Pelion
The small owls cry
through the centaur's woods,
bronze wings clashing
through the dry autumnal leaves.
Old battles echo in the air -
the brazen shield and iron spear
flash in the moonlight.
Caught between the fearful dream
and feared reality
the fieldmice still,
crouch lower than the rabbits in the groves.
The owls fly on,
more haunted now than hunting,
towards a time
when pale Athena, helmeted and armed,
lifted her shield
to catch the owl-eyed moon.
poem by Kathleen Griffin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Shield Of Abraham
(kinky friedman)
Jacob climbed the ladder, climbed it to the sky,
Said, people, whats the matter ?
Heaven aint so high,
People, heaven aint so high,
When you got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
The years were lights they wandered in the desert 40 years
And ol moses told the children
brush away them tears,
Hey, kids, this aint no time for tears.
Children
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
David, he fought goliath with nothing but a tiny stone.
David, little david, God knows youre not alone,
God knows youre not alone.
David, you got the shield,
Youve got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Little david.
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Rock and roll redeemer, oh people, hear my song,
And let the music keep us loving, let the spirit keep us strong,
Let your sweet love keep us strong.
cause weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield of abraham.
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield ...
song performed by by Kinky Friedman
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Last Journey Home
In a midnight dream with a pale moon overhead
I make in the air for her a white linen bed
Where her beauty can lie unspoiled and green
Like years ago when I loved her innocent teen!
Her face pales, my eyes dim in the moonlight
My longing can’t hold back the withering night
The owls cry, the graveyard white hints her end
She’s gone and there’s no beauty to defend!
When it’s over, the last journey to be away
The cold empty hearth leaves nothing to say
We come back to us to ponder and rest
The fire has gone out, there’s no need for haste!
poem by Pradip Chattopadhyay
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Shadow of Extinction
Numerous hawks, hapless and helpless
Are sitting downcast on the ground
Amid the dry leafless forest,
Discarding the high zone of their flight.
Their eyes are impressionless,
Wings clipped and tails curtailed,
Their claws: the hunting instruments
Cramped and contracted inward.
They are drowsing and nodding,
In a state of oblivion,
As forgetfulness to the ancient history.
Around them is a conflagration
Engulfing the woods,
The agent of autumnal wind assists the blaze,
The circle is belittling at each moment;
But the hawks with the wings clipped
Tails curtailed, contracted claws
Drowsing eyes, nodding heads,
Are waiting for the encroaching doom,
Beneath the murkiness of smoke:
Stretching over the shadow of extinction,
And far above hover the bats and owls,
Challenging the hawks.
poem by Muhammad Shanazar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Achilles at Troy
The walls of the enemy city believed by them
to be made by the gods,
rise up in front of us
stripped, empty like hills,
looking impregnable
and higher up I see some archers
with their armour shining in the midday heat
rising bows and shooting arrows into the sky
believing, wishing and praying to hit one of us.
I drive with my chariot far out of their reach,
around and around the city, as if inspecting it
for any frailty, a place to penetrate with force
searching for Hector
while fierce fighting is going on
and anger, great rage roars within my heart
when at the main gate I stop and wait,
before roaring at the top of my voice
for Hector to come out, to face me.
My black steel shield, my black steel armour
my great spear, my bow and sword
are at the ready and I am implacable
watching, willing for the main gate to open
and see a lizard basking in the sun on a nearby rock,
as it probably has done since being born,
my heart is torn by the death
of my familiar one,
Patroclus my companion and friend
and in pain I roar again
calling Hector a coward and a fool
and my small army
of brave Myrmidons gather around me
heading of the enemy, killing scores of them
banging their swords on their shields
every time I call the name out
of the Champion of Troy
and like me they are ready to destroy.
Again I give reigns to the horses
driving at speed with my chariot
around the city inspecting
the fighting men more carefully
and nowhere I can see Hector,
nowhere I find him destroying our own
and on the third time
I spot him taking on three men
and killing them
and at speed jump from the chariot
with spear, sword and shield
and like a thunder falling from the sky
I land solidly right next to him
and he wards of my first, my second blow
even stopping my great spear
thrown with all my might,
but in the frenzy of it all
I see an opening made by his shield
and dropping my shield
with both hands directly
drive my sword in, in a stabbing blow
and catch him in the throat
leaping back picking up my shield and spear
and stab, stab from behind the shield
killing Hector with fierce blows
and I gather my great sword
drawing it from him
and tie him behind my chariot
before fully armed
I jump into it
and drive away
dragging the Champion of Troy
around and around the great
impregnable city while roaring
loud as thunder
with a blood bedecked spear above my head.
