18 October 2024
PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE
Lifted from Eng. Lit.
18 October 2024
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.
The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.
By Christopher Marlowe,
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
5 October 2024
SILENT HOUR
Lifted from English Literature Info
“I love the silent hour of night,
For blissful dreams may then arise,
Revealing to my charmed sight
What may not bless my waking eyes.”
Anne Brontë - Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters.
Anna Billing
1 October 2024
AUTUMN AURA
Quote:“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” ~Lee Maynard
Midday draped the heart of silver crisps
Beckons far from the horizon
I draw a joy of radiances in the fluffy clouds
Seasoned happiness transcends
When I illuminate a canvas of jubilant expression
I embrace a dream of amber hues
Meticulously, it grows to the Northern Sky
A flurry of zephyrs arrives with Autumn aura
Traversing through a century of kisses
That’s when a ripple reverberates on my body
Riding over the moment
With an abundance of joys
(C) Hum Ale
PC: Google
"Enriched by a vocabulary, a flurry of descriptive autumn beauty that buoys the imagination of both the writer and the readers' spirit, this certainly is a place to go to." ~Admin.
25 September 2024
WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR
Posted at FB a year ago today
23 September 2023
Where the Mind is Without Fear
@Rabindranath Tagore
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action–
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Photo by Rado Gatchalian at Macquarie University, Sydney visiting Rabindranath Tagore place of Silence.
22 September 2024
MICRO POEM: PEACE
By Leah C Dancel
MICRO POEM
Homefulness imbued peace
Serenity in place
Alone and nonchalant
Of vagaries at large.
Home defines me
Love and gratitude exist.
©️ Leah C Dancel
23 September 2024
#ILA
14 September 2024
EMPTY
By Estelle Cortes
Today would have been your 93rd mortal birthday Tatay Medes. The last strong grip of your hand before you closed your eyes forever. You are one with the Force now. Hasta pronto Papa. Te echo de menos. 💔. Here's a poem I wrote for you which is now a part of my published poems. I regret that you did not get to read my book. You who loved books so much. I wish.... If only....
(My father passed away 3 years ago. Today I am honouring him for what would have been his 93rd bday)
Empty
I have to wrap my mind around
The emptiness between us now.
Empty chairs, empty bed
In an empty house
Near an empty river bed.
Empty spaces in between
Empty words.
Empty laughters devoid of joy,
Empty eyes that once
Housed a brilliant mind.
Then like a ray of sunshine,
In your world of gloom,
A moment of lucidity,
Perhaps a precursor of doom?
A smile of understanding,
A worried frown
A lingering concern
For one you love so much.
How fragile the mind is,
How often hope is lost,
How often does the bell toll,
And for whom?
~Estelle~
October 16, 2019
9 September 2024
TOMORROW
Lifted from Bring Side Page
Today I woke and found myself
With less than yesterday
My life was missing things
I had assumed were here to stay
Things that had seemed little
‘Til they left a giant space,
Left an empty silence
And a longing in their place
And I began to understand
That when push came to shove
I longed for what I’d had
When I’d thought that was not enough
I’d always looked ahead
Was always chasing more and more
Growing so complacent
Of the things I once wished for
Running to tomorrow,
To the weekend, to next year
Forgetting I was lucky
For the things already here
And all this made me realise
That my life can’t buy more time
So maybe I should spend my time
Loving this life of mine
And maybe I’ll be grateful
For the little things I’ve got
That seem inconsequential
But which mean an awful lot
So, tonight I’ll thank the stars
Instead of asking them for more
And I will hope to wake with all
The things I’ve thanked them for
‘Cause now I see that my todays
Are filled with time I’ve borrowed
And I shouldn’t sit around and waste them
Chasing my tomorrows
****
Credit Goes To : Becky Hemsley 2023
Gorgeous artwork by Kristina von Wiesen Art
8 September 2024
THE SANCTITY OF LIFE
By Don Luman-ag
THE SANCTITY OF LIFE
By Don Luman-ag
Though life is not perfect
It is in itself beautiful
Even with all its flaws
It is nonetheless wonderful
There is beauty and wonder
In both the great and the small
Life is sacred by nature
Even after man's fall
The proverbial Breath of Life
Money can't recreate
The rights of every being
Must be treated with respect
Each will answer to The Maker
On the day of reckoning
All your loots and hoards
To the other side you cannot bring
©️ Don Luman-ag
All rights reserved.
