The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
Henry David Thoreau in Walden, 1854
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Related quotes
Many books today suggest that the mass of women lead lives of noisy desperation.
quote by Peter S. Prescott
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Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.
quote by Henry David Thoreau
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Nowadays men lead lives of noisy desperation.
quote by James Thurber
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Bus Stop
Lights are burning
In quiet rooms
Where lives go on
Resembling ours.
The quiet lives
That follow us—
These lives we lead
But do not own—
Stand in the rain
So quietly
When we are gone,
So quietly . . .
And the last bus
Comes letting dark
Umbrellas out—
Black flowers, black flowers.
And lives go on.
And lives go on
Like sudden lights
At street corners
Or like the lights
In quiet rooms
Left on for hours,
Burning, burning.
Submitted by C.K.
poem by Donald Justice
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Killing yourself is a major commitment, it takes a kind of courage. Most people just lead lives of cowardly desperation. It's kinda half suicide where you just dull yourself with substances.
quote by Robert Crumb
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Inspiration~ micropoetry
Inspiration is like a gentle breeze it slowly passes, softly touches, leaves an everlasting impression and awakens the eternal soul!
Man tends to act either out of inspiration or out of desperation. But be careful often acts done in desperation lead to miseries.
poem by Meetika Srivastava
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I do believe that most men live lives of quiet desperation. For despair, optimism is the only practical solution. Hope is practical. Because eliminate that and it's pretty scary. Hope at least gives you the option of living.
quote by Harry Nilsson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Lead Balloon
Kiss my ass! I said
And I threw my drink
Tequila trickling
Down his business suit
Must be the irish blood
Fight before you think
Turn it now
You cant cowtow
You cant undo it
Its his town
And that went down
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
He said sic her, rover
That went over
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon
An angry man is just an angry man
But an angry woman
Bitch!
I had to ask him for a helping hand
It came with the heart
Of a bonaparte
Of a frozen fish
Its his town
And that went down
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
He said sic her, rover
That went over
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon
Lead balloon, lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon, lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon, lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon
Its his town
And that went down
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead balloon
He said sic her, rover
That went over
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon
song performed by by Joni Mitchell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Losers
This is an ode to lives of quiet desperation
To life
At its lamest
When she lives paycheck to paycheck
And he hides his ache in tired smiles and his kids will never know
When they cry every night when shouts fill the kitchen and their family threatens to crumble at the seams
And she ignores the giggles as she approaches because she pretends they can't break her but they've already broken her smile
He didn't tell his friends he has leukemia because he wants to be normal and having a friend who's dying is much too hard
And who can blame him
You know nothing about the losers in your life because you never cared to ask
But sometimes her broken smiles are more precious than anything
poem by Tsunami HiroshiSu
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Desperation Is A Lonely Poem
DESPERATION IS A LONELY POEM
Desperation is a lonely poem
And what I have to say
And have said so many times before
Will not save me
From this situation.
Desperation is a lonely poem
And a helpless poem
And a difficult poem
And a painful poem
And a poem I do not know how to get out of.
Desperation is the silence of all these words
And the nothingness of endless not hearing
When I cry with all my soul aloud.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder” (The Billion-Dollar Question)
We must all stay aware…..,
Of the Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder….,
It’s been increasing for years….,
The Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….! ! !
Can’t dare turn our backs….,
On the Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….,
It’ll sneak up and kill us…,
The Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….! ! !
It’s hard to believe and conceive….
The Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….,
That’s why so many are blind….,
To the Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder …! ! !
We’ve seen the bloody attacks…..,
Of the Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….,
So we must face the facts….,
On the Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….! ! !
Yes they’re after us all…,
The Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….,
Their radical religion condones it….,
The Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder ….! ! !
Can we control it or stop it….,
So it won’t go any further….? ? ?
That’s the billion-dollar question….,
On the Insane Culture Of Mass-Murder …! ! !
poem by Trade Martin
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Weapons of Mass Destruction
The Holy Roman Empire and Alexander The Great
Exterminate the globe, with extreme prejudice,
A Weapon of Mass Destruction
The European Inquisition, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
The Holy Christian Crusades, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
The Manifest Destiny and land expansion, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
Globalization and commercialization of the many rain forests,
A Weapon of Mass Destruction
Comprehensive sanctions is economic violence,
A Weapon of Mass Destruction
The procreation of religion and God, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
Democratizing the whole world, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
The extermination of The Iroquois Confederation, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
World domination the salvation of, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
War, is the greatest Weapon of Mass Destruction
The justification for annihilation of, The Constitution
The constitution of retribution, the absolution of, A Weapon of Mass Destruction.
poem by Josephine DixonBanks
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Half Mass
american soldiers were slaughtered
on a military base today.
by an arab american officer
who held everyone at bay.
and for these departed soldiers
all of america will pray.
but a question was put to me
and i was'nt sure just what to say.
if they are flying the american flag
at half mass for those who died today
what about the ones who've given their lives
to protect the american way?
why should we fly the flag at half mass
just for those who died at FORT HOOD.
it should be for all soldiers
and they would argue if they could.
keep our flags at half mass for all
that put their lives at stake.
there will be many more that we will honor
and their families at their wakes.
we should also put a yellow ribbon
on our red, white, and blue
until our soldiers come home
and this fighting is finally through.
poem by Louis Rams
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No Acceptance Of What Is Going On
Many today are living lives in desperation.
