Tailback
In a traffic jam and I can see
Daffodils bedeck the ditches,
Benches in a people’s park.
Sideways there is a swamp
Where in the water preening
Stands a swan unperturbed.
A proud heron flies up above:
Once a tall and lordly one
Upheld its native landing rights,
Strutting around the grass
Within a nearby roundabout,
Reclaiming its own wetland.
As my patience in the tailback
Further ticks away from me
A brazen ambulance overtakes
This queue of cars and breaks
With flashing lights of blue
The traffic rules to save a life
By Limerick’s Shannon side
Across The Whistling Bridge.
poem by Matt Mooney
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
English Roundabout
(colin moulding)
People rushing round with no time to spare.
Im so dizzy,
Im neither here nor there.
In this traffic jam,
I just want to shout,
Let me off o this english roundabout
English roundabout
And all the the horns go beep! beep!
All the people follow like sheep,
Im full of light and sound,
Making my head go round, round.
Everyone is cursing under their breath,
Im a passenger,
I feel close to death,
Hopeless situation,
I have no doubt.
Stop the madness, english roundabout
English roundabout
And all the cars go brum! brum!
And in my ears I feel a hum,
The neons blind my eyes,
All those tempers rise, rise.
Cars and buses go,
Puffing out their smoke,
Roll my window down,
I begin to choke.
I have had enough,
I just want to get out.
Let me off o this english roundabout.
English roundabout.
song performed by by Xtc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Crosstown Traffic
You jump in front of my car
When you know all the time
That 90 miles an hour Girl Is the speed I drive
You tell me it's all right
You don't mind a little pain
You say you just want me to take you for a drive
You're just like CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
So hard to get through you CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
I don't need to run over you CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
All you do is slow me down
But I'm tryin' to get on the other side of town
I'm not the only soul who's accused of hit and run
Tire tracks all across your back I can see you've had your fun
But a-darling
Can't you see my signal's turn from green to red
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight ahead
You're just like CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
So hard to get through you CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
I don't need to run over you CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
All you do is slow me down
But I got better things on the other side of town
Yeah Yeah Crosstown traffic
Look out LOOK OUT Look out Baby
Coming through CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
Yeah Yeah Look out CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
Yeah Yeah LOOK OUT Look out Look out Baby
CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC LOOK OUT YEAH
song performed by by Hanson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Crosstown Traffic
You jump in front of my car when you,
You know all the time that
Ninty miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive
You tell me it's alright, you don't mind a little pain
You say you just want me to take you for a ride
You're just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don't need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I'm tryin' to get on the other side of town
I'm not the only soul who's accused of hit and run
Tire tracks all across your back
I can see you had your fun
But darlin' can't you see my signals turn from green to red
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead
You're just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don't need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I got better things on the other side of town
song performed by by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Church Street, Pretoria
Right down the street the traffic lights are green
and a couple of homeless men stand around a fire
in a half drum and ambulances and police cars scream
while they past rows and rows of flats for hire
and a couple of kids stand smoking at the stream
and this is reality, the heart of the city.
On the sidewalk pedestrians walk in crowds of men,
women and some children, some booted up to the knee
others with mini skirts short enough to condemn them
and my city stays lovely to me.
People queue for fried chicken, fish
and chips at shops and cafés and the smells fill my nose
and tomatoes and onions, lamb and steak are fried with a hiss
and in the traffic an angry speed-cop tries to retain his pose
when a minibus taxi almost runs him over, gives him a fright
at a flickering traffic light
and cars stream by into the coming night.
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Night was coming
Night was coming
with a piercing huge orange sun
breaking through
white and black clouds
in the west.
It found a gap
and the sun was hanging
like a orange ball
above the street
and it was blinding.
Cars passed barely visible
above the orange glare
and some had already
turned their lights on.
The sun dipped down
below some trees
and for a time
it glowed behind them
and soon it would be dark
and the first stars
were already appearing
and a full yellow moon
was rising,
but below bright lights
was already burning
right across the city
in colours of amber
streetlights
green, yellow and red
traffic lights,
blue lights flashing
on police cars
and almost every bright colour
caught on neon signs
while people came and went
to different destinations
some smiling and relaxed,
others in a hurry
and some others
locked in a world of their own.
