For A Coming Extinction
Gray whale
Now that we are sinding you to The End
That great god
Tell him
That we who follow you invented forgiveness
And forgive nothing
I write as though you could understand
And I could say it
One must always pretend something
Among the dying
When you have left the seas nodding on their stalks
Empty of you
Tell him that we were made
On another day
The bewilderment will diminish like an echo
Winding along your inner mountains
Unheard by us
And find its way out
Leaving behind it the future
Dead
And ours
When you will not see again
The whale calves trying the light
Consider what you will find in the black garden
And its court
The sea cows the Great Auks the gorillas
The irreplaceable hosts ranged countless
And fore-ordaining as stars
Our sacrifices
Join your work to theirs
Tell him
That it is we who are important
poem by William Stanley Merwin
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Related quotes
The Whale
The Whale is found in seas and oceans,
Indulging there in fishlike motions,
But Science shows that Whales are mammals,
Like Jersey cows, and goats, and camels.
When undisturbed, the Whale will browse
Like camels, goats, and Jersey cows,
On food that satisfies its tongue,
Thus making milk to feed its young.
Asking no costly hay and oats,
Like camels, Jersey cows, and goats,
The Whale, prolific milk producer,
Should be our cheapest lactic juicer.
Our milk should all come from the sea,
But who, I ask, would want to be—
And here the proposition fails—
The milkmaid to a herd of Whales?
poem by Ellis Parker Butler
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Leaving Me Behind
The tramp moves on to the end of the street
I listen to the echo of his hobnail feet
For some theres a future to find
But I think theyre leaving me behind.
The world humes on at its breakneck pace
People fly in their lifelong race
For them theres a future to find
But I think theyre leaving me behind.
The chances they come, but the chances have been lost
Success can be gained, but at too great a cost
For some theres a future to find
But I think theyre leaving me behind.
The wind sweeps up and goes back to its tree
The rain flows by and moves to the sea
For them theres a future to find
But I think theyre leaving me behind.
song performed by by Nick Drake
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Adopt A Whale
As wondrous as the stars at night,
That shine so bright and strong,
The precious joy that brings delight
Is that the whale has song.
The siren of the sapphire seas,
With tunes so lyrical...
To me, these are the things that please,
With each a miracle...
Perhaps it tames the savage beast,
As one of God's celebs
That glides below from west to east
Mid music of the depths...
Perhaps not with another whale,
But there and all alone,
With love his only Holy Grail...
Or Philosopher's Stone...
Like happy humans humming tunes,
Like hummingbirds and such,
The lonesome whale's seen many moons
And dreams of love so much...
When whalesong's played, we listen close,
To each new siren call...
There's only one thing each whale knows,
In life, true love is all...
Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2011.
Web site: wwf-dot-org-dot-uk/Adopt_A_Whale
poem by Denis Martindale
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Whalesong
As wondrous as the stars at night,
That shine so bright and strong,
The precious joy that brings delight
Is that the whale has song.
The siren of the sapphire seas,
With tunes so lyrical...
To me, these are the things that please,
With each a miracle...
Perhaps it tames the savage beast,
As one of God's celebs
That glides below from west to east
Mid music of the depths...
Perhaps not with another whale,
But there and all alone,
With love his only Holy Grail...
Or Philosopher's Stone...
Like happy humans humming tunes,
Like hummingbirds and such,
The lonesome whale's seen many moons
And dreams of love so much...
When whalesong's played, we listen close,
To each new siren call...
There's only one thing each whale knows,
In life, true love is all...
Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2011.
Web site: wwf-dot-org-dot-uk/Adopt_A_Whale
poem by Denis Martindale
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Going Fishing
Going fishing for some poems
I haven’t caught before
Sailing in the ocean
Far from the sandy shore
Going to take the works of Shakespeare
Use his words as living bait
Going to cast them far and wide
And in the moonlight wait
I may catch a slippery conger
I’ve heard they send out shocks
Best I wear some gloves
And a pair of rubber socks
It may be the whale who saved Jonah from the deep
I’ll thank him for his mercy and let his life him keep
I’ll tell him to read the Tempest where forgiveness rules the sea
Then I’ll row home in happiness and ever more shall be.
But what if I catch a shark who tears bodies limb from limb
I’ll say go seek the whale and find forgiveness there within
I’ll fish right through the darkness till the western skies are bright
I’ll throw back the empty poems and just keep the one’s with light
You may think I'm cuckoo crazy fishing for poems in the sea
But where on earth do they come from? it’s not inside of me
I’ve looked inside my ears and deep down inside my throat
They seem to come from somewhere, and it’s not inside my coat.
poem by Wojja Fink
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Whales Weep Not!
