Sorrow

Sorrow
Algernon Charles Swinburne


Sorrow, on wing through the world for ever,
Here and there for awhile would borrow
Rest, if rest might haply deliver
Sorrow.

One thought lies close in her heart gnawn thorough
With pain, a weed in a dried-up river,
A rust-red share in an empty furrow.

Hearts that strain at her chain would sever
The link where yesterday frets to-morrow:
All things pass in the world, but never
Sorrow.

The Tide Of Sorrow

The Tide Of Sorrow

George William Russell
 

On the twilight-burnished hills I lie and long and gaze
Where below the grey-lipped sands drink in the flowing tides,
Drink, and fade and disappear: interpreting their ways
A seer in my heart abides.


Once the diamond dancing day-waves laved thy thirsty lips:
Now they drink the dusky night-tide running cold and fleet,
Drink, and as the chilly brilliance o’er their pallor slips
They fade in the touch they meet.


Wave on wave of pain where leaped of old the billowy joys:
Hush and still thee now unmoved to drink the bitter sea,
Drink with equal heart: be brave; and life with laughing voice
And death will be one for thee.


Ere my mortal days pass by and life in the world be done,
Oh, to know what world shall rise within the spirit’s ken
When it grows into the peace where light and dark are one!
What voice for the world of men?

The Lost Friend

The Lost Friend
Amy Levy


The people take the thing of course,
They marvel not to see
This strange, unnatural divorce
Betwixt delight and me.

I know the face of sorrow, and I know
Her voice with all its varied cadences;
Which way she turns and treads; how at her ease
Things fit her dreary largess to bestow.

Where sorrow long abides, some be that grow
To hold her dear, but I am not of these;
Joy is my friend, not sorrow; by strange seas,
In some far land we wandered, long ago.

O faith, long tried, that knows no faltering!
O vanished treasure of her hands and face!--
Beloved--to whose memory I cling,
Unmoved within my heart she holds her place.

And never shall I hail that other "friend,"
Who yet shall dog my footsteps to the end.

Sorrow's Uses

Sorrow's Uses
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
 

The uses of sorrow I comprehend
Better and better at each year’s end.

Deeper and deeper I seem to see
Why and wherefore it has to be

Only after the dark, wet days
Do we fully rejoice in the sun’s bright rays.

Sweeter the crust tastes after the fast
Than the sated gourmand’s finest repast.

The faintest cheer sounds never amiss
To the actor who once has heard a hiss.

To one who the sadness of freedom knows,
Light seem the fetters love may impose.

And he who has dwelt with his heart alone,
Hears all the music in friendship’s tone.

So better and better I comprehend,
How sorrow ever would be our friend.

The Hope Of My Heart

The Hope Of My Heart
John McCrae


I left, to earth, a little maiden fair,
With locks of gold, and eyes that shamed the light;
I prayed that God might have her in His care
And sight.

Earth's love was false; her voice, a siren's song;
(Sweet mother-earth was but a lying name)
The path she showed was but the path of wrong
And shame.

"Cast her not out!" I cry. God's kind words come --
"Her future is with Me, as was her past;
It shall be My good will to bring her home
At last."

Hope

 Hope

Emily Bronte


Hope was but a timid friend;
She sat without the grated den,
Watching how my fate would tend,
Even as selfish-hearted men.

She was cruel in her fear;
Through the bars, one dreary day,
I looked out to see her there,
And she turned her face away!

Like a false guard, false watch keeping,
Still, in strife, she whispered peace;
She would sing while I was weeping;
If I listened, she would cease.

False she was, and unrelenting;
When my last joys strewed the ground,
Even Sorrow saw, repenting,
Those sad relics scattered round;

Hope, whose whisper would have given
Balm to all my frenzied pain,
Stretched her wings, and soared to heaven,
Went, and ne'er returned again!

Windows To My Soul

Windows To My Soul
Unknown


Lost in dark depression
Not knowing where to turn
I opened the windows to my soul
To see what I could learn
I swept up the depression
Scrubbed the sadness and the hurt
I put it all in trash bags
And set them by the curb
I found stashed in a corner
Tucked high upon a shelf
A treasure chest of knowledge
That I could love myself
And wherever my future takes me
I know I will win
Because I opened the windows to my soul
And let the light shine in

Treasure

Treasure
 

True treasure is not found in pirate ships,
In chests of silver and gold.
True treasure isn’t ruby rings
And jewels from long ago.
You don’t need to use a treasure map
And find chests beneath the sea.
True treasure is simply the love
And joy found in you and me.

Sweet Dancer

Sweet Dancer

William Butler Yeats

The girl goes dancing there
On the leaf-sown, new-mown, smooth
Grass plot of the garden;
Escaped from bitter youth,
Escaped out of her crowd,
Or out of her black cloud.
Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer!
If strange men come from the house
To lead her away, do not say
That she is happy being crazy;
Lead them gently astray;
Let her finish her dance,
Let her finish her dance.
Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer!

I Am, I Can, I Will

I am, I can, I will
Unknown
 

I am- two small words, and yet,
It’s a powerful “place” to be.
It’s my life, and I’m living it,
I am everything you see.

 

I am responsible for my actions,
And all the things I say and do.
I am responsible for my behavior,
And how i interact with you.
 

I am responsible for the level of my work,
And the choices that I make.
I am responsible for the values I proffes,
And for the way that I communicate. 

I can- two small words, and yet,
It’s a powerful “place” in which to be.
It’s my life and I’m living it,
Traveling the land, sky and sea.
 

I can earn the respect of others,
And gain their friendship true.
I can honor all things living, and
Take care of my mind, health and body too.
 

I can do my best each day,
And I know my best is great,
I can continue to progress,
And move closer to my fate.
 