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Crosstown Traffic
You jump in front of my car when you,
You know all the time that
Ninty miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive
You tell me its alright, you dont mind a little pain
You say you just want me to take you for a ride
Youre just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I dont need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And Im tryin to get on the other side of town
Im not the only soul whos accused of hit and run
Tire tracks all across your back
I can see you had your fun
But darlin cant you see my signals turn from green to red
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead
Youre just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I dont need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I got better things on the other side of town
song performed by by Jimi Hendrix
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I have a friend that rides a Vespa
I have a friend that rides a Vespa
and at traffic lights
he quickly flashes past several cars.
Under the saddle of his motorbike
his gun is loaded
and on the back
there’s a notice
greeting people in Aramaic.
Just where he comes
he first unsaddles
drawing out his gun.
One day he was standing
with his weapon
in his hand
and I heard a traffic cop say
to his mate:
“ stop swearing
a messenger of God is near.”
poem by Gert Strydom
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Asymmetry
Nothing torments
like a traffic jam on a freeway
with all lanes coming jam-packed
to a sudden halt,
big trucks grinding down gears
with swaying wagons as they brake,
the idiot on crack cocaine
that tries to overtake being trapped
by oncoming traffic
and then tries to swerve in
where there is no space
and out of the blue
very important persons arrive
and are being escorted in a convoy
which manages to past
with flashing police lights
while you are stuck.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Traffic Island Cop
Just one wave of his hands
The long lines of vehicles stop
Sun burnt rain drenched
Emotionless he stands
The traffic island cop!
You curse him if the wait is long
He’s just a faceless object
Like a post stands erect
In a fast lane his whistle blows
The traffic slows….
He has home, a wife
Away from traffic a life
A face without uniform
A corner to keep him warm
A vastly different island
Where he hates to command
And hopes no whistle brings to stop
The happiness of a traffic island cop!
poem by Pradip Chattopadhyay
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Red Ambulance
so that ambulance just went by
and if you were high
the flashing lights would be a show
red as the blood she spilled
red enough to let her go
she filled in the outlines with her nails
just as red as she
then there was a red circus, for sale
as she red as she would be
and the fire was just so
that the red blazes burned her eyes
i think it was the red that let her go
like the red from her eyes after a person cries
so red, so real, from wrist to lights
so red, everytime, even in the night
shes like the savior
or the sacrafice
her nails, or the nails of the cross?
was it it the cross on the red ambulance
with the red lights?
or was it the cross of the savior, the sacrifice
was it all red every night?
is this a remake or the living
from the wrists
on the nails
where the lights
on the ambulance
with the cross
of the savior
with the nails
on the wrists
in the ambulance
with the cross
of the savior
red from the nails
on the wrists
that lay in the ambulance
the flashing red lights
near the cross
of the savior?
the sacrifice?
in the wrists
red with nails
on the cross
of savior or the saved?
ambulance
or cross
the wrists
the nails
the lights
the ambulance
the cross
the savior
with all the red
poem by Kathryn Garner
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Traffic Jam
Carbon monoxide
Making me choke
No a.c.
And the radios broke
Cars backed up
Far as you can see
Seems like Ive been waiting here for all eternity
Oh, and just in case youre wondering
Ill tell you where I am
Im right here (right here) right here (right here)
Stuck right here in the middle of this...
Traffic jam
I havent moved one inch from this here spot
Traffic jam
The freeways one big parking lot
Traffic jam
My radiators boiling hot
And Im stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Right here in the middle of a traffic jam
Trapped inside
My automobile
Cobwebs gowin
On the steerin wheel
Now, Im no genius
But one thing I know
I shouldnt have had that bag of bran muffins
An hour and a half ago
Yeah, and if you need to find me
Ill tell you where I am
Im right here (right here) right here (right here)
Stuck smack dab in the middle of this...
Traffic jam
I havent moved one inch from this here spot
Traffic jam
The freeways one big parking lot
Traffic jam
Well, I thought we were movin but I guess were not
cause Im stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Right here in the middle of a traffic jam
Stuck in the middle of a traffic jam
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper to
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper to
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper...
Yay-hey!
Theres a yuppie on a cellular phone
Im gonna puke if I here any more
Theres a motorcycle zoomin by me
Watch what happens when I open my door
Now were all goin nowhere fast
Well, I guess thats perfectly clear
I left home five hours ago
And I can still see my house from here
So if anybodys tryin to find me
Well, Ill tell you where I am
Right here (right here) right here (right here)
Stuck right here in the middle of this...