September 9, 2024
Samal Island, Philippines
#heavenonearth
#thirdcollection
4 September 2024
I AM THE SCULPTURE
05 September 2024
Author: Jeffrey Cejero
Doble kuatro ngayong singko
I Am the Sculpture
by Jepoy
Carrrying a heavy load
As if the Earth is on my back,
Never shall I drop my knees
And bow to adversity.
I will make every struggle an opportunity
To build a better future.
I will make every pain,
A catalyst to improve myself.
Just like a workout in the gym,
The more I defeat my weakness
And surpass my previous record,
The more I improve myself.
On this double four as my age,
I've realized I'm the sculpture of my life.
I can carve my dreams and future
Into tangible existence of truth and reality.
13 August 2024
THE PRAYERS OF THE INFIDELS
By Rado Gatchalian
13 August 2024
THE PRAYER OF THE INFIDELS
By Rado Gatchalian
13 August 2024
Here I am praying, at my own free choice, so that the people will know that I do not follow blindly. Hear me for my cause, not that I will be saved, but for me to be free. Free from fear, free from ignorance.
I call upon all the masters, past and present, for them to graciously bless me with strength that I need, for me to endure all the challenges in life; wisdom, so that I will know the difference between right and wrong; and beauty, so that I will be able to enjoy this gift of life.
I pray that I may not only see the light but to be able to endure its duty to pass on the torch to deserving seekers of truth and humble servants of humanity. Allow me, my Dearest One, The Source, to shine beautifully both in my heart and my outer body. But as I shine like the morning sunrise, may I always remember to remain gentle and humble like the sunset. Then, to remain vigilant, curious, and passionate as I need to start life again in the next morning.
I beseech all my brothers to witness this moment of gratitude as I celebrate this opportunity to serve mankind.
I shall never turn blind eye to all wrongdoings. To promise to always give aid to those who are in need. To surrender to the will of the Order and to submit to a Grand Purpose, higher than all earthly religions and sects.
But here I am now, a humble servant, silently waiting to listen to the Voice, so deep, flourishing, and powerful. I am waiting. Help me to know how to listen well.
And I pray that I remain vigilant against tyrannical noise and poisonous whispers of false prophets and masters who claim they hold the Truth.
I pray that I will be given a power, so powerful, that I can be an instrument of peace and a messenger of love and knowledge.
I pray that in my weakness, I find strength; in my greatness, I find humility; in my agony, I find joy; in my darkness, I find light; and in my ignorance, I find the truth.
Enlighten me, my Gracious One. And in the hour of my death, may I rest in peace and forever be with you - in total surrender to your will, to your compassion.
Amen.
22 July 2024
BOOK
JULY 22, 2024
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
William Butler Yeats
Interesting Comment
"Yeats fell in love with Maud Gonne, considered to be one of the most beautiful women in all Ireland, and a revolutionary. He asked her to marry him but she chose instead to marry a fellow freedom fighter John MacBride who beat her and later was executed in the Easter Rebellion. He wrote this poem to her." ~Daniel Callaghan
Source: Eng. Lit. Info
20 July 2024
WHERE'S THE SNOW?
July 18, 2024
A sullen day,
Antarctic wind,
Chilly and freezing
Numb my moments.
Drizzling icy drops
No sleets pelting
Not a flake floating
Snow drifts somewhere. .
lcd
18 July 2024
WEATHER: LEAH'S HAIKU
July 20, 2024
Tender limbs swinging
Orange 🍊 NSW
WEATHER
By Leah C Dancel
Copyright ©️ July 20, 2024
All rights reserved.
The sun came shining
at temporary moment.
Freezing cold unquelled.
