The Gentle Smile
I am amused
At the gentle smile
You always hold
On your rodomont face.
You force our way
Into the sullen hearts
Of the humble homes
Erected on the blocks
Of hope and despair.
On the rectangular dining table
Your smiles beckon to the warmth
You serve as a host.
And then the roasted rooster,
Muscular mutton,
Fried sago, boiled potatoes
And the broccoli
Drenched in vinegar.
The cask of the red wine
Elates the heaves to heaven.
The fair fingers of your lady
Spice the dinner well.
You still stand
Smiling and laughing
Over the agonies of times,
And your ladies
Perching the breaths at the up
Against the mounts of despair.
You remind me of my Indian brethren
Ever ready to extend
Warm hospitality.
poem by Harish k. Thakur

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Related quotes
Hot Potatoes
My baby woke me up this mornin
She said get down that labour exchange,
And if you dont come home with a job son,
Youll get no dinner to-day.
You gotta secure me a weekly workin wage.
Youll get no more fancy cookin,
Youll get no more apple pie,
Youll just get those plain hot potatoes
To satisfy your appetite.
La la la la la la potatoes,
Boiled, french fried, any old way that you wanna decide.
Hot potatoes, yeh,
I want your lovin every single day.
I said I dont need your fancy cooking,
I like the simple things in life,
Just give me those plain hot potatoes
And Ill be well satisfied,
Theyll satisfy my appetite.
La la la la la la potatoes,
Boiled, french fried, any old way that you wanna decide.
Hot potatoes, yeh,
I want your lovin 60 minutes an hour,
I want your lovin 24 hours a day,
I want your lovin 7 days a week.
Yeh, yeh, oh yeh.
I want your love, I need your love,
But all I get is hot potatoes
When I come home late at night
To satisfy my appetite.
Dont give me no more potatoes,
Boiled, french fried, any old way you wanna decide.
Hot potatoes,
I want your lovin every single day.
I want your lovin
La la la la la la potatoes,
Boiled, french fried, any old way that you wanna decide.
Hot potatoes, hot potatoes, yeh.
song performed by by Kinks

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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But Don't Despair
Despair, if you must –
But how's it going to pull you through?
Despair, when you trust
Naught since then there's naught to do.
Despair, should you thrust
Aside your pride, your self-esteem.
And so despair, if it's dust,
The only substance that you deem.
Despair, when a gust
Of slightly breeze can break your stance.
And do despair, when lust
Is your interpretation of romance.
But don't despair, if you can care
About the plight of any other being.
And you can focus on the help,
Support, and altruistic further actions
For the seeing. Be believing,
As despair will start receding
All around – simply since you found
A way to steer you clear
From this: the very cause of your despair!
So give to others; give them all a helping lift:
Despair, you'll find will disappear –
And that has got to be a well-deserved
And saintly gift!
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2009
Rain of despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
despair despair despair despair despair despair despair
poem by Mark R Slaughter

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Wilma's Welcome
He sat the table, fresh kid,
waiting for his dinner,
pushing back the war
now so far away.
His big brother smiled
glad to see him safe,
when she walked in,
carrying a steaming plate
of the best fried chicken
either had ever seen.
The aroma awoke in his memory
soft Ohio nights,
God's righteous thunder rumbling
gentle rains cooling the hot August sky,
when Mom carried in our dinner,
fried chicken and mashed potatoes,
safety and love.
And looking at his brother's new wife,
he smiled and at last said,
'welcome to the family! '
poem by Steven Federle

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A Breath of Heaven
*~*
Every now and then,
when the world sits just right ~
a gentle breath of heaven
fills my soul with delight,
and I sigh,
as the sun brings its morning,
its gift of warmth to chase the chill ~
from the crook of night's arms
arising o'er that far hill,
and I know,
heaven smiles,
and I smile, too,
for life can be hard
while the dreams are few.
Yet, every now and then,
when the world sits just right ~
that gentle breath of heaven
fills my soul with delight,
and I see,
a turning of a leaf
dancing in the autumn's sun,
and a brilliant shade of crimson
glowing when the day is done,
and I sigh,
as the rose that stands alone,
thrives where no others thrive.
A rare bouquet of one ~
still strong, still alive,
and I know,
that even in the shadows
heaven catches, unaware,
those blinded by visions
of hatred and despair,
and I see,
a promise of tomorrow
in that wind around the bend,
as it carries a dream of hope ~
with no hate or pain to tend,
and I pray,
as every now and then,
when this world sits just right ~
that gentle breath of heaven
fills my soul with delight,
and I smile...I smile.
*~*
poem by Hazelmarie Elliott

