Poetry and Lyrics

[tungtied2u]

Isn't It A Pity
George Harrison

Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity

Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity

Isn't it a pity
Isn't is a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity

Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
Forgetting to give back
Now, isn't it a pity

What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity
What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity

 

[RhymeFairy]

LOVE


Because of you, in gardens of blossoming flowers I ache from the
perfumes of spring.
I have forgotten your face, I no longer remember your hands;
how did your lips feel on mine?
Because of you, I love the white statues drowsing in the parks,
the white statues that have neither voice nor sight.
I have forgotten your voice, your happy voice; I have forgotten
your eyes.
Like a flower to its perfume, I am bound to my vague memory of
you. I live with pain that is like a wound; if you touch me, you will
do me irreparable harm.
Your caresses enfold me, like climbing vines on melancholy walls.
I have forgotten your love, yet I seem to glimpse you in every
window.
Because of you, the heady perfumes of summer pain me; because
of you, I again seek out the signs that precipitate desires: shooting
stars, falling objects.


-- Pablo Neruda

 

[annagraham]

Parachute, My Love, Could Carry Us Higher
Barbara Guest

I just said I didn’t know
And now you are holding me
In your arms,
How kind.
Parachutes, my love, could carry us higher.
Yet around the net I am floating
Pink and pale blue fish are caught in it,
They are beautiful,
But they are not good for eating.
Parachutes, my love, could carry us higher
Than this mid-air in which we tremble,
Having exercised our arms in swimming,
Now the suspension, you say,
Is exquisite. I do not know.
There is coral below the surface,
There is sand, and berries
Like pomegranates grow.
This wide net, I am treading water
Near it, bubbles are rising and salt
Drying on my lashes, yet I am no nearer
Air than water. I am closer to you
Than land and I am in a stranger ocean
Than I wished.

 

[Bill Dada]

For Michelangelo's Angel

Sweet
Toby Keith, Chuck Cannon, Scotty Emerick


She came through the front door lookin'
Fast as a big train' bookin' down the line
She was lookin' fine
Long and lean and dressed to kill
Stacked up high with perfect wheels
And there ain't no chance
That girl would ever dance with me
She got all those city boys out pushin and shovin
A country boy like me don't ever get no uptown lovin'

(She's) sweet
She's got em meltin' in her hand
Whoever gets a taste of that cup of sugar
Sure is a lucky man
She's sweet, she's babe-alicious
I can't reach that Georgia peach
She sure looks delicious

I had nothin' else to do
So I threw down two more shots of booze
And it made me strong, I strapped my courage on
I said would you like to drink by chance
No what I mean is would you like to dance with me
Please, in my best southernese
Got hot out on the dance floor when she whispered in my ear
I think I found me a country-boy let's get outta here

(I said) sweet
I'm meltin' in her hand
I feel like a spoon in a cup of blonde sugar
You're all lookin' at a lucky man
I said sweet, she's babe-alicious
That Georgia peach is now in my reach
And don't she look delicious

(I said) sweet
I'm meltin' in her hand
I feel like a spoon in a cup of blonde sugar
You're all lookin' at a lucky man
I said sweet, she's babe-alicious
That Georgia peach is now in my reach
And don't she look delicious
She’s sweet

 

[tungtied2u]

Helplessly Hoping

CS&N

Helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers nearsby
Awaiting a word
Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit
he runs wishing he could fly
only to trip at the sound of good-bye

Wordlessly watching he waits by the window and wonders
at the empty place inside

Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams he worries
did he hear a good-bye or even

Hello

They are 1 person
They are too alone
They are 3 together
They are for each other

Stand by the stairway you'll see something certain to tell you
confusion has its cost

Love isn't lying its loose in a lady who lingers
saying she is lost

And choking on hello

They are 1 person
They are too alone
They are 3 together
They are for each otherHelplessly hoping her harlequin hovers nearsby
Awaiting a word
Gasping at glimpses of gentle true spirit
he runs wishing he could fly
only to trip at the sound of good-bye

Wordlessly watching he waits by the window and wonders
at the empty place inside

Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams he worries
did he hear a good-bye or even

Hello

They are 1 person
They are too alone
They are 3 together
They are for each other

Stand by the stairway you'll see something certain to tell you
confusion has its cost

Love isn't lying its loose in a lady who lingers
saying she is lost

And choking on hello

They are 1 person
They are too alone
They are 3 together
They are for each other

 

[tungtied2u]

Womankind
Annie Lennox



Womankind

One More Time For The Womankind

This Is For The Womankind

Check It Out

Ooh Baby’s Got Precious Eyes

And When He Smiles The Sun Comes Shinin’

To Make The Day Seem Like Each Cloud Contains A Silver Linin’

