The Tongue
Inadvertently I passed the border of her teeth and swallowed
her agile tongue. It lives inside me now, like a Japanese fish. It
brushes against my heart and my diaphragm as if against the walls
of an aquarium. It stirs silt from the bottom.
She whom I deprived of a voice stares at me with big eyes
and waits for a word.
Yet I do not know which tongue to use when speaking to
her – the stolen one or the one which melts in my mouth from an
excess of heavy goodness.
poem by Zbigniew Herbert
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Related quotes
Kissing is a rehearsal.
I managed to kiss her on lips.
Lips unlocked, my tongue slipped in.
It darted through lips and about
Her mouth, touching her tongue on tip
Then at bottom and at corners,
Sucking the tongue and swallowing the juice
Till she got fire at her bottom.
Resistance gone, she surrendered.
Kissing is just a rehearsal.
Her mouth stands for her lower one.
Man's tongue stands for his under part.
The tongue signals the man's prowess.
09.08.2012
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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I Remember When My Mouth Was Full
and i too remember when my mouth was full
i still wanted to talk
to you, there was this thought that keeps on bugging me
and it was for you,
that time, when my mouth was full, i wish i could talk
intelligibly, but how could i? when what i had was everything
kept within the four corners of my mouth,
sealed by the fence of my teeth, and the lock is in my tongue,
and my lips, they keep closing, keeping what palatable food was there.
i vomited. no, i did not.
i swallowed them all, Hook
line and sinker. i forgot that i am human.
i thought i was a fish. there were bubbles.
there was that river that swallowed me.
and it too did not talk,
now, i am talking to you. and you are listening.
then what? i have nothing to say.
i am empty.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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As You Look Deep Into The Mirror
the mirror is the echo of the sound you make
inside yourself,
the voice that you utter when nobody watches you
when all of them left to their homes
and you are left alone
talking to yourself, the voice comes out
from your heart
speaking your name, your dreams
you hear the voice that you cannot see
calling you
and so you stand before the mirror
and try once more
to see the face of that voice
fair and square
it tells you who you really are
softer inside
hard on the outside
the exoskeleton that you have been making
breaks down
like flakes of mud drying
the warmth in your eyes is still there
the affection you want to give
the love you want to spread
they are all there
in your eyes
but you cannot help it
seeing something ugly
you have not spoken
the voice hides in the silence
walled by your teeth
your tongue swollen
this discomfort of not saying
anything as everyone you love
leaves the door still opening
to the cold outside
the wind hunting for some stars
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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As A Matter Of Sustenance
as a matter of survival
the last bite of the chocolate
tongue need not be
delicious to the tongue.
you let it roll inside your
mouth, let the tongue relish
it a bit, till it melts there.
this is senselessly
numbing, such sweet
taste of life, and then
this emptiness of the
mouth, needing a fill
for a glassful of water.
this is senseless,
there is no more meaning
for the filling up and the
emptying, except the hands
that keep on running and
running meaningfully on
the keys, listening merely
to the sound of words,
and nothing more, there
is this senseless search
for an understanding this
logicality, this madness
for reason, the heart aches
in shame, unable to accept
the ease of an explanation.
let it be, let the eyes shed
tears, let the flesh tremble,
till darkness comes, till the
silence of the stars.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Tongues
the tongue
of my body
is in the nerves
the tongue
of my soul
in the heart
the tongue of
my mind
in the head
the tongue
of truth and deceits
in the mouth
the tongue of
the World (Creation)
in the words
of God
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Literary Tongue
at first i like the hands
those huge hands to cover the whole of my cold body
and then i begin to like the fingers
those that crawl and make my body warm
those that fill the orifice of my emptiness
those that caress my hair
and travel from my nose to my mouth
to my neck to the last tip of my toes
and then i like the mouth too
with its tongue that speak about gentleness
and make me a little bit heated
and brave
and then i am finally stuck with the tongue
the surrogate part of of them all
it speaks
it licks
it travels from the tip of my hair to the tip of my toe
and then it stops
hides inside the walls of my teeth and gums
and stay in the house of my mouth
it also knows
when to stop and just be alone and silent
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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On Relishing Small Pleasures
a cherry in my tongue
playing with my gums and teeth inside my mouth
not a bite just a licking
sweetness cherished in every nerve
of my tissues
not to be swallowed
or chewed
but wrapped with the layers
of my saliva
every moment every second
the glory of
lickin' good.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Suffering
a word from you
and then you stop
something choppy somewhere
inside your tongue
i like to listen more from you
cut, i am having a hard time,
what is it with you
that wants to hold me
i stop to listen again
some scratching sounds
from your hair
some gnashing from your teeth
i listen stilll cautiously
there are pauses,
you stretch your arms
trying to reach me
i tap my ears
there is this suppression
of meaning and then you finally open
your eyes
tears are falling
i see
your heart is broken and your
mouth haggles for words
your mind grasps for thoughts
for a love that they always
misunderstand. I see.