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Despair Of The Early Morning
DESPAIR OF THE EARLY MORNING
Despair of the early morning
Despair of the darkness
Despair of the Despair
Despair of Old Age
Despair of the road closed
Despair of nothing to do
Despair of nowhere to go
Despair of endless errands
Despair of money running out
Despair of the message of Despair
One transmits to those one loves.
Despair that has to be resisted
Despair that the light of the day
Will help me overcome
Despair I will pray my way out of
Despair I will in the course of the day
Sometime overcome.
Not the great Despair
The unending Despair
The final Despair.
The small Despair of who I am and where I am now.
The Despair that still can be resisted,
By the writing of a few awkward lines
Early in the morning.
poem by Shalom Freedman

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Trapped In Despair
I was placed in sadness
I was placed in darkness
I was placed in fear
Trapped in a place called despair
Despair is cold
Despair is unkind
Despair he lingers all the time
You find yourself clinging to the light
Just praying for that light
Please light save me for I am…trapped in despair
Then you see the light and it turns to your eyes
it turns to your smile
at the sound of your angelic voice…
the place grows warm
all fear flees
the light that is your eyes fills this place the darkness is chased away
My sadness has vanished
You extend a firm hand and rip me from despair
You wrap your arms around me and whisper in my ear…
Never again will you be…trapped in despair.
poem by N.S. Colette

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Despair Is Darkness
DESPAIR IS DARKNESS
Despair is darkness-
Despair is death inside and death in the world and death in one’s own sad soul-
Despair is no way out -
Despair is the place where one is forever stuck -
Despair is the realization that one has done what one could – and one is not going anywhere else-
Despair is the admission of failure-
Despair is no sign of help anywhere around-
Despair is so much lost-
Despair is one‘s life is over-
Despair is regret-
Despair is the sense that one will never have the time to have another chance -
Despair is ‘it’s finished’-
Despair is no way out-
Despair is going down and more down and more dark and more afraid all the time -
Despair is the scream which hurts and does not stop the hurting -
Despair is the understanding that even Death will not save one -
Despair is that the pain will never end-not even with death.
Despair is no way out again and again and again- without end.
poem by Shalom Freedman

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Preparing Dinner
I watch the pot on the stove
Water is overspilling
The rice is cooking
With bubbles galore
I smother chicken in sauce
Sauce that is made up of green pepper, black pepper and onions
Accompanied with that is the All in one spice.
Watch out for the toilet paper
The spices start talking
The chicken gets fried
The smell of breyani echoes through the house
I chop the potatoes as well as the carrots
I open up McCain veggies
And distribute it with the food
I put more spices in and the McCain veggies
Gets assimilated into the food
The pot is filled with colours
The steam fills the house
The brown chicken starts talking to the yellow potatoes
So does the carrots
The rice is strained
It rises to the core
I use tastic rice
Because it is the best out of them all
I set the table with plates
And it is ready to be filled
One by one they get dished out
First the rice (centered) and then the potatoes and chicken
Ice cream is served as desert
Coca-Cola is poured into glasses
The sweet taste bubbles in my mouth
The hot food burns my mouth
While the cold drink soothes its pain
I smother tomatoes and onions with vinegar
And serve them next to the food
The sauce gives the tongue extra kick
And goes down with a good drink
poem by Lee John Siebritz