I Would Be So Happy

If He Belonged With Me Forever

But I Know It’s Not To Be

It’s Not Part Of My Destination

I Wish I Had A Lover Who Could Turn This Water Into Wine

I Wish I Had A Lover Who Could Give Me Love At Any Time

Wish I Had So Many Things

And All My Wishes Would Come True

It’s Got Me Thinkin’ That I Want To Get Too Close To You

Hear My Prayer

I’m Tired Of Waitin’

Hear My Prayer

Give It A Chance

Hear My Prayer

I’m Clearly Statin’

I Need To Change This Circumstance

You Could Be The Best Damn Thing

That Hasn’t Happened Yet To Me

You Could Be The Best Thing

To Come Into My Mythology

We Could Have The Kinda Dream They Call A Great Affinity

I Want To Turn It Into Something Like Reality

Hold Me Now

I’m Tired Of Waitin’

Hold Me Now

I’m Askin’ You

Hold Me Now

No More Anticipatin’

Why Won’t You Come To My Rescue?

Ooh Baby’s Got Precious Eyes

And When He Smiles

The Sun Comes Blastin’

I Wish That Feelin’ Of Contentment

Would Be Everlasting

I Would Be So Happy

To Give Him All My Dedication

I Would Be So Happy

But It’s Only My Imagination

Ooh…

This Is For The Womankind

Ooh…

Singin’ For The Womankind

Ooh…

That’s Right For The Womankind

Ooh…

How Many Doors Must I Go Through?

These Constant Dreams That I Pursue

I Can See Possibilities In You

Yea Here We Go Again

Is This Too Good To Be True?

I Had This Thing Called Love

Still Don’t Know What It Is

Maybe I’ve Had Enough

Oh Save Me Please

All My Wants Are Becoming Needs

Tell Me What You Feel

Stripped Bare For You To See

Yea Every Desire Go Through The Fire

This Is What I Give Of Me

If I Could Just Be Free

Baby Won’t You Rescue Me?

Baby Won’t You Rescue Me?

Every Desire Go Through The Fire

Lay Me Down

I Wanna Be

Under Your Skin

 

[tungtied2u]

Thinking of a friend.....

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

............................John McRae

 

[sassynyc]

These Foolish Things

(Billie Holiday among others, made this famous)

A cigarette that bares lipstick's traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fiairground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came, you saw, you conquered me
When you did that to me, I knew somehow, this had to be
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings, but who's to answer?
Oh how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange, how sweet to find you , still
These things are dear to me, they seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smoldering leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street that walk like dreamers
Oh how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you

 

[Anschul]

On the Turning Away

by David Gilmour

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we wont understand
Don't accept that whats happening
Is just a case of others suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away.

Its a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud.

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night.

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
Its not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

 

[Anschul]

The Times They Are a-changin'

by Bob Dylan

Come gather round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance wont come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheels still in spin
And theres no tellin' who
That its namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
Theres a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you cant understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly ag'in.
Please get out of the new one
If you cant lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

 

[Angeline]

(Billie Holiday among others, mad this famous)

A cigarette that bares lipstick's traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
A tinkiling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fiairground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came, you saw, you conquered me
When you did that to me, I knew somehow, this had to be
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings, but who's to answer?
Oh how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange, how sweet to find you , still
These things are dear to me, they seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smoldering leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street that walk like dreamers
Oh how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you

You have no idea how thrilling it is to me that someone else here is into this music like I am.

The other two recordings (besides Billie's numerous ones) of this song I love are Ella's (very crisp but still sorta mournful) and one by Lester Young where he totally deconstructs the melody then slowly pulls it back together again. Gorgeous!

 

[Anschul]

A Simple Twist of Fate

by Bob Dylan

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark,
She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones.
twas then he felt alone and wished that he'd gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate.

They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember well
And stopped into a strange hotel with a neon burnin' bright.
He felt the heat of the night hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate.

A saxophone someplace far off played
As she was walkin' by the arcade.
As the light bust through a beat-up shade where he was wakin' up,
She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate.

He woke up, the room was bare
He didn't see her anywhere.
He told himself he didn't care, pushed the window open wide,
Felt an emptiness inside to which he just could not relate
Brought on by a simple twist of fate.

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along with a parrot that talks,
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in.
Maybe shell pick him out again, how long must he wait
Once more for a simple twist of fate.

People tell me its a sin
To know and feel too much within.
I still believe she was my twin, but I lost the ring.
She was born in spring, but I was born too late
Blame it on a simple twist of fate.