Few are still clinging onto delusions.
The kind that only an appearance from Santa Claus,
Can forever erase.
The shouting sounds of reality,
Can not chase them away...
From their 'what if' existences.
There is no acceptance of what is going on,
In front of their faces.
And their lack of involvement,
Has invited what it is they deny.
Many today are living lives in desperation.
Few are still clinging onto delusions.
The kind that only an appearance from Santa Claus,
Can forever erase.
Minds are gone!
And there is no where to retrieve them,
From a lost and found!
Minds are gone!
And some folks were never attached to one,
To know what it is they are missing.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Something More (Augustine's Confession)
Augustine just woke up with a broken heart
All this time he's never been awake before
At 31 his whole world is a question mark
All this time he's never been awake before
Watching dreams that he once had
Feed the flame inside his head
In a quiet desperation of the emptiness
He says
"Theres gotta be something more
Than what i'm living for
I'm crying out to you"
"Theres gotta be something more
Than what i'm living for
I'm crying out to you"
Augustine
All his fears keeping falling out
All this time he's never been awake before
Finding out his old dreams aren't panning out
All this time he's never been awake before
But he's mad to be alive
And he's dying to be met
In a quiet desperation of the emptiness
He says
"Theres gotta be something more
Than what i'm living for
I'm crying out to you"
"Theres gotta be something more
Than what i'm living for
I'm crying out to you"
Something more
Hey I give it all away
Nothing I was holding back remains
Hey i give it all away
Looking for the grace of God today
Theres gotta be something more
Than what i'm living for
I'm crying out to you
Theres gotta be something more
Than what i've been before
I'm crying out to you
Theres gotta be something more
Than what i'm living for
I'm crying out to you
Theres gotta be something more
Than what i've been before
I'm crying out to you
Three Four
song performed by by Switchfoot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Something More
Augustine just woke up with a broken heart
All this time, he's never been awake before
At 31, his whole world is a question mark
All this time, he's never been awake before
Watching dreams that he once had
Feed the flame inside his head
In a quiet desperation of the emptiness he says
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
Augustine, all his fears keep falling out
All this time, he's never been awake before
Finding out his old dreams aren't panning out
All this time, he's never been awake before
And he's mad to be alive
And he's dying to be met
In a quiet desperation of the emptiness he says
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
Hey, I gave it all away
Nothing I was holding back remains
Hey, I gave it all away
Looking for the grace of God again
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you
There's gotta be something more
Than what I'm living for
I'm crying out to you...
song performed by by Switchfoot
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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John Cornstalk
Jack Cornstalk lives in the Southern Land—
What says Cornstalk John?
Jack Cornstalk says in a loud firm voice:
“Land of the South, lead on.”
CHORUS:
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Land of the South, lead on!
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Lead on, Land of the South!
John Bull lays claim to the Southern Land.
Jack, is the South Land thine?
John Cornstalk cries in a loud, firm voice:
“The Land of the South is mine!”
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Land of the South, lead on!
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Lead on, Land of the South!
“By the long, long years my father toiled
In the pioneering band;
By the hardships of those early days,
I claim the Southern Land!”
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Land of the South, lead on!
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Lead on, Land of the South!
But where shall the Land of the South lead to?
Where lead the nation’s van?
Jack Cornstalk cries from his strong young heart:
“To the Dynasty of Man.”
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Land of the South, lead on!
Land of the South, lead on, lead on,
Lead on, Land of the South!
poem by Henry Lawson
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Quiet Life
Somethings happenin but Im just gonna turn a blind eye.
If I see no evil, ask no questions, and I hear no lies.
Cant communicate with minds that are small,
With some people its like talkin to the wall
And a fellow who walks away,
Lives to battle another day.
And Ive really got no appetite
For a fight,
Not tonight.
All I want is a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
No ambition to rock the boat
When I can just stay afloat.
Be content with a quiet life
All I want is a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil at all.
Confidentially, between these walls,
Im on top of it all.
Id rather have em think Im deaf, dumb, and blind
Than aggravation every time I speak my mind
Keep _________ at a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
I could easily blow my top,
Start a row,
But why start now?
Give your daddy a quiet life.
Give your mother a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
[instrumental section]
Give your daddy a quiet life.
Give your mother a quiet life.
Anything for a quiet life.
Confidentially, between these walls,
Im on top of it all.
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I don't think human beings learn anything without desperation. Desperation is a necessary ingredient to learning anything or creating anything. Period. If you ain't desperate at some point, you ain't interesting.
quote by Jim Carrey
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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