What Poetry Moved You?

[transcience]

if you can pick a day out of the year

would you pick one in midwinter

when the air brings a chill

that could almost touch your marrow

and the rain pours

for hours on end

soaking the soil

parched by the previous summer

creating innocent streams

that converge into torrential rivers

and in its wake the fog descends

to make your paths indiscernible

and your directions uncertain

and hide the scenes that

you love to look at...

 

would you pick that day?

 

of course, you would

because you know

that the rain delivers a greener summer

and stimulates a better bloom of spring

it helps the river

sustain all the life that it nurtures

and on this day

somewhere

the sun shines on a snow-covered glade

just as bright

as on the brightest summer days

and there, you can see

miles of calming sight and you feel

that you can get to any place

as fast as your thoughts

 

you'll pick this day...

 

because it is your birthday.

 

 

... by an erstwhile lurker who eventually put up his own blog because i don't allow anonymous comments in my blog.

[iwalkalone]

I need him

love swept

 

He touches me with want, desire

My body burns right up like fire

He kisses me once and again

He cools me like the summer rain

 

I need him

 

He knows everything that I feel

Tenders to me love so real

In his presence I am at ease

He cools me like a springtime breeze

 

I need him

 

He is the one to calm my woes

There for me I always know

He understands my many moods

He'd never cop an attitude

 

I need him

 

He hears me when I need him so

When I cannot let him go

He causes quivers down below

As deeper into me he goes

 

I need him

[teio]

this poem by maningning miclat continues to haunt me... till this day...

 

Berso #2

 

Dumaan ako sa tahimik na ilog,

Ang buong mundo ay parang natutulog.

Kung may bunga mang sa tubig ay mahulog,

Parang ang puso ko itong nadudurog.

 

Kung mag-isa ako huwag nang isipin,

Sa dilim ay dapat pa akong hanapin.

Habang may luha ay huwag pang ibigin,

Sa pangarap ko ay huwag nang gisingin.

 

Kaya kong maghintay sa mga tula mo

Makinig sa awit ng kabilang dako

At tuklasin sa paglalakad na ito

Hamog at luha ng bulaklak at damo.

 

Mapapanood and sayaw ng tutubi

Mapapakinggan ang ibong humuhuni

Hihinahon ang pusong di mapakali

At hihimlay na sa mapayapang gabi.

 

Dumaan ako sa tahimik na ilog,

Ang buong mundo ay parang natutulog

Kung may bunga mang sa tubig ay nahulog

Parang ang puso ko nga itong nadudurog.

[Guest bleeding_angel]

when the one you love dies... what's the point of the existence of the universe? hay... un lang... that's why this poem touches me so... i would not be ready for such a loss...

 

FUNERAL BLUES by W.H. Auden

 

stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone

prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone

silence the pianos and with muffled drum

bring out the coffin, let the mourners come

 

let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

scribbling on the sky the message He is dead

put crepe bows round the white neck of the public doves

let the traffic policemen wear black cotton glove

 

she was my north, my south, my east and my west,

my working week and my sunday rest.

my noon, my midnight, my talk, my song

i thought that love would last for ever. i was wrong

 

the stars are not wanted now: put out everyone;

pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood

for nothing can ever come to any good

[the_mack]

WHEN YOUR HERO FALLS

-Tupac Shakur

 

when your hero falls from grace

all fairy tales are uncovered

myths exposed and pain magnified

the greatest pain discovered

 

you taught me to be strong

but im confused to see you so weak

you said never to give up

and it hurts to see you welcome defeat

 

when your hero falls so do the stars

and so does the perception of tomorrow

without my hero there is only

me alone to deal with my sorrow

 

your heart ceases to work

and your soul is not happy at all

what are you expected to do

when your only hero falls

[cuatro_ojos]

This is quite amusing.

 

Get Up and Shut the Door retold by Ian Serriallier

 

It happened one December night,

And a dark night it was then,

That an old wife had puddings to make:

She boiled them in the pan.

 

The wind blew cold from south and north.

It blew across the floor:

The old man said to his old wife,

"Get up and shut the door."

 

"My hands are in the pudding basin.

Husband, can't you see?

If it has to wait a hundred years,

It won't be shut by me."

 

They made a pact between the two.

They made it firm and sure:

"The one who is the first to speak

Gets up and shuts the door."

 

Two gentlemen came passing by

At twelve o'clock that night.

They couldn't see the house at all.

Nor coal, nor candle-light.

 

They hit the house. "May we come in?

Is anyone there?" they cried.

And then they went in through the door,

For no one had replied.

 

First they ate the white puddings,

Then they ate the black;

But never a word the old wife spoke,

Though she was hopping mad.

 

Then one man said to the other man,

"Here now! Take my knife.

You cut off the old man's beard,

And I will kiss his wife."