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My Despair Comes And Goes
My Despair comes and goes
It is not the ultimate despair,
The despair of those who have forever lost hope
The despair of those who have lost what they never will regain
The despair of those for whom there is no way out
No way to begin again
No hope in any way forever
My Despair comes and goes
It is a small Despair compared to many others
When I am in it of course
I believe it like theirs Hopeless forever hopeless
But then a new day begins,
Or a friendly voice says a friendly word
Or something good and positive happens
Or the weather changes
Or some hurt goes away
Some sign comes
And slowly slowly
I am not there anymore.
My Despair comes and goes
It is not the worst Despair
Not yet-
Yesterday I was in Despair
Today I am almost already not
I pray my writing this
Will help some despairing reader feel
They too will hope again.
poem by Shalom Freedman

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Ghost Of Love
I miss the naked warmth
Of your candlelit face.
And your smile
Through distant memory, I trace.
Your voice echoes
Around the catacomb
Of where love's promise lies.
I feel your fingers through my hair.
And touching my cheek, your eyes.
Now in despair
I hold a tear stained letter.
Your lips kiss my pain better.
And then my heart
Beats a big bass drum.
Your words of promise still keep me awake.
As dawn wears its perfume.
That moonlight ache
Eases, teases
As my soul waits to break.
Yet from the canyons of our lost hope
You throw my bleeding fingers a rope
To cling on.
What once shone
Lies in the scrapyard of broken hearts.
Something beautiful departs,
When time gives that shove.
Let's hold hands and contact
That ghost of love.
poem by Kevin East

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What Do I Really Need?
upon a dining table
i too, ask myself,
what do i really need?
one fried dried fish
a cup of steamed brown rice
a pinch of salt
five drops of coconut vinegar
a glass of water
and then the much needed
rest for the night
& with you
my bare hands
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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You know Ganesha!
Ganesha you are bountiful
benevolent,
generous, so kind,
You give
You shower,
everybody’s prayers
howsoever petty,
You answer,
open-handed.
They rejoice
when they see you,
their faces
and spirits
beam/gleam
in delight.
What I watch
with awe is
when they
carry you on them,
for immersion
after week-long
festivity,
you seem
to enjoy
that ride
reveling…as if you’re
a small child
being taken
on a piggy-back
joy ride,
your face smiles
in each facet
contented and satisfied
looking forward to
the immersion,
happy,
please Ganesha
give me the boon
that I too smile
the same smile
when they carry
me for the final immersion,
they know
that they will
find you back
in the spark of the
sanctum sanctorum
from where they
picked you up,
but you please immerse
me in your Spark
I do not want to return,
Come on this should not
be hard for you,
may be it is
after all amidst all
the delirious screaming
my humble prayers
fail to reach you,
and you do not care
You are happy
to see everyone
but you avoid my eye,
because
in the heart of your hearts
You know
that I am
smiling
but in my
heart there is
despair,
despair!
poem by Chhavi Anupam

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To Hope: from despair
All tell me not to despair, yet
I’m worn and flat as a tire.
Yet my mind recollects the
times we spent in the park.
Strolling and talking, discussing
old and current events, as well
as the number one book
on the bestseller's list.
And a narrative of happy times to
leave behind to be read in spare times.
About love poems that color our hearts red,
about a ton of kisses you planted on my forehead
about your strong right arm being comforting cane.
Drawing back the curtain of moments of birth:
Look! the stained blue dress tucked away in memory’s trunk;
Look! those gentle tummy pinches or waves and tucks;
Look! your knowing smile and catchy eyes were your line and hook.
Listen! I hear your baritone voice calming my trembling heart!
Hope, I know you can’t forever hide behind fear,
in as much, as the sun behind the clouds.
But absent despair, I stand alone.
Dear family and friends let me cringe, cry,
and dance with despair tonight and
partner with hope tomorrow.
By
Almedia Knight-Oliver
September 24th, the eve of the birth of my 2nd son and one week into a positive change in my husband’s illness…two beginnings with past and present births.
poem by Almedia Knight Oliver