They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains
the hottest blood of all, and the wildest, the most urgent.
All the whales in the wider deeps, hot are they, as they urge
on and on, and dive beneath the icebergs.
The right whales, the sperm-whales, the hammer-heads, the killers
there they blow, there they blow, hot wild white breath out of the sea!
And they rock, and they rock, through the sensual ageless ages
on the depths of the seven seas,
and through the salt they reel with drunk delight
and in the tropics tremble they with love
and roll with massive, strong desire, like gods.
Then the great bull lies up against his bride
in the blue deep of the sea
as mountain pressing on mountain, in the zest of life:
and out of the inward roaring of the inner red ocean of whale blood
the long tip reaches strong, intense, like the maelstrom-tip, and comes to rest
in the clasp and the soft, wild clutch of a she-whale's fathomless body.
And over the bridge of the whale's strong phallus, linking the wonder of whales
the burning archangels under the sea keep passing, back and forth,
keep passing archangels of bliss
from him to her, from her to him, great Cherubim
that wait on whales in mid-ocean, suspended in the waves of the sea
great heaven of whales in the waters, old hierarchies.
And enormous mother whales lie dreaming suckling their whale-tender young
and dreaming with strange whale eyes wide open in the waters of the beginning and the end.
And bull-whales gather their women and whale-calves in a ring
when danger threatens, on the surface of the ceaseless flood
and range themselves like great fierce Seraphim facing the threat
encircling their huddled monsters of love.
and all this happiness in the sea, in the salt
where God is also love, but without words:
and Aphrodite is the wife of whales
most happy, happy she!
and Venus among the fishes skips and is a she-dolphin
she is the gay, delighted porpoise sporting with love and the sea
she is the female tunny-fish, round and happy among the males
and dense with happy blood, dark rainbow bliss in the sea.
poem by David Herbert Lawrence
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Whale Song
Can you hear the Whale Song resonating deep?
Can you hear that deep slow hum within your mind asleep?
Can you understand the Whale Song and feel its undulating tones
Vibrating through our bodies within our flesh and bone?
Why is it that the Whale Song entrances us in life
And let's us glimpse a real-ness that needs not ears nor even eyes?
Maybe it's that the Whale Song makes us feel part of this earth
In a way that seems to be obscured in the life that follows birth.
poem by David Keig
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The Alabaster Cave ~ A Villanelle
Inside the belly of the whale
He left her to construct her fate
A conduct far beyond the pale
A darkness like the pit of hell
She slipped and tumbled upside down
Inside the belly of the whale
Skeletal hands with sharp toenails
That clung to alabaster walls
And onyx wing-beats flapped pell-mell
The mousy guano rained and fell
Laying eggs inside her hair
Inside the belly of the whale!
She looked to hide to no avail
He'd plowed ahead and left her there
A conduct far beyond the pale
No handholds, twas like reading Braille
He'd doused the green light lamp telltales
Inside the belly of the whale
A conduct far beyond the pale
poem by Sara Fielder
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Great Expectations
(eric carmen)
Seems everyday
Im gettin harder pressed
To find a reason to shave
Watchin the hours
Just slippin away
No motivation to get out of bed
And carry on the charade
Caught in a dream thats goin astray
Oh, all those great expectations
Seems they never work out, never work out
The way that I plan
All those great expectations
Why they never work out, never work out
I cant understand
And just when I think
That things are goin right
I get a call from l.a.
Sorry to say were changin your song
I try to reason
But I cant get through
Theyre gonna do it their way
What can I say
Theyve never been wrong
Oh, all those great expectations
Seems they never work out, never work out
The way that I plan
All those great expectations
Why they never work out, never work out
I cant understand
Life is just a game of chance
I think somebody said so
Sometimes you get a hula hoop
Sometimes you get an edsel
Oh, all those great expectations
Seems they never work out, never work out
The way that I plan
All those great expectations
Why they never work out, never work out
I cant understand
song performed by by Eric Carmen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dont Kill The Whale
Youre first Im last
Youre thirst Im asked to justify
Killing our last heaven beast
Dont hunt the whale
In beauty vision
Do we offer much
If we reason with destiny, gonna lose our touch
Dont kill the whale
Rejoice they sing
They worship their own space
In a moment of love, they will die for their grace
Dont kill the whale
If time will allow
We will judge all who came
In the wake of our new age to stand for the frail
Dont kill the whale
Cetacei....