I will- two small words, and yet,
It’s a powerful “place” in which to be.
It’s my life and I’m living it,
I will be everything, just wait and see.
 

I will use my talents wisely,
Learn to manage the moods of life.
I will respect my ups and downs,
Ask for help in overcoming strife.
 

I will is a promise to see clearly,
It reveals my strength to win.
As I arrive at mutual resolutions

And look for my answers from within.
 

I’m young, still learning, growing, changing,
Yet I have ideals, noble goals and plans,
For things like a healthy environment,
World peace and a crime-free land.

No longer a child, yet not an adult,
I am a teenager still,
But I don’t underestimate my value,
Because I am, I can, I will.

Paint Brush

Paint Brush                                         

Unknown 

I keep my paint brush with me                                   

Wherever I go,

In case I need to cover up

So the real me doesn’t show.

I’m so afraid to show you me,

Afraid of what you’ll do- that

You might laugh or say mean things.

I’m afraid I might lose you.

I’d like to remove all my paint coats

To show you the real, true me,

But I want you to try and understand,

I need you to accept what you see.

So if you’ll be patient and close your eyes,

I’ll strip off all my coats real slow.

Please understand how much it hurts

To let the real me show.

Now my coats are all stripped off

I feel naked, bare, and cold

And if you still love me with all that you see,

You are my friend, pure as gold.

I need to save my paint brush, though,

And hold it in my hand,

I want to keep it handy,

In case somebody doesn’t understand.

So please protect me, my dear friend

And thanks for loving me true,

But please let me keep my paint brush with me

Until I love me too.

Impressions

Some people come into our lives and quietly go.
Some people move our souls to dance;

They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gave upon;

They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts,
And we are never, ever the same.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love
George C. Youngs
 

Remember, dear, when you’re a success,
I’ll be happy as can be.
But remember, too, that when you fail,
You can always come to me.

 

There’s little in life we cannot share.
We’ll share the bad times too,
For my love had no conditions, dear,
That’s what I give to you.

After A While

After A While 
Unknown

After a while you learn the subtle differences between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaving and
Company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats with your head
Up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult,
Not the grief of a child
And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is much too uncertain
For plans
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get to much
So plant your own garden and decorate your own
Soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring
You flowers
And you learn that you really can endure…
That you really are strong.
And that you really do have worth.

Change

Change
Unknown

Change is the only absolute
in the world,
the only thing
that you can depend on.
Nothing stays the same.
Tomorrow will come,
bringing with it
new beginnings and sometimes
unexpected endings.
You can hold on to the past
and get left in the dust,
Or, you can choose to
jump on the ride of life
and live a new adventure
with perseverance and
an open mind.

Evening Star

Evening Star

William Blake

Thou fair hair'd angel of the evening,
Now, while the sun rests on the mountains light,
Thy bright torch of love; Thy radiant crown
Put on, and smile upon our evening bed!
Smile on our loves; and when thou drawest the
Blue curtains, scatter thy silver dew
On every flower that shuts its sweet eyes
In timely sleep. Let thy west wind sleep on
The lake; speak silence with thy glimmering eyes
And wash the dusk with silver. Soon, full, soon,
Dost thou withdraw; Then, the wolf rages wide,
And the lion glares thro' the dun forest.
The fleece of our flocks are covered with
Thy sacred dew; Protect them with thine influence.

A Lost Angel

A Lost Angel

Ellis Parker Butler

When first we met she seemed so white
I feared her;
As one might near a spirit bright
I neared her;
An angel pure from heaven above
I dreamed her,
And far too good for human love
I deemed her.
A spirit free from mortal taint
I thought her,
And incense as unto a saint
I brought her.

Well, incense burning did not seem
To please her,
And insolence I feared she’d deem
To squeeze her;
Nor did I dare for that same why
To kiss her,
Lest, shocked, she’d cause my eager eye
To miss her.
I sickened thinking of some way
To win her,
When lo! she asked me, one fine day,
To dinner!

Twas thus that made of common flesh
I found her,
And in a mortal lover’s mesh
I wound her.
Embraces, kisses, loving looks
I gave her,
And buying bon-bons, flowers and books,
I save her;
For her few honest, human taints
I love her,
Nor would I change for all the saints
Above her
Those eyes, that little face, that so
Endear her,
And all the human joy I know
When near her;
And I am glad, when to my breast
I press her,
She’s just a woman, like the rest,
God bless her!

I Heard The Bells

I Heard The Bells
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
Their words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


And in despair, I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Growing

Growing

Brook Muller

I'm leaving now to slay the foe-

Fight the battles, high and low,

I'm leaving, Mother, hear me go,

Please wish me luck today.

I've grown my wings, i want to fly,

Seize my victories where they lie.

I'm going, Mom, but please don't cry,

Just let me find my way.

I want to see and touch and hear,

Though there are dangers, there are fears.

I'll smile my smile and dry my tears

Please let me speak my say.

I'm off to find my world, my dreams,

Carve my niche, sew my seams

Remember, as I sail my streams-

I'll love you all the way

Shiloh

Shiloh – A Requiem, by Herman Melville

Skimming lightly, wheeling still,
The swallows fly low
Over the fields in cloudy days,
The forest-field of Shiloh -

Over the field where April rain
Solaced the parched ones stretched in pain
Through the pause of night
That followed the Sunday fight

Around the church of Shiloh -
The church, so lone, the log-built one,
That echoed to many a parting groan
And natural prayer

Of dying foeman mingled there -
Foeman at morn, but friends at eve -
Fame or country least their care:
(What like a bullet can undeceive!)

But now they lie low,
While over them the swallows skim,
And all is hushed at Shiloh.