Traffic jam
I havent moved one inch from this here spot
Traffic jam
The freeways one big parking lot
Traffic jam
Now my back teeth are floatin and my nerves are shot
And Im stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Stuck right here in the middle of a traffic jam
Traffic jam... traffic jam... traffic jam... woo!
song performed by by Weird Al Yankovic
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Monday Morning
As the sun comes up between the grey of the rain clouds
Brighter than the streetlights along the industrial parks
I travel slowly gaining foot by foot in the dense traffic
As the buses, trucks and cars fight their way up the bridge
I see beauty on this Monday morning after the rain
While misty drops of water elevated by the tires ahead
Splash on my windshield before illuminating like diamonds
The sun rises in my back welcoming this new rainy day
Harbor cranes like silhouettes along the river shores
Tower high above the freight piers blue and grey on grey
Crossing the bridge high above the city in the midst of traffic
I see the dark waters sleeping very still after the storm
Drops of water lingering on the railing far on the outer edge
Before losing balance and making the journey into the deep
To mingle with the river then travel the short distance to the sea
I dream about flying and diving into cool black waters
About becoming one with the particles of our existence
Surrounded by a vacuum I could start over in a different form
But the traffic merciless pushes me further along into the city
I missed my chance and just smile about the beauty of today
poem by Kristina Louisa Carr
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5. Be Warned
Blue lights flashing
People dashing
Squealing brakes
Cars are crashing
Early warnings
None came late
No one noticed
Wouldn’t wait
Frost last night
Then came rain
Froze on top
Then frost again
Blinkered drivers
Half asleep
Saw no warning
Speeds to keep
Foot down hard
Started sliding
Now in an ambulance
They are riding
poem by David Threadgold (2008)
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Swan Lee
Swan lee got up at the running foot pow-wow,
Heading from the fire to his waiting canoe.
Chattering squaw untied the wigwam door,
The chief blew smoke rings two by two!
The land in silence stands...
Swan lee, his boat by the bank in the darkness,
Loosened the rope in the creek is entwined.
A feather from the wing of a wild young eagle,
Pointed to the land where his fortune he'd find
The land in silence stands
Swan lee paddled on from the land of his fathers,
His eyes scanned the undergrowth on either side.
From the shore hung a hot, heavy, creature infested
Tropic, swan lee had a bow by his side
The land in silence stands
Swan lee kept time, half on land, half on water,
Grizzly bear and raccoon his fare.
He followed his ears to the great water fall,
Swan lee knew deep down that his squaw was there!
The land in silence stands....
Suddenly the rush of the mighty great thunder,
Confronted swan lee as his song he sang,
In the dawn, with his squaw, he was battling homewards
It was all written down by long silas lang.
The land in silence stands...
The land in silence stands...
The land in silence stands.
song performed by by Pink Floyd
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Park Life
Situated in a city, where life is all race, race, race,
Hyde Park is a sea of calm, with a much slower pace.
Acres of parkland are shrouded in bright sunlight,
And it has to be said, it really is a wonderful sight.
A skater skilfully negotiates a long line of cones.
People sit texting and chatting on mobile phones.
A couple cool off in the waters of the Serpentine:
Oblivious to bystanders, their two bodies entwine.
Watching a grey squirrel, some folk stand and stare,
But for these cute creatures, some do not much care.
Upon the bandstand, students rehearse Shakespeare,
Adding a touch of culture to this lovely atmosphere.
At the ticket office, for the boats, there is a long queue:
The rowing boats and pedalos, folk are all dying to use.
A large flock of seagulls, so very skilful in their flight,
Are eager for food, and, over it, they very viciously fight.
Packs of pigeons peck around occupied wooden seats,
Hoping they will be thrown the odd tasty titbit to eat.
On the lake, six baby cygnets are bobbing about:
Nearby, their proud mother keeps a wary lookout.
People sit beneath the tall trees, glad of the shade,
Tucking into sandwiches, which they have made.
At the water's edge, people sit soaking their feet;
Drawn by the water's cooling effect in this heat.
Some folk like to sit alone under the tall trees to read;
They sit upon a soft carpet of grass, blossom and seed.
Hyde Park is a haven, where you can leave the city behind;
In this space, comfort for your soul you, very soon, will find.
poem by Angela Wybrow
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The Long Journey
The Long Journey
It’s evening the traffic is slow in front of me
I’m a part of a ruby necklace, can’t escape.