Leah's #Haiku1
July 20, 2024
Clouds take flight higher
Away from the ground of mist
Covering the sun.
July 20, 2024
Tiny drops pelting
On a paddled rippling song
Reflection moving.
Leah's #Haiku3
July 20, 2024
A downcast shadow
Beneath the sky; endless woes
Drifting through the gloom.
Leah's #Haiku4
July 20, 2024
Unseen wind twinning with rain
Green leaves sheltered shades.
Leah's #Haiku5
July 20, 2024
13 July 2024
HOME IN THE CLOUDS
HOME IN THE CLOUDS
By Don Luman-ag
A cozy home
In ethereal mists
On a rolling grassland
Amidst lush greeneries
The scent of pine trees
Cool mountain breeze
Believe it or not
This place exists
Not far from here
There it awaits
A heavenly place
Of celestial peace
No hustle and bustle
Of the city life
Away from stress
My haven of rest
©️ Don Luman-ag
All rights reserved.
July 13, 2024
Samal Island, Philippines
3 July 2024
WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE TO A PARENT
Lifted from MBF
4 July 2024
WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE TO A PARENT
You are suddenly living in a whole new world.
You are no longer ‘the child’ and regardless of how long you have officially been ‘grown up’ for, you realise you actually never were until this moment. The shock of this adjustment will shake your very core.
When you have finally said goodbye to both your parents, assuming you were lucky enough to have had two. You are an orphan on this earth and that never, ever gets easier to take no matter how old and grey you are yourself and no matter how many children of your own you have.
You see, a part of your body is physically connected to the people that made it and also a part of your soul. When they no longer live, it is as if you are missing something practical that you need – like a finger or an arm. Because really, you are. You are missing your parent and that is something far more necessary than any limb.
And yet the connection is so strong it carries on somehow, no-one knows how exactly. But they are there. In some way, shape or form they are still guiding you if you listen closely enough. You can hear the words they would choose to say to you.
You can feel the warmth of their approval, their smile when a goal is achieved, their all-consuming love filling the air around you when a baby is born they haven’t met.
If you watch your children very closely you will see that they too have a connection with your parents long after they are gone. They will say things that resonate with you because it brings so many memories of the parent you are missing. They will carry on traits, thoughts and sometimes they will even see them in their dreams.
This is not something we can explain.
Love is a very mystical and wondrous entity.
It is far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all and grief, grief is the price of that love. The deeper the love the stronger the grief.
When you say goodbye to a parent, do not forget to connect with that little girl who still lives inside you somewhere.
Take very good care of her, for she, she will be alone and scared.
When you say goodbye to your parents, you lose an identity, a place in the world. When the people who put you on this earth are no longer here, it changes everything.
Look after yourself the way they looked after you and listen out for them when you need it the most.
They never really leave.~
~Donna Ashworth
HEAVEN ON EARTH
By Don Luman-ag
HEAVEN ON EARTH
By Don Luman-ag
I'm gonna live in the outbacks
Where I can sit back and relax
Watching the sea of clouds roll
As cool mists freshen my soul
Coniferous forests -- all around
Negative ions in the air abound
Here, my self, I wanna be found
My spirit's free, no longer bound
No more drama, just nature trip
Steamy shower, skinny-pool-dip
Lovely environs, sweet solitude
Living a blessed life of gratitude
As I conjure up heaven on Earth
I am filled, with peace and mirth
I'm getting closer to my dreams
Much closer than you ever think
©️ Don Luman-ag
All rights reserved.
July 3, 2024
Samal Island, Philippines 🇵🇭
2 July 2024
FEAR
By Khalil Gibran
It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.
~Khalil Gibran
27 June 2024
THE ART OF LIVING
Lifted from English Literature Info
27 June 2024
We must be willing to get rid of
the life we've planned, so as to have
the life that is waiting for us.
The old skin has to be shed
before the new one can come.
If we fix on the old, we get stuck.
When we hang onto any form,
we are in danger of putrefaction.
Hell is life drying up.
The Hoarder,
the one in us that wants to keep,
to hold on, must be killed.
