under which we vast, invisible Beings rage.
poem by Charles Baudelaire
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On the Friendship Betwixt Two Ladies
Tell me, lovely, loving pair!
Why so kind, and so severe?
Why so careless of our care,
Only to yourselves so dear?
By this cunning change of hearts,
You the power of love control;
While the boy's eluded darts
Can arrive at neither soul.
For in vain to either breast
Still beguiled love does come,
Where he finds a foreign guest,
Neither of your hearts at home.
Debtors thus with like design,
When they never mean to pay,
That they may the law decline,
To some friend make all away.
Not the silver doves that fly,
Yoked in Cytherea's car;
Not the wings that lift so high,
And convey her son so far;
Are so lovely, sweet, and fair,
Or do more ennoble love;
Are so choicely matched a pair,
Or with more consent do move.
poem by Edmund Waller
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Autumn
In her arms unconscious lying,
Cytherea's love is dying.
On the hill and in the valley,
Through the grove and sun-lit alley,
Drooping flower and fading leaf
Share her grief.
But in realms of gloom and night
Proserpina wreathes her hair,
And a gleam of tender light
Seems to pierce the darkness there:
"Ah!" she sighs, "I long have waited
With the calm of hopeless pain,
But to me, the sorrow-fated,
Comes the lost one back again!
Lovely things that seem to die
Hither now will quickly hie,
And to-morrow, in the gloom
Of this sad and sunless tomb,
Butterflies will lightly hover,
As o'er meadows fair;" she saith,
"For Adonis brings the clover
With his breath!"
poem by Florence Earle Coates from Mine and Thine (1904)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Blue Skies Bring Tears
Unleash the armageddon
So all the children go to heaven
I sit by quiet still
With their pictures on my eyes
You'll draw the guns your given
Write down the words as written
And never disturb the presense
Of resurrection touch
And it's about time
It's about drawing near
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Descend the darkened stairway
Make hate with plastic playmates
And fire out remaining traces
Of your self esteem
Mainline the deepest secrets
Lick clean the dirty fingers
I am a stranger to you
As you are to yourself
And it's about time
It's about fear
Blue skies bring tears
Don't you want me (don't want you)
Cause I await cityside
We'll watch the seas start to die
Blue skies bring tears
Take me inside your body
Blue skies bring tears
Cover me with your soul
Blue skies bring tears
To the darkest reasons
Blue skies bring tears
Is where I wish to go
Blue skies bring tears
You are the sweetest flower
Blue skies bring tears
That I have ever devoured
Blue skies bring tears
I ask for nothing given
Blue skies bring tears
For nothing in return
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
Blue skies bring tears
song performed by by Smashing Pumpkins from Machina: The Machines Of God
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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El Nino
As one, wet merchants turn their eyes towards the west.
Trade winds falter as if in dire consequence.
Freezing fish to fry, fail to materialise.
Christ-child, blood-warm current sends to touch the skies.
El nino.
Bathing in uncertainty, another age
Seems to wing from t.v. screens in weather rage.
Savage retribution makes for a headline feats.
Planet-warming, opinion-forming headless beast.
El nino.
Cold thrust tongue extends its dark and watery touch.
Forces gather, martial stand against the rush.
Wily child in mischief here to make his play.
Leaves toys for little sister on another day
El nino.
song performed by by Jethro Tull
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Kiss The Day
These are the days we throw away
The Words we never say
"I'm so fragile, and so wrong"
And we're still knocking on the door
Of a world that's gone before
Until the real thing comes along
Kiss the day, on it's way
And the sun will never shine
In your eyes like the skies
And the darkness will arise
Kiss the day, and await
To hold you in it's arms
And the light will never fade
Kiss the day
And now I've seen enough to know
Though the truth can leave you cold
It can always lead you home
Back to the place where we belong
To the time when we were strong
When we could blow away the storm
Kiss the day, on it's way
And the sun will never shine
In your eyes like the skies
And the darkness will arise
Kiss the day, and await
To hold you in it's arms
And the light will never fade
Kiss the day, kiss the day
These are the days we throw away
The Words we never say
Till the real thing comes along
Kiss the day, on it's way
And the sun will never shine
In your eyes like the skies
And the darkness will arise
Kiss the day, and await
To hold you in it's arms
And the light will never fade
Kiss the day
song performed by by Def Leppard
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Psalm 58
Do not be silent when you see evil
Lift your voice to God above
Will you be a father to the fatherless
Will you draw them by your love?
Hear us when we cry for justice
Lead us Lord against the foe
Stand and fight our every battle
As we move forward toe to toe
We will fight and not surrender
Till the day has turned to night
We will stand Lord, in your presence
Putting every fear to flight
And so it comes the final battle
Satan and his hordes arise
And all seems lost and gone forever
Till we look up to the skies
Jesus and His angels coming
With His army, fills the skies
Crushing Satan and his minions
Chains are broken, we arise
poem by Frank McEleny
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Reise Reise (Arise Arise) (Lyrics.)
