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Keep your chin up.

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Robbing the Tomb

The year was bad, the crops were burnt,
The dragon turned his back,
The River Wei was almost dry
The earth was brown, and cracked,
The peasant army, risen up
Destroyed the House of Chin,
Set fire to all their palaces,
Their army turned and ran.

But we were left with nothing since
The death of Chin Shi Huang,
That first and greatest Emperor
Who'd ruled across the land,
He lay within his tomb up there
Hid deep within Mount Li,
And left us all with nothing but
A distant memory.

So Wang and Tong, my neighbours
With both Zheng and Shao along,
Had thought about the riches that
Lay underneath the ground,
They'd murdered all the builders and
The architects, the slaves,
So no-one could reveal the plans
Of Chin Shi Huang-ti's grave.

The ruling class were weak, had fled,
We thought this was our chance,
Why shouldn't we be rich, we thought,
We'd fought with sword and lance,
We'd long defended Chin Shi Huang
So now we should be paid,
The riches of the tomb lay there
Down where his corpse was laid.

'You know the penalty for this, '
Said Shao, 'we'll lose our heads,
If anyone should get to hear
That we've disturbed the dead.'
'We're going to die soon anyway, '
Croaked Zheng, 'you'd rather starve?
I'd risk my head for just one ring...'
The rest of us just laughed.

'What if his ghost has roamed abroad
To rage and roar at us?
Down in that ghostly sepulchre
Where he was laid in trust? '
'No man survived to see beneath

[...] Read more

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Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Fifth Book

AURORA LEIGH, be humble. Shall I hope
To speak my poems in mysterious tune
With man and nature,–with the lava-lymph
That trickles from successive galaxies
Still drop by drop adown the finger of God,
In still new worlds?–with summer-days in this,
That scarce dare breathe, they are so beautiful?–
With spring's delicious trouble in the ground
Tormented by the quickened blood of roots.
And softly pricked by golden crocus-sheaves
In token of the harvest-time of flowers?–
With winters and with autumns,–and beyond,
With the human heart's large seasons,–when it hopes
And fears, joys, grieves, and loves?–with all that strain
Of sexual passion, which devours the flesh
In a sacrament of souls? with mother's breasts,
Which, round the new made creatures hanging there,
Throb luminous and harmonious like pure spheres?–
With multitudinous life, and finally
With the great out-goings of ecstatic souls,
Who, in a rush of too long prisoned flame,
Their radiant faces upward, burn away
This dark of the body, issuing on a world
Beyond our mortal?–can I speak my verse
So plainly in tune to these things and the rest,
That men shall feel it catch them on the quick,
As having the same warrant over them
To hold and move them, if they will or no,
Alike imperious as the primal rhythm
Of that theurgic nature? I must fail,
Who fail at the beginning to hold and move
One man,–and he my cousin, and he my friend,
And he born tender, made intelligent,
Inclined to ponder the precipitous sides
Of difficult questions; yet, obtuse to me,–
Of me, incurious! likes me very well,
And wishes me a paradise of good,
Good looks, good means, and good digestion!–ay,
But otherwise evades me, puts me off
With kindness, with a tolerant gentleness,–
Too light a book for a grave man's reading! Go,
Aurora Leigh: be humble.
There it is;
We women are too apt to look to one,
Which proves a certain impotence in art.
We strain our natures at doing something great,
Far less because it's something great to do,
Than, haply, that we, so, commend ourselves
As being not small, and more appreciable
To some one friend. We must have mediators

[...] Read more

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Dont You Let Me Down

Baby, dont you let me down (dont you let me down)
Dont you leave me lonely (dont you leave me lonely)
Dont you run around
I said baby (baby) when Im on the ground, yeah
(when Im on the ground)
Try to keep my chin up, feel Im fallin farther down
Ooh, you know Im feelin sorry
But I know that wont do
Ooh, looks like theres no tomorrow
Theres no tomorrow without you
Baby (baby) dont you let me down (dont you let me down)
Dont you leave me lonely (dont you leave me lonely)
Or run around
I said baby (baby) when Im on the ground, yeah
(when Im on the ground)
Try to keep my chin up, feel Im fallin farther down
Ooh, remember when you smile so bright
Raise my heart up to my throat
Ooh, sure took hard times to drag me down
So darlin brighten up all of my hopes
Baby (baby) when Im on the ground, yeah
(when Im on the ground)
Try to keep my chin up, feel Im fallin farther down
Try to keep my chin up, feel Im fallin farther down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin down, down, down
Fallin

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A Lay of St. Gengulphus

'Non multo post, Gengulphus, in domo sua dormiens, occisus est a quodam clerico qui cum uxore sua adulterare solebat. Cujus corpus dum in fereto in sepulturam portaretur, multi infirmi de tactu sanati sunt.'


