Famine Song
Death and Famine on every side And never a sign of rain, The bones of those who have starved and died Unburied upon the plain. What care have I that the bones bleach white? To-morrow they may be mine, But I shall sleep in your arms to-night And drink your lips like wine! Cholera, […]
Disappointment
Oh, come, Beloved, before my beauty fades, Pity the sorrow of my loneliness. I am a Rosebush that the Cypress shades, No sunbeams find or lighten my distress. Daily I watch the waning of my bloom. Ah, piteous fading of a thing so fair! While Fate, remorseless, weaving at her loom, Twines furtive silver […]
Deserted Gipsys Song Hillside Camp
She is glad to receive your turquoise ring, Dear and dark-eyed Lover of mine! I, to have given you everything: Beauty maddens the soul like Wine. “She is proud to have held aloof her charms, Slender, dark-eyed Lover of mine! But I, of the night you lay in my arms: Beauty maddens the sense […]
Among The Rice Fields
She was fair as a Passion-flower, (But little of love he knew.) Her lucent eyes were like amber wine, And her eyelids stained with blue. He called them the Gates of Fair Desire, And the Lakes where Beauty lay, But I looked into them once, and saw The eyes of Beasts of Prey. He […]
The Sick Stockrider
The Sick Stockrider by Adam Lindsay Gordon Hold hard, Ned! Lift me down once more, and lay me in the shade. Old man, you’ve had your work cut out to guide Both horses, and to hold me in the saddle when I swayed, All through the hot, slow, sleepy, silent ride. The […]
The Last Leap
The Last Leap by Adam Lindsay Gordon ALL is over! fleet career, Dash of greyhound slipping thongs, Flight of falcon, bound of deer, Mad hoof-thunder in our rear, Cold air rushing up our lungs, Din of many tongues. Once again, one struggle good, One vain effort;—he must dwell Near the shifted post, […]
Gone
Gone by Adam Lindsay Gordon IN Collins Street standeth a statute tall, A statue tall, on a pillar of stone, Telling its story, to great and small, Of the dust reclaimed from the sand waste lone; Weary and wasted, and worn and wan, Feeble and faint, and languid and low, He lay […]
A Dedication
A Dedication by Adam Lindsay Gordon They are rhymes rudely strung with intent less Of sound than of words, In lands where bright blossoms are scentless, And songless bright birds; Where, with fire and fierce drought on her tresses, Insatiable Summer oppresses Sere woodlands and sad wildernesses, And faint flocks and herds. […]
Myself
“La patience est amère; mais le fruit en est doux!” I Away down into the shadowy depths of the Real I once lived. I thought that to seem was to be. But the waters of Marah were beautiful, yet they were bitter. I waited, and hoped, and prayed; Counting the heart-throbs and the tears […]
The Old Manor House
An old house, crumbling half away, all barnacled and lichen-grown, Of saddest, mellowest, softest grey,-with a grand history of its own- Grand with the work and strife and tears of more than half a thousand years. Such delicate, tender, russet tones of colour on its gables slept, With streaks of gold betwixt the stones, […]
The Legend Of Lady Gertrude
I. Fallen the lofty halls, where vassal crowds Drank in the dawn of Gertrude’s natal day. The dungeon roof an Alpine snow-wreath shrouds, The strong, wild eagle’s eyrie in the clouds- The robber-baron’s nest-is swept away. II. Bare is the mountain brow of lordly towers; Only the sunbeams stay, the moon and stars, The […]
The Hand In The Dark
How calm the spangled city spread below! How cool the night! How fair the starry skies! How sweet the dewy breezes! But I know What, under all their seeming beauty, lies. That million-fibred heart, alive, is wrung With every grief that human creatures fear. Could its dumb anguish find a fitting tongue The very […]
The Crown Of Thorns
“And unto Adam He said…. cursed is the ground for thy sake. Thorns…. shall bring it forth.” “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head.” In bitterest sorrow did the ground bring forth Its fatal seed. Thine eye beheld the birth- Beheld the travail of accursèd earth; E’en […]
On Australian Hills