 

"But there's no water in the house,

So what shall we do then?"

"You'll have to use the pudding water

Boiling in the pan."

 

Then up sprang the old man,

An angry man was he:

"What! Kiss my wife before my face

And slop that muck on me?"

 

Then up sprang the old wife

And gave three skips on the floor:

"Husband, you were the first to speak:

Get up and shut the door."

Edited March 2, 2007 by cuatro_ojos

[iwalkalone]

It is autumn and the leaves are falling

All love has died on earth

The wind is weeping with sorrowful tears

My heart will never hope for a new spring again

My tears and my sorrows are all in vain

People are heartless, greedy and wicked...

 

Love has died!

 

The world has come to its end, hope has ceased to have a meaning

Cities are being wiped out, shrapnel is making music

Meadows are coloured red with human blood

There are dead people on the streets everywhere

I will say another quiet prayer:

People are sinners, Lord, they make mistakes...

 

The world has ended!

[Kwisatz Haderach]

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

 

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

 

 

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

 

 

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

 

 

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

 

 

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

 

 

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

 

 

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

 

 

Desiderata

 

This poem became my guide to living life.

[Guest bleeding_angel]

THE FLIGHT

by Sara Teasdale

 

Look back with longing eyes and know that I will follow,

Lift me up in your love as a light wind lifts a swallow,

Let our flight be far in sun or blowing rain,

But what if I heard my first love calling me again?

 

Hold me on your heart as the brave sea holds the foam,

Take me far away to the hills that hide your home;

Peace shall thatch the roof and love shall latch the door,

But what if I heard my first love calling me once more?

[strawberryshortcake]

[/font][/size][/color]What's It All About

 

Life isn't about keeping score.

It's not about how many friends you have.

Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you're alone.

It isn't about who you're dating, who you used to date,

how many people you've dated,

or if you haven't been with anyone at all.

It isn't about who you have kissed, it's not about sex.

It isn't about who your family is or how much money they have.

Or what kind of car you drive.

Or where you went to school.

It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are.

Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on,

or what kind of music you listen to.

It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, or brown.

Or if your skin is too light or too dark.

Not about what grades you get, how smart you are,

how smart everybody else thinks you are,

or how smart standardized tests say you are.

It's not about what clubs you're in or how good you are at "your" sport.

It's not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper

and seeing who will "accept the written you."

 

But, life is about who you love and who you hurt.

It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.

It's about keeping or betraying trust.

It's about friendship, used as a sanctity or a weapon.

It's about what you mean and say, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening.

About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.

It's about what judgments you pass and why.

And who your judgments are spread to.

It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention.

It's about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.

It's about carrying inner hate or love, letting it grow, and spreading it.

 

But most of all, it's about using your life to touch or poison other people's hearts in such a way that could have never occurred alone.

Only you choose the way those hearts are affected, and those choices are what life's all about.

 

 

~~author unknown~~

[iwalkalone]

Sandman

Doom and Gloom

 

Did you notice that shadow at night?

That moved like a wraith at the edge of your sight.

That melted away as you turned on the light.

That my love was me

 

Did you hear that noise at night?

That awoke you from sleep with panic and fright

That seemed out of place & not quite right

That my love was me

 

Did you feel that touch at night?

Upon your throat so very tight

Until your world is burning white

That my love is me

[naked_angel]

brown penny

wb yeats

 

 

I WHISPERED, "i am too young,"

and then, "i am old enough";

wherefore i threw a penny

to find out if i might love.

"go and love, go and love, young man,

if the lady be young and fair."

ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,

i am looped in the loops of her hair.

o love is the crooked thing,

there is nobody wise enough

to find out all that is in it,

for he would be thinking of love

till the stars had run away

and the shadows eaten the moon.

ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,

one cannot begin it too soon.

[Wyld]

 

My favorite Neruda poem.

 

Dont Go Far Off

Pablo Neruda

 

Don't go far off, not even for a day, because --

because -- I don't know how to say it: a day is long

and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station

when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.

 

Don't leave me, even for an hour, because

then the little drops of anguish will all run together,

the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift

into me, choking my lost heart.

 

Oh, may your silhouette never dissolve on the beach;

may your eyelids never flutter into the empty distance.

Don't leave me for a second, my dearest,

 

because in that moment you'll have gone so far

I'll wander mazily over all the earth, asking,

Will you come back? Will you leave me here, dying?

[lemon]

the age demanded that we sing

and cut away our tongue.

 

the age demanded that we flow

and hammered in the bung.

 

the age demanded that we dance

and jammed us into iron pants.

 

and in the end the age was handed

the sort of s@%t that it demanded.

 

ernest hemingway

 

 

i like the sarcasm in the man.