'Cum hoc illius uxori referretur ab ancilla sua, scilicet dominum suum quam martyrem sanctum miracula facere, irridens illa, et subsurrans, ait, 'Ita Gengulphus miracula facitat ut pulvinarium meum cantat,' &c. &c.-- Wolfii Memorab.

Gengulphus comes from the Holy Land,
With his scrip, and his bottle, and sandal shoon;
Full many a day has he been away,
Yet his Lady deems him return'd full soon.

Full many a day has he been away,
Yet scarce had he crossed ayont the sea,
Ere a spruce young spark of a Learned Clerk
Had called on his Lady and stopp'd to tea.

This spruce young guest, so trimly drest,
Stay'd with that Lady, her revels to crown;
They laugh'd; and they ate, and they drank of the best,
And they turn'd the old Castle quite upside down.

They would walk in the park, that spruce young Clerk,
With that frolicsome Lady so frank and free,
Trying balls and plays, and all manner of ways,
To get rid of what French people call Ennui.


Now the festive board, with viands is stored,
Savoury dishes be there, I ween,
Rich puddings and big, and a barbecued pig,
And oxtail soup in a China tureen.

There's a flagon of ale as large as a pail --
When, cockle on hat, and staff in hand,
While on nought they are thinking save eating and drinking,
Gengulphus walks in from the Holy Land!

'You must be pretty deep to catch weazels asleep,'
Says the proverb: that is, 'take the Fair unawares;'
A maid, o'er the banisters chancing to peep,
Whispers, 'Ma'am, here's Gengulphus a-coming upstairs.'

Pig, pudding, and soup, the electrified group,
With the flagon, pop under the sofa in haste,
And contrive to deposit the Clerk in the closet,
As the dish least of all to Gengulphus's taste.

Then oh! what rapture, what joy was exprest,
When 'poor dear Gengulphus' at last appear'd!
She kiss'd, and she press'd 'the dear man' to her breast,
In spite of his great, long, frizzly beard.

[...] Read more

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The Three Little Pigs

The animal I really dig,
Above all others is the pig.
Pigs are noble. Pigs are clever,
Pigs are courteous. However,
Now and then, to break this rule,
One meets a pig who is a fool.
What, for example, would you say,
If strolling through the woods one day,
Right there in front of you you saw
A pig who'd built his house of STRAW?
The Wolf who saw it licked his lips,
And said, 'That pig has had his chips.'
'Little pig, little pig, let me come in!'
'No, no, by the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin!'
'Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!'

The little pig began to pray,
But Wolfie blew his house away.
He shouted, 'Bacon, pork and ham!
Oh, what a lucky Wolf I am!'
And though he ate the pig quite fast,
He carefully kept the tail till last.
Wolf wandered on, a trifle bloated.
Surprise, surprise, for soon he noted
Another little house for pigs,
And this one had been built of TWIGS!

'Little pig, little pig, let me come in!'
'No, no, by the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin!'
'Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!'

The Wolf said, 'Okay, here we go!'
He then began to blow and blow.
The little pig began to squeal.
He cried, 'Oh Wolf, you've had one meal!
Why can't we talk and make a deal?
The Wolf replied, 'Not on your nelly!'
And soon the pig was in his belly.

'Two juicy little pigs!' Wolf cried,
'But still I'm not quite satisfied!
I know how full my tummy's bulging,
But oh, how I adore indulging.'
So creeping quietly as a mouse,
The Wolf approached another house,
A house which also had inside
A little piggy trying to hide.
'You'll not get me!' the Piggy cried.
'I'll blow you down!' the Wolf replied.
'You'll need,' Pig said, 'a lot of puff,

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The Marriage of Sir Gawaine

Part the First
King Arthur lives in merry Carleile,
And seemely is to see;
And there with him Queene Guenever,
That bride soe bright of blee.