Earth, outward tuning on her path in space This pensive southern face, Swathing its smile and shine In that soft veil that day and darkness twine, The silver-threaded twilight thin and fine, With April dews impearled, Looms like another and diviner world. Here April brings her garnered harvest-sheaf, Her withered autumn leaf, Tintings of […]
Looking In The Fire
The snow falls soft and thick. My cedar bough Sways up and down, and scratches on the glass. The wind sighs in the chimney, as I sit, With elbows on my knees, before the fire, Resting a crumpled chin in hollow’d palms. There is great trouble in the cold and dark; And other girls […]
Looking Fire
The snow falls soft and thick. My cedar bough Sways up and down, and scratches on the glass. The wind sighs in the chimney, as I sit, With elbows on my knees, before the fire, Resting a crumpled chin in hollow’d palms. There is great trouble in the cold and dark; And other girls […]
Hand Dark
How calm the spangled city spread below! How cool the night! How fair the starry skies! How sweet the dewy breezes! But I know What, under all their seeming beauty, lies. That million-fibred heart, alive, is wrung With every grief that human creatures fear. Could its dumb anguish find a fitting tongue The very […]
Dawnlight On The Sea
When I kneel down the dawn is only breaking; Sleep fetters still the brown wings of the lark; The wind blows pure and cool, for day is waking, But stars are scattered still about the dark. With open lattice, looking out and praying, Ere yet the toil and trouble must be faced, I see […]
A Story At Dusk
An evening all aglow with summer light And autumn colour-fairest of the year. The wheat-fields, crowned with shocks of tawny gold, All interspersed with rough sowthistle roots, And interlaced with white convolvulus, Lay, flecked with purple shadows, in the sun. The shouts of little children, gleaning there The scattered ears and wild blue-bottle flowers- […]
Welcome
Go, let the fatted calf be kill’d; My prodigal’s come home at last, With noble resolutions fill’d, And fill’d with sorrow for the past: No more will burn with love or wine; But quite has left his women and his swine. Welcome, ah! welcome, my poor heart! Welcome! I little thought, I’ll swear (‘T […]
To The Royal Society
I. Philosophy the great and only heir Of all that human knowledge which has bin Unforfeited by man’s rebellious sin, Though full of years he do appear, (Philosophy, I say, and call it, he, For whatso’ere the painter’s fancy be, It a male-virtue seems to me) Has still been kept in nonage till of […]
The Welcome
Go, let the fatted calf be kill’d; My prodigal’s come home at last, With noble resolutions fill’d, And fill’d with sorrow for the past: No more will burn with love or wine; But quite has left his women and his swine. Welcome, ah! welcome, my poor heart! Welcome! I little thought, I’ll swear (‘T […]
The Grasshopper
Happy insect, what can be In happiness compared to thee? Fed with nourishment divine, The dewy morning’s gentle wine! Nature waits upon thee still, And thy verdant cup does fill; ‘Tis filled wherever thou dost tread, Nature’s self’s thy Ganymede. Thou dost drink, and dance, and sing, Happier than the happiest king! All the […]
The Epicure
FILL the bowl with rosy wine, Around our temples roses twine. And let us cheerfully awhile, Like the wine and roses smile. Crown’d with roses we contemn Gyge’s wealthy diadem. Today is ours; what do we fear? Today is ours; we have it here. Let’s treat it kindly, that it may Wish, at least, […]
On The Death Of Mr William Hervey
IT was a dismal and a fearful night: Scarce could the Morn drive on th’ unwilling Light, When Sleep, Death’s image, left my troubled breast By something liker Death possest. My eyes with tears did uncommanded flow, And on my soul hung the dull weight Of some intolerable fate. What bell was that? Ah […]
Answer Copy Verses Sent Me Jersey
As to a northern people (whom the sun Uses just as the Romish church has done Her prophane laity, and does assign Bread only both to serve for bread and wine) A rich Canary fleet welcome arrives; Such comfort to us here your letter gives, Fraught with brisk racy verses; in which we The […]
Anacreontics The Epicure
UNDERNEATH this myrtle shade, On flowerly beds supinely laid, With odorous oils my head o’erflowing, And around it roses growing, What should I do but drink away The heat and troubles of the day? In this more than kingly state Love himself on me shall wait. Fill to me, Love! nay, fill it up! […]