[lemon]

furu ike ya

kawazu tobikomu

mizu no oto

 

an old japanese haiku, translates as "old pond, frogs jumped in, sound of water." but i like this poetic translation even more:

 

a lonely pond in age-old stillness sleeps

apart, unstirred by sound or motion... till

suddenly into it a lithe frog leaps.

 

 

[TotalGravity]

If you forget me

 

 

I want you to know

one thing.

 

You know how this is:

if I look

at the crystal moon, at the red branch

of the slow autumn at my window,

if I touch

near the fire

the impalpable ash

or the wrinkled body of the log,

everything carries me to you,

as if everything that exists,

aromas, light, metals,

were little boats

that sail

toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

 

Well, now,

if little by little you stop loving me

I shall stop loving you little by little.

 

If suddenly

you forget me

do not look for me,

for I shall already have forgotten you.

 

If you think it long and mad,

the wind of banners

that passes through my life,

and you decide

to leave me at the shore

of the heart where I have roots,

remember

that on that day,

at that hour,

I shall lift my arms

and my roots will set off

to seek another land.

 

But

if each day,

each hour,

you feel that you are destined for me

with implacable sweetness,

if each day a flower

climbs up to your lips to seek me,

ah my love, ah my own,

in me all that fire is repeated,

in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,

my love feeds on your love, beloved,

and as long as you live it will be in your arms

without leaving mine.

 

- Pablo Neruda

[TotalGravity]

INVICTUS

William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)

 

 

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

 

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

 

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

 

 

Been reciting it since I was 12. Wrote a lot of short stories, poems, and full-length plays based on it during my earlier high school years.

[sophie's_secret_world]

i sooo love neruda. but i want to share a walt whitman poem..

 

To You

Stranger, if you passing meet

me and desire to speak to me,

why should you not speak to

me?

And why should I not speak to you?

 

(from leaves of grass)

[naked_angel]

love's secret

 

 

 

NEVER seek to tell thy love,

love that never told can be;

for the gentle wind doth move

silently, invisibly.

 

i told my love, i told my love,

i told her all my heart,

trembling, cold, in ghastly fears.

ah! she did depart!

 

soon after she was gone from me,

a traveller came by,

silently, invisibly:

he took her with a sigh.

 

-william blake

Edited April 8, 2007 by Naked_Angel

[portia]

Try and Try

© By David Cook

 

I have always seen life for what it really is.

Ever since I was a child growing up, hard times are all I know.

 

I had to sit back and watch my mother work from sunset to sundown.

I had to sit back and watch my mother work herself to her grave.

 

Nothing ever came easy for her.

She always had a heart and kept a smile on her face.

 

Life is like a newborn baby struggling to come out of its mother's womb,

life is a struggle true enough, but after all the struggling you have done,

 

and after all the hell you have been through, there is success.

Life is nothing but a big struggle, but just keep the faith and focus on your goals.

 

Don't let life beat you or you will be walking around like zombies.

Keep on pushing, keep on trying, life can be whatever you make it to be.

 

But life can also be a bowl of cherries with whip cream and apple pie.

I say this again; life is what you make of it.

 

You can achieve or conquer anything it throws at you,

you can't quit or give up, you have got to keep on working,

 

look higher some way, some how you are going to make it.

[lemon]

two well-assorted travellers use

the highway, eros and the muse.

from the twins is nothing hidden,

to the pair is nought forbidden;

hand in hand the comrades go

every nook of nature through:

each for other they were born,

each can other best adorn;

they know one only mortal grief

past all balsam or relief;

when, by false companions crossed,

the pilgrims have each other lost.

 

that's "love and thought" from ralph waldo emerson. minus the title, could just have been two people, no?

[drugstore420]

not a poem, but written by Rainier Maria Rilke, "Letters to a young Poet" quite life changing i must say

[fry_saging]

As the topic say the saddest. Yung mga narinig mo na talagang mangiyakngiyak kana kasi tumagos...

 

hehehehe... Alam ko corny pero lahat naman siguro tayo may ganito..

 

Sonnet 17 of Neruda's 100 Love Sonnets It is also made popular in Patch adams

 

 

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,

or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,

in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

 

I love you as the plant that never blooms

but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;

thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,

risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

 

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;

so I love you because I know no other way

 

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,

so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep."

Edited April 13, 2007 by fry_saging

[transcience]

the mere thought of you

by: ....

 

I guess spring is here and summer lurks nearby

the sun shines unimpeded by any clouds.

so bright it makes you think of places far beyond

and even further, of someone.

[David Aames]

There's a special level of comfort between matching souls

An unbreakable bond of constant support and closeness

 

Its when a warm embrace feels so right

Or when two hands fit so snugly

 

Its a feeling that's hard to define but easy to recognize

 

And when you find that comfort you just know

you'll never let go

 

Everybody in this world is scared

And sometimes, it takes two scared persons to do one brave thing:

 

To fall in love.