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Are You Ready?
Are you ready, are you ready?
Are you ready, are you ready?
Are you ready to meet jesus?
Are you where you ought to be?
Will he know you when he sees you
Or will he say, depart from me?
Are you ready, hope youre ready.
Am I ready, am I ready?
Am I ready, am I ready?
Am I ready to lay down my life for the brethren
And to take up my cross?
Have I surrendered to the will of god
Or am I still acting like the boss?
Am I ready, hope Im ready.
When destruction cometh swiftly
And theres no time to say a fare-thee-well,
Have you decided whether you want to be
In heaven or in hell?
Are you ready, are you ready?
Have you got some unfinished business?
Is there something holding you back?
Are you thinking for yourself
Or are you following the pack?
Are you ready, hope youre ready.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for the judgment?
Are you ready for that terrible swift sword?
Are you ready for armageddon?
Are you ready for the day of the lord?
Are you ready, I hope youre ready.
song performed by by Bob Dylan

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sonnet XXVI: I Ever Love
To Despair
I ever love where never hope appears,
Yet hope draws on my never-hoping care,
And my life's hope would die, but for despair;
My never-certain joy breeds ever-certain fears;
Uncertain dread gives wings unto my hope,
Yet my hope's wings are laden so with fear
As they cannot ascend to my hope's sphere;
Though fear gives them more than a heav'nly scope,
Yet this large room is bounded with despair;
So my love is still fetter'd with vain hope,
And liberty deprives him of his scope,
And thus am I imprison'd in the air.
Then, sweet despair, awhile hold up thy head,
Or all my hope for sorrow will be dead.
poem by Michael Drayton

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Gen Despair
Despair -
When hope is snuffed out like a guttering candle.
Despair -
When hope is sadistically excised with surgical precision.
Despair -
When hope is torn from a half-living body in huge gobbets
By rapacious beaks and ravening teeth.
Despair -
When hope is annihilated.
poem by Mill Field

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The Proposal
Now, pledge to me your love so sweet
And I will do the same with mine
My mind could never soon forget
Just what my heart came to enshrine
Now, cast a glance upon my face
Just so your eyes would meet with mine
Your soul came wafting in like breeze
Like spirits from a cask of wine
Now, leave your touch upon my cheeks
As tender as a kiss divine
Or hug me with a warmth that peaks
At times that our arms entwine
Now, rest your hand on top of mine
Your fingers curled as though a vine
Just like your life you chose to spend
Along with mine as hearts could blend.
.
poem by Reyvrex Questor Reyes

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Despair in Love, Love in Despair
Why do i find solace in my loneliness
But find sorrow with those wit whom i share the same blood
Why do i hide behind these fake smiles of happiness
When this sorrow and unrest washes over my soul like a flood
Its pathetic how i'm laughing on the outside
Laughing at how everyting is all right
While i'm crying and dying on the inside
Not wanting anyone to see my sad sad plight
Why is it that i continuosly distance myself
from those who are or try to get close
I see love as nothing more than a drug
that people are addicted to the point of overdose
I am one who finds solace in despair
in sorrow, in sadness, in darkness
I am one who feels pain in love
I see it as evil like a vulture, instead of pure like a dove
Love can build, but it can also destroy
It takes away everything, all of the joy
Despair may seem like incarnated bitterness
But its there to comfort in the face of loneliness
I find myself wishing for the company of the feeling of melancoly
Its as if i can't function without it
Like a flower without an ounce of water
Could this feeling be, truly be love
I see that in the end, that i find myself in a paradox
A large cell with many locks
Two sides of the same coin
Love and Despair, Despair and Love
Despair in Love, Love in Despair
I can't make it disappear
Don't want to make it disappear
poem by Harrison Fairchild

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Happiness is a Shark
Happiness is a shark,
Swimming in the deep
Dimension of the dark
Drifting duffel of sleep.
Decay of despair;
Hardness of hope.
Happiness is a crow,
Hiding in the thicket,
Or flying in a row
At a drizzly sunset.
Drought of despair;
Hunger of hope.
Happiness is a rose,
On the tree of duty,
A smiling verse in prose
Of halcyon beauty.
Dust of despair
Honey of hope.
poem by Paul Hartal

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If You Love And Really Love
always be ready
with a tray of
forgiveness
like fresh fruits
and flowers on the tray
of hope
serve forgiveness
heartily
and then be happy again
dining on the table
of love
by the window the
sun is always ready with
the rays of
more blessings
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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