An Answer To A Copy Of Verses Sent Me To Jersey
As to a northern people (whom the sun Uses just as the Romish church has done Her prophane laity, and does assign Bread only both to serve for bread and wine) A rich Canary fleet welcome arrives; Such comfort to us here your letter gives, Fraught with brisk racy verses; in which we The […]
Against Hope
HOPE, whose weak Being ruin’d is, Alike if it succeed, and if it miss ; Whom Good or Ill does equally confound, And both the Horns of Fates Dilemma wound. Vain shadow! which dost vanish quite, Both at full Noon, and perfect Night ! The Stars have not a possibility Of blessing Thee ; […]
Xai Kou
Poems about Poetry xai-kou by kapardeli eftichia ** In the Power of Hope Exits stealth life ** ** Vision of the world Become a citizen of Heaven ** ** Two hands twined much love for life ** kapardeli eftichia Copyright ©: […]
Gesture Theory A Villanelle
Poems about Poetry Gesture Theory: A Villanelle by Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé The script of leaving the wine to chill The script of adding rosemary The script of simmering baby turnips The script of echoes in Annapurna The script of grasped palms The script of Walter Benjamin in Portbou The […]
Gazebo
in the gazebo by Bozena Helena Mazur-Nowak (for my Mother Danuta in Heaven) a warm September day, the thirteenth, your birthday, Mom smell of coffee on the terrace sun is frolicking in the asters there is a pergola in the middle of the orchard entwined with wild ivy you […]
The Poet Angels Who Came To Dinner
The Poet-Angels Who Came to Dinner by Aberjhani 1. Neither had been invited but both were welcomed. They spoke through wordless intuition, cool nods of “Peace-Be-Still,” and, “As-Goes-Love-So-Goes-Life.” Their quiet burned my brain with inklings of wonders to come––as I set my table with what I had: half of a cheese […]
The Nomad039s Vision Ode To A Skylark Dressed In Black
The Nomad’s Vision: Ode to a Skylark Dressed in Black by Aberjhani I see your wings are made of many kingdoms, nations, and stories oh glowing bird of midnight love, lovely lyricist of daybreak and nightjoy. My knees were two bleeding bones painting pain upon desert stone when your shadow pulled the […]
The Man That Poetry Made
The Man That Poetry Made by Aberjhani The man that poetry made stands luminous on the broken corners of history’s suicidal cravings, he watches splashing in the street birds cleaning their feathers inside the crystal flow of words he gave them, he is a vintage wine now traveling with ease over […]
Gratitudes Of A Dozen Roses
Gratitudes of a Dozen Roses by Aberjhani I. This rose of spiritual gratitude placed at the feet of a Rasta Warrior Woman showers the earth with sweetfire and hosannas and early morning glory. II. Beneath an African moon shining silver poems and a river of orchards singing purple praises a black […]
Cell Mate
Cell Mate by Abiathar Zadok You sit smiling on your swivel chair Your cigar rings go round in the air Your other hand the whisky cup And the ash keep pilling up How come you wear the familiar look I see on the palm wine tapers face When smile became […]
Wet City Night
Wet City Night by A. S. J. Tessimond Light drunkenly reels into shadow; Blurs, slurs uneasily; Slides off the eyeballs: The segments shatter. Tree-branches cut arc-light in ragged Fluttering wet strips. The cup of the sky-sign is filled too full; It slushes wine over. The street-lamps dance a tarentella And zigzag down the street: They […]
Attack On The Ad-Man
Attack On The Ad-Man by A. S. J. Tessimond This trumpeter of nothingness, employed To keep our reason dull and null and void. This man of wind and froth and flux will sell The wares of any who reward him well. Praising whatever he is paid to praise, He hunts for ever-newer, smarter ways […]
Orlando Furioso Canto 7 by Ludovico Ariosto
ARGUMENT Rogero, as directed by the pair, The giantess Eriphila o’erthrows. That done, he to Alcina’s labyrinth, where More than one knight is tied and prisoned, goes. To him Melissa sage the secret snare, And remedy for that grave evil shows. Whence he, by her advised, with downcast eye, And full of shame forthwith resolves […]