If we are hanging onto the form now,
we’re not going to have the form next.
You can’t make an omelet
without breaking eggs.
Destruction before creation.
~Joseph Campbell, Reflections on the Art of Living
16 June 2024
PINK ROSES
15 June 2024
PINK ROSES
Pink roses to the Lady of England:
Her royal blood runs not in her veins,
But in her heart for fortitude and strength.
Her loving kindness and caring ways
Is her landmark for humanity.
Her loyalty is uncompromising and non-neglible -
Too huge to overlook.
Pink roses for a Mother, whose
Unwavering and unbending soul -
To the call of service for those whom
She loves; without bias, without prejudice.
A Mother who made her presence known
Anywhere, anytime wherever you are:
"I'm here, if you need me Dear".
Pink roses to a dear Friend, who
For years has been my anchor.
In friendship, she upholds me -
More than her flesh and blood;
More than a sister and a mother to my children.
A Friend whom she never met
Until the day we'd finally embraced.
All your goodness are not forgotten
They may not have been expressed
With eloquence, but, in the depth of my heart
You will stay the person you are,
The Carol we knew through fate
Whom God has blessed us through the
years.
©️ Leah C Dancel
15 June 2024
All rights reserved
Orange NSW
AUSTRALIA
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL
Many happy returns of the day!
Love, hugs and kisses
Leah, Lily and Noemi
15 June 2024
ALONE IN THE COLD
15 June 2023
He stands tall beside his own shadow.
Lost in thought, feeling wrought.
This world is full of vagaries
Where justice is only served to those who gained favour by strong connection.
A morsel denied to this poor little guy
As food for the gods are offered to the heathens
But then he refused to take what's not his
He waited alone in the cold, this winter day.
©Leah C Dancel
Copyright ©️ 15 June 2023
All rights reserved
SH-AUSTRALIA
14 June 2024
YOUR TIME, NOT THEIRS
IN MEMORY OF STEVE LYMAN, UK
A fellow Poet at ILA, one of the most respected Admin Staff.
Lifted from the post of Annette Nasser
14 June 2024
This passage Steve posted on his timeline, I believe shortly before he passed away.
**
"YOUR TIME, NOT THEIRS"
By Steve Lyman
Rain has finally stopped - I don't mean the weather - I'm talking about the showers of life - those dark cloudy days - The ones that drag you down - stopping you from moving on with everyday things - It's about time - You may hear me say - Well, in my opinion, this is how it feels - how it seems to motivate - but also cause us to deflate - There is so much that we go through in life - A time for this - A time for that - Good things - Bad things - Happy or sad things - all connected with time - So what happens if you take time out of the equation - Does it help improve your situation - Will it help you heal quickly - They say it will get better in time - Do they mean their time - or your time - You can never tell how long your time actually is - Putting a time on those dark times - when every minute feels like an hour - everyday seems to last forever - is that their time too - Somehow I think not - So, let's take today for ourselves - Let's use our time - Use the time of today in a constructive manner - make those minutes count - Do something that lifts your spirit - you know, with the power of positive thinking - You will be a lot nearer to their time - but you must own it - Take it for yourself - so, in your own time - you will actually heal - at your own pace - in your own mind space - that's taking time out of the equation.
REFLECTIONS
By Paul Guerin
This is a new poem just drafted, called "Reflections".
Reflections
I’m on a narrow winding way
I search but cannot see the end
So I reflect upon my day
And matters that I need to mend
I struggle down the narrow way
Recalling old forgotten dreams
Wishing for a brand-new day
When reality is all it seems
My mind runs over hills and dales
I think of times long past
Some happy days and some sad tales
Romantic dreams that couldn’t last
My mind drifts on to valleys green
With tall dark mountains looking down
White beauty of a winter scene
That lifts my thoughts so I won’t drown
I wonder where this road will end
Is the destination getting near
Does solace wait around the bend
Will there be hope and quiet here
As the narrow road winds on along
I vacillate from hope to fear
If past mistakes have made me strong
Perhaps I can walk out of here.
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