song performed by by Yes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dont Kill The Whale
Youre first Im last
Youre thirst Im asked to justify
Killing our last heaven beast
Dont hunt the whale
In beauty vision
Do we offer much
If we reason with destiny, gonna lose our touch
Dont kill the whale
Rejoice they sing
They worship their own space
In a moment of love, they will die for their grace
Dont kill the whale
If time will allow
We will judge all who came
In the wake of our new age to stand for the frail
Dont kill the whale
Cetacei....
song performed by by Yes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Find Life
Find Love
It is the beauty of this life.
Find Peace
It is the anchor in any strife.
Find Hope
It will carry you through.
Find Friendship
They give joy, who are true.
Find Laughter
It is health for your mind.
Find Comfort
Even when you have been left behind.
Find Forgiveness
It always will set you free.
But the most important really
Never ever find... Fault.
poem by Cynthia Buhain-Baello
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Don't Follow
Ingulfed in flames,
I'm through with your games.
I'm leaving,
To be free.
I'm leaving,
To get away.
I'm leaving,
To find someone else.
Don't follow,
Unless you're hollow.
I'm through,
With you,
So leave me,
And let me be free.
As the leaves fall,
I walk into a hall.
I'm alone,
Finally.
I find a dark spot,
Where it's not hot.
I sit,
And wait.
Someone comes by,
And says hi.
It's a little girl,
Who is me,
When I was little.
I say hi,
And she says,
'Why are you sitting here? '
Then she leaves.
My present self comes,
And says,
'You've made a mistake.'
And leaves.
My future self never comes.
I get up,
And Find you,
Waiting outside.
I run up to you,
And hug you.
I'm crying,
And you're not lying.
I say sorry,
But you say sorry more.
We get into a car,
And we go home.
That night,
My future self doesn't comes,
The next day,
I told you,
'I don't want to live,
I'm worthless,
I have no future,
And I'm sick.'
You say,
'No you aren't.'
You hug me,
But I leave.
You try to follow me,
But I climb the stairs,
And open the second floor window.
I stand in the window sill.
I look down.
I become scared,
And I get down,
And go into your arms.
I start crying,
As you calm me down.
That night,
My future self comes.
She nods,
And leaves.
poem by Dragon Crenshaw
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Echo Of Your Footsteps
Every night I hear
the echo of your footsteps,
across the wooden floor.
They seem to be leading
out to the front door.
It happens every night,
since the day you left,
they are there to haunt me,
reminding me
what I should have done.
I should have begged
for your forgiveness,
for the mistakes I made.
Hoping you would forgive me,
and in my arms stayed.
But I didn’t,
and your gone now.
All I have is an empty heart,
memories I did collect,
and the lonely echo of your footsteps.
13 June 2007
poem by David Harris
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A Lesson of Life (Forgiveness)
(dedicated to Ms. Angela Gheorghiu, a great soprano)
sins to reach clouds of sky
sins nearly as great as earth
sins as many as foams of ocean
were you then to pray to God
were you then to come to God
were you then to ask forgiveness
ascribing no partner to God
so long as you call upon God
ask of mercy and forgive to God
God would bring you forgiveness
God shall forgive you for what you have done
God is the Most Merciful and Fullest of Forgiveness
(inspired by Ramadan month of 1429 H)
poem by Ahmad Shiddiqi
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Whip
Great Great Great Great
is thy work
The fortune hunter
your uninterrupted lamp
has
torch light out the
parasite in their closet
like an erosion that called
the black pot of sacrifice of the perpetrator
Great Great Great Great
is thy work
The fervent farmer
your crude instrument
has
uprooted the unwanted ornament
in the vineyard
like locus waiting the planter
Great Great Great Great
is thy work
The lean steward
you never sleep nor slumber
in the quest of monitoring the
offender in the field like Nigeria
EFCC punching out the beautiful criminals
Great Great Great Great
is thy work
The no nonsense headmaster
with this
masquerade Cain whipping
the deaf prefect in the school of moral
The whip that caution the senior wife
is at the top of the roof for
YOU
poem by Samuel Abimbola Aladetan
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Always Leaving Crisis
Life it seems is a crisis from the day that I was born
I came out flogging and crying on that long ago "who am I" morn!
I clung so tight to my Mama, but soon she sent me away
I heard the school bell ringing! A crisis for me that day!