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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If I was in the Moon - Pinewood Royal
From an idea by Sophie Mitchell-Dwelly
Before the coming of the night
I see the moon rise all dressed in white
In the crepuscular light
I see the stars come out so bright
As I watch the stars appear
Like diamonds on a velvet blanket
And when the sky is clear
I'm so glad that I am here with you
Oh The Moon she looks so pale
Do you think she's happy in her misty veil?
Oh her light is everywhere
On a beach of pebbles we're standing there
If I was in the moon
I wouldn't want to leave too soon
If I was in the moon
I might just stay for ever
Oh Dancing in the moonlight
Our feet feel so light
Dancing in the moonlight
Oh the stars are so bright
Owls calling through the trees
And the frogs are chirping in the evening breeze
The crickets play their tune
By the light of the magical moon
If I was in the moon
I wouldn't want to leave too soon
If I was in the moon
I might just stay for ever
poem by GuyPaul MitchellDwelly
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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6. The Hunting Owl
Into the night sky
An owl took to wing
Beginning his hunting
For food home to bring
Over the hedges
He silently swoops
A large gust of wind
Turned him over in loops
On settling down
He eyed up a shrew
Fixed on his target
Claws knew what to do
He picked up his dinner
And dined by himself
Within an old barn
On dusty old shelf
Flying once more
He spied a small rabbit
With young mouths to feed
He swooped down to grab it
Despatched with one peck
Poor bunny no more
But a fine meal was had
By owls family of four
poem by David Threadgold (2008)
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Rabbit
Rabbits, rabbits everywhere
Bigger than a rat
Smaller than a hare
Jump, hop in the grass
Eating carrots
Hoping fast
Rabbits, rabbits fluffy fur
Hunting season
They hustle and stir
Pointy ears, bushy tails
Wet nose
Hind legs down the trail
Rabbits, rabbits into holes
Time for bed
Bless their souls
Now all tucked in and put to sleep
No noise in the hole
Not even a peep
poem by TaBresha Bozeman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Restless Night
As bamboo chill drifts into the bedroom,
Moonlight fills every corner of our
Garden. Heavy dew beads and trickles.
Stars suddenly there, sparse, next aren't.
Fireflies in dark flight flash. Waking
Waterbirds begin calling, one to another.
All things caught between shield and sword,
All grief empty, the clear night passes.
Restless Night
As bamboo chill drifts into the bedroom,
Moonlight fills every corner of our
Garden. Heavy dew beads and trickles.
Stars suddenly there, sparse, next aren't.
Fireflies in dark flight flash. Waking
Waterbirds begin calling, one to another.
All things caught between shield and sword,
All grief empty, the clear night passes.
In Memoriam: Anna Akhmatova, poet
Last Spring I stood
in front of the bronze statue
they’ve put up in your honour
on the banks of the Neva
not far from the prison's red wall
just as, half in jest, you requested it,
never expecting this...
the thaw had just started
and a white snow crystal, already half transparent,
melted in the corner of your bronze eye
as if it were a tear
I watched it slide down Spring's warming bronze,
down past your name on the base,
across the trodden snow of the pavement,
into the Neva whose memory is time itself,
and as it joined the river's flow of breaking, creaking ice and snow
the sunlight caught it, briefly.
The next day
I walked to your dacha in the woods
as the first light rain of Spring
gently washed the birch saplings
and the brown leaves of last autumn now revealed
made a silent carpet for my feet;
and the pale sunlight
caught a raindrop, briefly.
In some future Spring
a poet’s tears fall as gentle rain.
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Hence, All You Vain Delights from the Nice Valour
Hence, all you vain delights,
As short as are the nights
Wherein you spend your folly:
There's nought in this life sweet,
If man were wise to see't,
But only melancholy,
O sweetest melancholy!
Welcome, folded arms, and fixed eyes,
A sigh that piercing mortifies,
A look that's fastened to the ground,
A tongue chained up without a sound;
Fountain-heads, and pathless groves,
Places which pale passion loves;
Moonlight walks, when all the fowls
Are warmly housed, save bats and owls;
A midnight bell, a parting groan:
These are the sounds we feed upon;
Then stretch our bones in a still gloomy valley,
Nothing's so dainty sweet as lovely melancholy.
poem by John Fletcher
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Harvest
Day is the hero's shield,
Achilles' field,
The light days are the angels.
We the seed.
Against eternal light and gorgon's face
Day is the shield
And we the grass
Native to fields of iron, and skies of brass.
poem by Kathleen Jessie Raine
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Sonnet: Before He Went
BEFORE he went to feed with owls and bats
Nebuchadnezzar had an ugly dream,
Worse than an Hus'if's when she thinks her cream
Made a Naumachia for mice and rats.
So scared, he sent for that 'Good King of Cats'
Young Daniel, who soon did pluck away the beam
From out his eye, and said he did not deem
The sceptre worth a straw his Cushions old door-mats.