 

[MorgaineLaFay]

These tears stain the wood
Like cups and condensation
I am bound to you
I cannot break the situation
He's every subject
Of every song
Like the wind carries
He moves me along
And the shadows I can't run from
They won't let me go
He's the ending of a story
That I'll never know

He's electric
Can't forget it
Yeah he's electric
Don't forget it

Sometimes he fills me up
Sometimes it's such a shock
This is more than I bargained for
More than I would have bought
You still look at me
With well acquainted eyes
As the memories come flooding back
In a field of butterflies

It's electric
Don't forget
Yeah it's electric
I can't forget it

I know there's hope in there
But I wanna walk away
He's says it's bright in there
Even in lighter shades of grey
And though it looks like rain
I'm not gonna cry
As the seasons are changing
In your heart
So will I
I will fly

Electric

Oh yes the seasons are changing
Ohh yes the seasons are changing
I'm burning up
I'm burning up
I'm electric

 

[Byron In Exile]

I love this thread.

 

[Angeline]

I love this thread.

Me too. Nice to see it up on the front page again.




Many is the time I've been mistaken
And many times confused
Yes, and I've often felt forsaken
And certainly misused.
Oh, but I'm all right, I'm all right
I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don't expect to be bright and bon vivant
So far away from home - so far away from home.

I don't know a soul who's not been battered
I don't have a friend who feels at ease
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered
Or driven to it's knees
Oh, but it's all right, it's all right
We've lived so well, so long
Still, when I think of the road we're travelling on
I wonder what's gone wrong
I can't help it, I wonder what's gone wrong.

And I dreamed I was dying
Dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was dying.

Oh we come on a ship they called the Mayflower
We come on a ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hour
And sing an American tune
Oh but it's all right, it's all right,
You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest.

~ Paul Simon

 

[Anschul]

How could I not post THIS one?

In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal.
Full of tastes no tongue can know, and lights no eyes can see.
When there was no ear to hear, you sang to me.

I have spent my life seeking all thats still unsung.
Bent my ear to hear the tune, and closed my eyes to see.
When there was no strings to play, you played to me.

In the book of loves own dream, where all the print is blood.
Where all the pages are my days, and all the lights grow old.
When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me.

In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed.
When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold.
When there was no dream of mine, you dreamed of me.

Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter​

Thanks for the bump.

 

[Angeline]

Cole Porter

I Get a Kick Out of You
Porter wrote an original and three alternate second verses to this song. All are here.

My story is much to sad to be told
But practically everything leaves me totally cold
The only exception I know is the case
When I'm out on a quiet spree, fighting vainly the old ennui
Then I suddenly turn and see
Your fabulous face

I get no kick from champagne
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all
So tell me why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you

Some like the perfume from Spain
I'm sure that if I took even one sniff
It would bore me terrifically too
But I get a kick out of you

Some like the bop-type refrain
I'm sure that if, I heard even one riff
It would bore me terrifically too
But I get a kick out of you

Some they may go for cocaine
I'm sure that if, I took even one sniff
It would bore me terrifically too
But I get a kick out of you

I get a kick every time I see you standing there before me
I get a kick though it's clear to see, you obviously do not adore me

I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some gal in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do
But I get a kick out of you


You're the Top

At words poetic I'm so pathetic
That I always have found it best
Instead of getting 'em off my chest,
To let 'em rest - unexpressed.
I hate parading my serenading,
As I'll probably miss a bar,
But if this ditty is not so pretty,
At least it'll tell you how great you are.

You're the top! you're the Collosseum,
You're the top! you're the Louvre Museum,
You're the melody from a symphony by Strauss,
You're a Bendel bonnet,
A Shakespeare Sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse!

You're the Nile! You're the Tow'r of Pisa,
You're the smile of the Mona Lisa!
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop!
But if baby I'm the bottom,
You're the top!

You're the top, you're Mahatma Gandhi,
You're the top! you're Napoleon brandy,
You're the purple light of a summer night in Spain,
You're the National Gallery, you're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane!

You're sublime, you're a turkey dinner,
You're the time of the Derby Winner,
I'm a toy balloon that's fated soon to pop;
But if baby I'm the bottom you're the top!

You're the top, you're a Waldorf salad
You're the top, you're a Berlin ballad
You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire
You're an O'Neill drama, you're Whistler's mama,
you're camembert!

You're repose, you're Inferno's Dante
You're the nose on the great Durante
I'm a mazy lout who is just about to stop
But if baby I'm the bottom,
You're the top!

Night and Day

Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom
When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall

Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating
You, you, you

Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me, or far
It's no matter darling where you are
I think of you
Day and night, night and day, why is it so

That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Day and night, night and day

Under the hide of me
There's an oh such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And this torment won't be through
Until you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

 

[MsBug]

Do Virgins Taste Better
words by Randy Farran


A dragon has come to our village today.
We've asked him to leave, but he won't go away.
Now he's talked to our king and they worked out a deal.
No homes will he burn and no crops will he steal.