The years, I recall, flew swiftly, where do I go from here?
A crisis, my graduation. Commencement day brings fear!
I don't understand where I'm going, another crisis for sure
I must find my way and purpose, the way to live and endure!
I'm always leaving, leaving, always searching to find
Where am I going? I wonder? I leave my childhood behind!
I leave all my teen years behind me. The past is the past is the past
One crisis after another, and all of them come so fast!
Then there was the crisis that really made me smile
A real big one for you as well, you walked me down the aisle!
I left my Mama and Daddy to spend a lifetime with you
Now comes a double crisis! We're leaving, oh what can we do!
I'm not sure when we are going, all I know it is true
I'm leaving this world behind me, and my dear, you are leaving, too!
Life has been a challenge, it seems we are always leaving!
Doors that close, doors that open, a pattern that's ever weaving!
Now at the end of our journey, we'll leave it all and find
The great and the small must leave it all, this is the way it's designed!
We'll trust our great Creator who has seen us through our strife
He'll never leave or forsake us! He will give us Eternal Life!
poem by Thelma Evelyn Jones
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Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an act that works through God;
Forgiveness is an act of God in man;
Forgiveness is the work of God’s great love;
Forgiveness is an art that man must learn!
Men with good sense will restrain their anger;
Such men defer their anger for long times;
To forgive transgressions is man’s glory;
To hold one’s tongue is done by people smart.
Forgiving is an act almost divine;
Forgiving is something not all can do;
Forgiving someone is too tough at times;
Forgiving fully is done by just few!
To preach is easy; forgiving is tough;
Forgiving is an honor of men wise;
If God should forgive us, we must forgive;
Like God, we must be slow to anger too.
‘Forgive those who sin against us, ’ tells Christ;
To gain God’s forgiveness, we must then, first;
There is no limit to forgive someone;
Forgiveness is a virtue Jesus taught.
One who forgives has no revenge in heart;
One who forgives has no hate from the start;
‘Forgive and God will forgive you, ’ says Lord.
Forgiving plants the seed of love of God.
When all are sinners, forgiveness is prime;
By doing so, we gain the love of God;
Through forgiveness, our tolerance will grow;
For prayers to be heard, forgive right now!
A man with grudge is like a fruitless tree!
Grudge can stand in-between you and heaven!
Spare no occasion of forgiving men;
Judge not others but show mercy on them!
We turn like God when we forgive others;
Forgiving earns more souls for God, brothers!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 11-13-2009
poem by John Celes
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We Are Jonah
And the round old fox, stepped up to make his speech
His ship was on the rocks, and rescue out of reach
Spotlit he stood, said what he thought he should
Half the crowd did laugh, though there was no joke
And soon the other half were swallowed up in smoke
A robin on the wing, could be heard to sing, the strangest thing
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the plane did land, for some it did not crash
From it emerged a man, in trainers and moustache
Down he laid his load, upon the heated road
Then the road did part, and the tar did melt
He loosened up his heart, he tightened up his belt
Like a piece of string, then he began to sing, like a pearly king
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the scene did shift, to a sun kissed sea
There was montgomery clift, jonah, the whale and me
As the sun it set, montgomery placed his bet
Then the whale did yawn, and fell asleep in four
From dusk till dawn, you shoul have heard him snore
From tierra-del-fuego, to the alaskan snows... there she blows!
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
My dear old grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Grandma
We are jonah, rolling along in the teeth of a whale
song performed by by Waterboys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We Are Jonah
And the round old fox, stepped up to make his speech
His ship was on the rocks, and rescue out of reach
Spotlit he stood, said what he thought he should
Half the crowd did laugh, though there was no joke
And soon the other half were swallowed up in smoke
A robin on the wing, could be heard to sing, the strangest thing
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the plane did land, for some it did not crash
From it emerged a man, in trainers and moustache
Down he laid his load, upon the heated road
Then the road did part, and the tar did melt
He loosened up his heart, he tightened up his belt
Like a piece of string, then he began to sing, like a pearly king
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Then the scene did shift, to a sun kissed sea
There was montgomery clift, jonah, the whale and me
As the sun it set, montgomery placed his bet
Then the whale did yawn, and fell asleep in four
From dusk till dawn, you shoul have heard him snore
From tierra-del-fuego, to the alaskan snows... there she blows!
Grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
My dear old grandma, we are jonah
Rolling along in the teeth of a whale
Grandma
We are jonah, rolling along in the teeth of a whale
song performed by by Waterboys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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