A horrid nightmare similar somewhat
Of late has haunted a most motley crew,
Most loggerheads and Chapmen we are told
That any Daniel tho' he be a sot
Can make the lying lips turn pale of hue
By belching out 'ye are that head of Gold.'
poem by John Keats
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Prayer Prompt Psalm 115. I Put My Thoughts On You
Your presence, O God, gives me confidence
“You are my helper. You are my shield.”
When I am fearful, I put my thoughts on You, alone.
God is alive!
God is our helper!
God is our shield!
We love you, our Lord and our God!
I love you, my Lord and my God!
poem by Rose Flores Rosevoc2
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A Poem of Night and Fall
I thank you for the moon at night
and also for the stars that shine
and basking in it heavenly light
I wish the universe were mine
A midnight breeze
tosses my hair
and blows the leaves
of hidden trees
into fall air
a silver light
shines on the grass
a rabbits flight
then safe at last
at home tonight
a silver silence
speaks its presence
to the world
and in the fading, evening light
the dew drifts down
behold, the night
We see the shadows running past
and in the corners of our minds
we count the summer days till last
and the beginning is falls time
the scarlet leaves are mine
poem by Elizabeth Shield
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Nightsky
Red colours and orange mixed,
A hint of yellow,
The sunset begins,
Slowly it falls into the horizon,
The colours fading,
The moon is rising,
The stars are shining,
The clouds are blackening,
planets spinning and comets colliding.
A black sky, while the moon shines,
Hounds howl, while rabbits cry,
Owls fly while mice hide,
Toads leap in the night sky,
The nights ends as quick as we sleep,
The colours come back,
We awake from our dreams,
The sun rises high in the sky,
Lighting the way,
Until we once again say goodnight!
poem by Gary McPhail
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Crystal Pools
As I gazed into large
glowing eyes
clear as crystal
shining like diamonds.
I was caught off guard
my protective shield
was down
for a time I was lost
in their beauty
swallowed up in the
moment.
Opaque pools of water
inticed me
I wanted to wade in
feel splashing
around my ankles.
Get wet, be taught to
swim in those waters
know all of their
mysteries
become familiar with
them.
We stood in silence
not a word was uttered
I understood, they
understood.
I had been caught in
their clutch
my guard is up now
my shield has been
repaired.
crystal pools only
happen
once in a life time.
poem by Heather Burns
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Moonlight Sestina
While reading Li Po, I fall
Asleep, and dream of the moon
My body lies on white
Cool sheets, flooded in a pool
Of moonlight. Lost in a dream
I lie in light, floating.
Like a full moon floating
On waves, I feel the fall
And rise, the tide of these dream
Currents. Closer, the moon
Approaches to my pool
Of flesh, shining me white.
From the glare of waxing white,
Gauze curtains – breeze floating -
Shield this rippling pool,
Become a waterfall,
And break the mirror moon-
Light through wet prisms, I dream.
Is this Shechinah? my dream
Self asks. At once the cold white
Chills me to ice. The moon
Swells until it's a floating
City, waiting to fall -
Atlantis – in the pool.
I yearn to be that pool
Skin, transparent as dream.
Instead I fear the moon fall:
I cannot part the white
Sea of thighs, Still floating
Whole, I cry to the moon:
“I am not ready, Moon”
Silence shimmers my pool,
But brightness fades, Floating
Away. Then from the dream
I emerge, weeping white
Tears that shine like star-fall.
Li Po's moon plunge sank dream
Deep. Whirlpool of lunar white
Drowns us; floating, we fall.
poem by Lillian Susan Thomas
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Odysseus to Pallas Athena
Maiden in armour
thy shield at thy side
and lightning bolts resting
in the place that they hide,
come talk to me
as companion and friend.
How many times have thee led me
and stood as sentinel
at the prow of my ship
and through huge waves
and storms guaranteed a good trip.
Through lonesome travels
like a shadow
you accompanied me
over land and sea
and as thy servant
I forever will be.
Pallas Athena, by the force
of my war bow
and bronze spears have I slain
those that tried to woo my wife
and untimely celebrated my death,
but only by thy appearance
victory was truly mine.
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Melancholy
HENCE, all you vain delights,
As short as are the nights
Wherein you spend your folly!
There 's naught in this life sweet,
If men were wise to see't,
But only melancholy--
O sweetest melancholy!
Welcome, folded arms and fixed eyes,
A sight that piercing mortifies,
A look that 's fasten'd to the ground,
A tongue chain'd up without a sound!
Fountain-heads and pathless groves,
Places which pale passion loves!
Moonlight walks, when all the fowls
Are warmly housed, save bats and owls!
A midnight bell, a parting groan--
These are the sounds we feed upon:
Then stretch our bones in a still gloomy valley,
Nothing 's so dainty sweet as lovely melancholy.
poem by John Fletcher
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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