Now there is but one catch, we dislike it a bunch.
Twice a year he invites him a virgin to lunch.
Well, we've no other choice, so the deal we'll respect.
But we can't help but wonder and pause to reflect.

Do virgins taste better than those who are not?
Are they salty, or sweeter, more juicy or what?
Do you savor them slowly? Gulp them down on the spot?
Do virgins taste better than those who are not?​

Now we'd like to be shed you, and many have tried.
But no one can get through your thick scaly hide.
We hope that some day, some brave knight will come by.
'Cause we can't wait around 'til you're too fat to fly.

Now you have such good taste in your women for sure,
They always are pretty, they always are pure.
But your notion of dining, it makes us all flinch,
For your favorite entree is barbecued wench.

Now we've found a solution, it works out so neat,
If you insist on nothing but virgins to eat.
No more will our number ever grow small,
We'll simply make sure there's no virgins at all!

 

[RhymeFairy]

I'm in a silly mood this morning. Looking through the threads, commenting and loving the "feel" of friendship. Jus' sayin' ~~



Only I will Know


Come tell me of your sadness
Where the forest flowers grow
Where the whispering breeze
Binds the lips of the trees
And only I will know!

Come tell me of your secret fears
Where the beach is soft as snow
Where the sparkling spray
Binds the eyes of the day
And only I will know.

Come tell me of your special dreams
Where the roaring rivers flow
Where the white water blocks
All the ears of the rocks
And only I will know.

Come tell me of your deepest joys
Where the desert winds still blow
Where the shifting of the sand
Hides the face of the land
And only I will know.

Come tell me of your fondest hopes
Where the mountains look below
Where a gathering cloud
Cloaks the peaks in its shroud
And only I will know.

Come tell me all, my darling,
As we saunter in the snow
Where the chill of the night
Robs the goblins of sight
And only I will know.

Come tell me all, my darling,
When the land is wet with rain
When the tears blind the eyes
Of the curious skies
And only I will know!


~ James Kavanaugh

 

[sassynyc]

I'm in a silly mood this morning. Looking through the threads, commenting and loving the "feel" of friendship. Jus' sayin' ~~



Only I will Know


Come tell me of your sadness
Where the forest flowers grow
Where the whispering breeze
Binds the lips of the trees
And only I will know!

Come tell me of your secret fears
Where the beach is soft as snow
Where the sparkling spray
Binds the eyes of the day
And only I will know.

Come tell me of your special dreams
Where the roaring rivers flow
Where the white water blocks
All the ears of the rocks
And only I will know.

Come tell me of your deepest joys
Where the desert winds still blow
Where the shifting of the sand
Hides the face of the land
And only I will know.

Come tell me of your fondest hopes
Where the mountains look below
Where a gathering cloud
Cloaks the peaks in its shroud
And only I will know.

Come tell me all, my darling,
As we saunter in the snow
Where the chill of the night
Robs the goblins of sight
And only I will know.

Come tell me all, my darling,
When the land is wet with rain
When the tears blind the eyes
Of the curious skies
And only I will know!


~ James Kavanaugh

Thanks for sharing this poem RF. I am feeling very unpoetic these days. This is a beautiful read. Ripe with inspiration.

 

[sassynyc]

This has been resonant in my inner ear as of late. Feeling these words intensely.


A Change Is Gonna Come

I was born by the river, in a little tent
Oh and just like the river, I’ve been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time comin’
But I know, a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It’s been to hard living, but I’m afraid to die
‘Cause I don’t know what’s up there, beyond the sky
It’s been a long, a long time comin’
But I know, a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movies and I go downtown
Somebody keeps tellin’ me, don’t hang around
It’s been a long, a long time comin’
But I know a change gonna come

Then I go to my brother
And I say, “Brother, help me please”
But he winds up knockin’ me
Back down on my knees

Oh, there were times when I thought, I couldn’t last for long
But now I know I’m able to carry on
It’a been a long time comin’
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

~ Sam Cooke

 

[sassynyc]

I know these lines intimately.

Insomniac by Maya Angelou

There are some nights when
sleep plays coy,
aloof and disdainful.
And all the wiles
that I employ to win
its service to my side
are useless as wounded pride,
and much more painful.

 

[sassynyc]

Alone by Maya Angelou

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

 

[sassynyc]

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

 

[RhymeFairy]

I just love the imagery here ...



Ode 314



Those who don't feel this Love
pulling them like a river,
those who don't drink dawn
like a cup of spring water
or take in sunset like supper,
those who don't want to change,

let them sleep.

This Love is beyond the study of theology,
that old trickery and hypocrisy.
I you want to improve your mind that way,

sleep on.

I've given up on my brain.
I've torn the cloth to shreds
and thrown it away.

If you're not completely naked,
wrap your beautiful robe of words
around you,

and sleep.



~~ Rumi