blood inside your mouth.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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As If Never!
your mouth tembles,
cannot form the word love;
your body storms,
breaking windows and doors.
your hands sweat,
your eyes close, and open.
the embers deep,
sputter, and flame...
beyond your control,
your winds laps it's tongue,
just for a taste,
for one stolen moment.
the earth stops turning,
poles begin to shift...
and mountains, cities, and
rivers swallowed in an instant...
as if never!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Forbidden Fruit
He presses it to his lips,
Bares his teeth,
And nips at the flesh.
Sweet liquid escapes his lips
And races with his tongue
From the corner
Of his mouth.
He catches the nectarous droplet
And draws it back inside.
Oh my!
How I long for a taste!
To touch his delicious lips with mine.
To fold my tongue through
The warm sweetness of him
Again...again and again.
Ohhhh to hear my name groaned
Through his baritone voice
As my body sings his song.
His eyes....his beautiful eyes are....
Uh oh! !
He sees me!
I feel crimson warmth spread
Across my face
And wonder..
How long have I been staring at him?
© 2012
poem by Ruby Honeytip
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Fish vs. Humans
The fish swim in the coral
and we get stuck in school
Some fish are trapped forever in the aquarium inside the tanks
Some people are trapped by wrongdoings, and are put in prison instead of spanked
Fish swim in schools that look similar to them
Teenagers stay in clicks that I'm sure will never end
Sometimes I go to the aquarium and I admire all the fish
I wonder how many times fish think 'to be a human is all I wish'
poem by Rebecca Bell
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Sonnet: The Tongue
Tongue, the muscle belly in the mouth’s floor!
That grandmothers used to narrate folklore;
With sensors to taste the food that we eat,
And speak fluently with neighbors who cheat.
The boneless tongue gives creatures satiety;
In misdemeanor, speaks words so nasty;
The tongue-tied man cannot speak out too well;
The one with a long tongue argues like hell.
The tongue can emit both a soothing word,
And also cut like a double-edged sword;
The tongue helps one to sing a sweet song,
And touch one’s nose-tip whenever too long.
The tongue can start a war or conclude it;
Some stars use it for their kissing habit.
poem by John Celes
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Our Future Leader
Can you imagine?
What kind of person will become a leader
on two years from now?
Is that should be a professor?
Is that should be like a religious people?
Is that should be like a lovely person?
Is that should be a too kind and generous people?
Is that should be like a strict and rude people?
A leader is like a gold fish inside aquarium
People will see from many side
Sometimes it looks so cute
Sometimes it looks so ugly
Sometimes it looks so brightly
But you know, it still gold fish
No one can deny it
This fish never bother what people think
This fish only think that it has part
To bring a nice view inside aquarium
I think our future leader should be like that
Because if we choose them it means
This person can be seen from many sides
And this is our fish
We should trust it and be a good viewer
Aquarium Fun
Have you ever seen an aquarium
With fancy fish swimming around?
Well I saw the most wonderful
Aquarium that I’ve ever found
Every color you can imagine
You’d find in a fish tank were there
Beautiful background for those fish
Not a single thing was spared
The cat fish were so enormous
You could imagine them in a pan
Fryin’ up so crispy brown
So tasty they’d never be bland
But instead we just enjoyed
Watching these fish on display
Swimming ‘round and ‘round
I once even saw them in play
I hope sometime if you haven’t
Been to an aquarium like this
Can observe their beauty as I did
These delightful and colorful fish!