Even on the waves there is fighting
Where fish and flesh are woven into sea
One stabs the lance while in the army
Another throws it into the ocean
Ahoy
Arise, arise seaman arise
Each does it in his own way
One thrusts the spear into a man
Another then into the fish
Arise, arise seaman arise
And the waves cry softly
In their blood a spear is lodged
They bleed softly into the ocean
The lance must be drowned in flesh
Fish and man sink to the depths
Where the black soul dwells
there is no light on the horizon
Ahoy
Arise, arise seaman arise
Each does it in his own way
One thrusts the spear into a man
Another then into the fish
Arise, arise seaman arise
And the waves cry softly
In their blood a spear is lodged
They bleed softly into the ocean
Arise, arise seaman arise
And the waves cry softly
In their heart a spear is lodged
They bleed themselves dry on the shore
poem by Satan's Sibling
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My Dove, My Beautiful One
My dove, my beautiful one,
Arise, arise!
The night-dew lies
Upon my lips and eyes.
The odorous winds are weaving
A music of sighs:
Arise, arise,
My dove, my beautiful one!
I wait by the cedar tree,
My sister, my love,
White breast of the dove,
My breast shall be your bed.
The pale dew lies
Like a veil on my head.
My fair one, my fair dove,
Arise, arise!
poem by James Joyce
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An Art Critic
Ira P. Rankin, you've a nasal name
I'll sound it through 'the speaking-trump of fame,'
And wondering nations, hearing from afar
The brazen twang of its resounding jar,
Shall say: 'These bards are an uncommon class
They blow their noses with a tube of brass!'
Rankin! ye gods! if Influenza pick
Our names at christening, and such names stick,
Let's all be born when summer suns withstand
Her prevalence and chase her from the land,
And healing breezes generously help
To shield from death each ailing human whelp!
'What's in a name?' There's much at least in yours
That the pained ear unwillingly endures,
And much to make the suffering soul, I fear,
Envy the lesser anguish of the ear.
So you object to Cytherea! Do,
The picture was not painted, sir, for you!
Your_ mind to gratify and taste address,
The masking dove had been a dove the less.
Provincial censor! all untaught in art,
With mind indecent and indecent heart,
Do you not know-nay, why should I explain?
Instruction, argument alike were vain
I'll show you reasons when you show me brain.
poem by Ambrose Bierce
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When We Made Love
We were all we ever wanted
Before there was a single brick in this wall
That keeps the distance here between us
We built ourselves a life and we forgot
We already had it all.
When we made love, we made love
Baby, we had something
That nothing else could touch
When we made love.
Through the lonely that divides us
I can feel youre reaching from the other side
Lets tear down this wall and start all over
And well get back to the simple life.
When we made love, we made love
Baby, we had something
That nothing else could touch
When we made love.
Just pass the doubts beyond the hurt
Were not too far from where we were.
When we made love, we made love
Baby, we had something
That nothing else could touch
When we made love...
song performed by by Kenny Rogers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We Made Love
We were all we ever wanted
Before there was a single brick in this wall
That keeps the distance here between us
We built a life but we forgot we already had it all
When we made love, we made love
Baby, we had something that nothing else could touch
We made love
Through the lonely that divides us
And I can feel you reachin' from the other side
Let's tear this wall down and start over
And get back to, oh that simple life
When we made love, we made love
Baby, we had something that nothing else could touch
We made love
We're just past the doubt, beyond the hurt
We're not too far from where we were
When we made love, we made love
Baby, we've got something that nothing else can touch
When we made love
song performed by by Alabama
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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On A Connubial Rupture In High Life
I sigh, fair injured stranger! for thy fate;
But what shall sighs avail thee? Thy poor heart,
'Mid all the 'pomp and circumstance' of state,
Shivers in nakedness. Unbidden, start
Sad recollections of Hope's garish dream,
That shaped a seraph form, and named it Love,
Its hues gay-varying, as the orient beam
Varies the neck of Cytherea's dove.
To one soft accent of domestic joy,
Poor are the shouts that shake the high-arched dome:
Those plaudits, that thy public path annoy,
Alas! they tell thee--Thou'rt a wretch at home!
O then retire and weep! Their very woes
Solace the guiltless. Drop the pearly flood
On thy sweet infant, as the full-blown rose,
Surcharged with dew, bends o'er its neighb'ring bud.
And oh that Truth some holy spell might lend
To lure thy wanderer from the syren's power,
Then bid your souls inseparably blend
Like two bright dewdrops meeting in a flower.
poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Hark! Hark! The Lark
Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings,
And Phoebus 'gins arise,
His steeds to water at those springs
On chalic'd flowers that lies;
And winking Mary-buds begin
To ope their golden eyes;
With everything that pretty is,
My lady sweet, arise:
Arise, arise!
poem by William Shakespeare
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Sleeping And Waking
I Had a dream-I lay upon thy breast,
In that sweet place where we lay long ago:
I thought the morning woodbine to and fro
With playful shadows whipped away my rest,
And in my sleep I cried to thee, too blest,
'Rise, oh my love, the morning sun is bright,
Let us arise, oh love, let us arise;
The flowers awake, the lark is in the skies,
I will array myself in my delight,
And we will-' and I woke to death and night!
poem by Sydney Thompson Dobell
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Alacritous
You don't love bathing so,
No wonder your child too has copied you!
Alacritous,
The gods do not go to toilet but human beings do;
So try to train up your child to love bathing.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Sobre Las Olas (On The Waves)
The boys in striped knitware
make the waves sprout--is it a storm?
Everything coos and the bathing girl
consults the mirror of the skies
Waltz, emerald carriages
As a rosebush swells its sides
Once more on the merry-go-round
Spring at the bottom of the sea.
poem by Jean Cocteau
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