So tired falling asleep. A seagull with peeked cap knocks
on the window, carry on.
Across a long bridge I just know it will fall dawn
an earthquake, thousands of cars falling into the sea,
so unjust we’ll drown together whilst fighting
for something that floats and we can hold on to.
And then the rain it never stops, cars driving hundred miles an hour,
water planning no breaks. Will I ever reach Algarve?
Stop at a cafe, windows cry and I have no words of comfort,
nothing I can say to stop their misery.
I’m hungry but can’t afford to eat, all money gone to petrol.
Will I ever get home?
poem by Oskar Hansen
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The Very Thought Of You
A shoal
of taxi cabs
swimming yellowishly
down Madison
their dorsal fins
advertising musicals
an A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
overtakes a SOUTH PACIFIC.
We walk
miserably & myopically
in the sleeting rain
cut across Central Park
a blue blur shrieks past
a yellow streak
all held now
at the hanging traffic lights
all Chinese
lanterny
inside the warm
restaurant we laugh
at the angry rain
throwing itself
uselessly against the glass
you looking like
a copy
of Frans Hall's
THE LAUGHING CAVILER
complete with Cappucchino
moustache
the music saunters
sensuously amongst the tables
'...it's just the thought of you
the very thought of you
...my love! '
poem by Dónall Dempsey
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Mini Dubai
Silvered canal sprawls with a smile of wisdom.
Like a tamarind seed, my town nicknamed Mini Dubai
Burgeoned, then branched on Kanoli canal bank.
To come up to their own town, busy pedestrians step down
An ancient bridge of imperialism built by the British.
As the traffic lights have lost the eye balls,
A potbellied police man dances and controls.
Jalopies groan, and modern cars whiz.
A long whistle: ambulance with the wounded
And van with a wedding party halt side by side,
As the southern and northern hemispheres of
Emotions meet at a single point, by chance.
Among the concrete buildings seethe under the tanning rays,
Splurging women whirl in the hurry wind. Stink of sweats
And aroma of Arabian perfumes choke the air in the shops,
Where, sometimes, chicanery and dupery peek through the glassed.
To the government offices nearby, applications drafted in blood
And salt scurry only to get the obsequies in the waste baskets.
The sots creep like snakes in the yard of Sandra Bar.
Nostalgic smell of canal mud sops in sizzling tang from a cafeteria.
Two love birds kiss
On the high bough of the tamarind:
Fluttering of natural mirth –
Paradise is in the height.
A crow sits on electric post and watches all beneath with a smile of wisdom.
FABIYAS M V
poem by Fabiyas M V
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There are people
There are people
that claims the street as their own
and stand
at parking places on the sidewalk
and do no work
but to look after cars.
If you park there
and ignore them
and do not
want to use their services
you immediately
become a racist in their eyes
and they will make a scene,
threaten to damage your car,
or make sure that it’s stolen
or so they tell you
since they believe
that you owe them something.
Some spray soapy water
without invitation
on the front window
of your car
when you stop
at a traffic light
and wipe it off
demanding a price.
I wonder why the education
is still lacking
since they have already
got their liberation
and just as odd
these people are ignored
by their compatriots in government
as if they do not exist,
while the country
falls slowly
but surely to pieces.
There are people
that claims the possessions
of others as their own
and at night
prowl around in the streets
shooting, stabbing
and robbing
and estranging people
from their cars.
l’Envoi
Still I wonder where
the problem lies
and would really like
both of my cars back
and I do not know
about white people
that sneak around
in black neighbourhoods at night,
hijack cars,
brake windows
and demand possessions
with loaded guns.
All that they do,
is try to make a living
or hurry away in their leaving.
{Reference: “First liberation, then education.” Political slogan of the ruling party.]
poem by Gert Strydom
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The Plunge
I would bathe myself in strangeness:
These comforts heaped upon me, smother me!
I burn, I scald so for the new,
New friends, new faces,
Places!
Oh to be out of this,
This that is all I wanted
- save the new.
And you,
Love, you the much, the more desired!
Do I not loathe all walls, streets, stones,
All mire, mist, all fog,
All ways of traffic?
You, I wold have flow over me like water,
Oh, but far out of this!
Grass, and low fields, and hills,
And sun,
Oh, sun enough!
Out, and alone, among some
Alien people!
poem by Ezra Pound
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