poem by Marilyn Lott
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Allegro Comodo
a word from you, then you stop
something choppy
i like to listen more from you
another word, cut into half
i am having a hard time
figuring out what is there
with you that wants to hold
me, i stop to listen again,
some scratches from your
tongue, some gnashing from
your teeth, i am listening still,
some more words, more of
pauses, like some commas
are constructed by you on
purpose, i am tired in this,
i am impatient, you stretch
your arms to reach me again,
as i go nearer tapping my ears,
for you, yet there is this
suppression of meaning,
i am listening still, you
close your eyes and then
open them, this time some
tears fall, like ripe drops
of rain from dark clouds,
i see, your heart is broken
and your mind cannot
understand perfectly,
your mouth haggles
with words that your
tongue cannot form
simply because love is always misunderstood.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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383
a word from you, then you stop
something choppy
i like to listen more from you
another word, cut into half
i am having a hard time
figuring out what is there
with you that wants to hold
me, i stop to listen again,
some scratches from your
tongue, some gnashing from
your teeth, i am listening still,
some more words, more of
pauses, like some commas
are constructed by you on
purpose, i am tired in this,
i am impatient, you stretch
your arms to reach me again,
as i go nearer tapping my ears,
for you, yet there is this
suppression of meaning,
i am listening still, you
close your eyes and then
open them, this time some
tears fall, like ripe drops
of rain from dark clouds,
i see, your heart is broken
and your mind cannot
understand perfectly,
your mouth haggles
with words that your
tongue cannot form
simply because love is always misunderstood.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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As you read these lines
As you read these lines
Another toothpick
Is chewed by my teeth
Something is wrong
With my tongue and
Teeth, how they compete
For recognition, the teeth
Claiming it chewed the
Words the tongue claiming
It approved the taste,
I am listening how they
Argued and quarreled,
And in the chaos I bit the
Toothpick chewed it
And spit it out,
How choppy have I
Become, how some
Of my parts have been
So disjoined, and how
Have I become
So disengaged, divided,
Like the tongue &
Teeth, in their bickering.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Blood On The Ground
I dont wanna talk to you anymore
Im afraid of what I might say
I bite my tongue every time
You come around
cause blood in my mouth beats
Blood on the ground
Hand over my heart I swear
Ive tried everything I could
Within all my power
2 weeks and 1 hour
I slaved and now
Ive got nothing to show
Oh if only youve grown
Taller than a brick wall
From now on
Gonna start holding my breath
When you
Come around and
You flex that fake grin
cause something inside me has
Said more than twice
That breathing this air
Beats breathing you at all
I dont wanna talk to you anymore
Im afraid of what I might say
I bite my tongue every time
You come around
cause blood in my mouth beats
Blood on the ground
Hand over my mouth
Im earning the right
To my silence
In quiet discerning
Between ego and timing
Good judgment is once again
Proving to me
That its still worth
Its weight in gold
From now on Im gonna be
So much more weary
When you start to speak and
My warm blood starts to boil
Seeing you is like pulling teeth
And hearing your voice
Is like chewing tin foil
I dont wanna talk to you anymore
Im afraid of what I might say
I bite my tongue every time
You come around
cause blood in my mouth beats
Blood on the ground
Im fast to a better judgment
By saying less today
I will gain more, gain more
No cheers to you my
My fickle friend
You, you brought
The art of silent war
I dont wanna talk to you anymore
Im afraid of what I might say
I bite my tongue every time
You come around
cause blood in my mouth beats
Blood on the ground
song performed by by Incubus
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Under The Sun
there is so much to do
to talk about
to learn and judge and
tell
to forget and forgive
to decide to move on
like the grass and the
grasshopper
the ants and the butterfly
the hill and the
river
like the clouds up the
tips of the hills
like the atom and
the molecule
like your lips and your
teeth
your eyes and
your heart
like the fish on the water
the mice on the trap
the cheese and the dough
an open mouth
a tongue
a word of thanks
of hands waving goodbye
the last honk of the car
the speeding jet plane in the air
the darkness in space
Venus and Mars
Jack and the beans
so much to talk about
under the sun
why lonely still?
why so empty still?
yes, you.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Heart Content
When the tongue is used as a whip
Through toxic words that rage
The heart is revealed from those lips,
And the venom's released from its cage.
From out of the mouth the heart speaks,
No pretense can be hidden with masks,
Each word that is written or spoken,
Brings the man's character to task.
Before God all must give account,
For every word or deed that is done,
The judgement and sentence amounts
To the fruit of the words reaped by man.
The tongue has power of life and death,
And those who love it will reap the fruit
Whatever's written, whatever's spoken,
Will crush the heart with bitter roots.
Words have a way of exposing
What is inside the heart of a man
If it is God he is really believing
Or if he is just a plastic 'Christian'.
'The lips of the righteous know what is fitting but the mouth of
the wicked, only what is perverse.'
Proverbs 10: 32
November 8,2008 Tarlac City
poem by Cynthia Buhain-Baello
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