And there with him Queene Guenever,
That bride soe bright in bowre;
And all his barons about him stoode,
That were both stiffe and stowre.

This king a royale Christmasse kept,
With mirth and princelye cheare;
To him repaired many a knighte,
That came both farre and neare.

And when they were to dinner sette
And cups went freely round:
Before them came a faire damselle,
And knelt upon the ground.

'A boone, a boone, O Kinge Arthure,
I beg a boone of thee;
Avenge me of a carlish knighte,
Who hath shent my love and mee.

'At Tearne-Wadling his castle stands,
Near to that lake so fair,
And proudlye rise the battlements,
And streamers deck the air.

'Noe gentle knighte, nor ladye gay,
May pass that castle-wall,
But from that foule discourteous knighte,
Mishappe will them befalle.

'Hee's twice the size of common men,
Wi' thewes and sinewes stronge,
And on his backe he bears a clubbe,
That is both thicke and longe.

'This grimme barone 'twas our harde happe
But yester morne to see;
When to his bowre he bare my love,
And sore misused mee.

'And when I told him King Arthure
As lyttle shold him spare;
Goe tell, sayd hee, that cuckold kinge
To meete mee if he dare.'

[...] Read more

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Get Him Back

One man, he'd disappoint me
He'd give me the gouge and he take my glee
Now every other man I see
Remind me of the
One man who disappointed me
Wait 'til I get him back
He won't have a back to scratch
Yeah, keep turning that chin
And you will see my face
As I figure how to kill what I cannot catch
So I say "and on I go"
To another one who disappoint me so, oh oh
The next one up
A contemptible snob
He lived to put things in their place
He did a commendable job
He put himself so low
He can hardly even look me in the face
Wait 'til I get him back
He won't have a back to scratch
Yeah, keep turning that chin
And you will see my face
As I figure how to kill what I cannot catch
Oh, he made my blood just burn
I flipped so far
I thought that I would not return
But the last one I had
Who was getting my hopes up
I might have been a little fast to dismiss
I think he let me down when he didn't disappoint me
He didn't always guess right but he usually got my gist
So wait til I get him back
I'm gonna bring him home
And I'll watch him unpack
He keep turning that chin
And you will see my face
Is fixed on the one
I'm gonna get back
I'm gonna get him back
I am
I'm gonna get him back
I really am

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Tomorrow

The sunll come out, tomorrow,
Bet your bottom dollar, that tomorrow,
Therell be sun,
Just thinkin about, tomorrow,
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, till theres none,
When Im stuck with a day, thats grey and lonely,
I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say,
Oh, the sunll come out tomorrow,
So you gotta hang on till tomorrow,
Come what may.
Tomorrow tomorrow, I love you tomorrow,
Youre only a day away,
The sunll come out, tomorrow,
Bet your bottom dollar, that tomorrow,
Therell be sun,
Just thinkin about, tomorrow,
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, till theres none,
When Im stuck with a day, thats grey and lonely,
I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say,
Oh, the sunll come out tomorrow,
So you gotta hang on till tomorrow,
Come what may.
Tomorrow tomorrow, I love you tomorrow,
Youre always a day away,
Tomorrow tomorrow, I love you tomorrow,
Youre only a day away,
The sunll come out, tomorrow,
Bet your bottom dollar, that tomorrow,
Therell be sun,
Just thinkin about, tomorrow,
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, till theres none,
When Im stuck with a day, thats grey and lonely,
I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say,
Oh, the sunll come out tomorrow,
So you gotta hang on till tomorrow,
Come what may.
Tomorrow tomorrow, I love you tomorrow,
Youre always a day away,
Tomorrow tomorrow, I love you tomorrow,
Youre only a day away, (x10)

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Wanders To You

Its been so long since I slept
The good book at bedtime no longer suffices
The bottle of whiskey just one of my vices
It might help me to sleep
There you are with your golden brown skin
The sparkling pacifico catching your chin
The salt on your marguerita will stick to your lips
Lips that Id die for a fleeting stolen kiss
My mind wanders to you and things that we might do
But youre just another illusion
My mind wanders to you
You couldnt live with someone in dreamland
Toothpaste from harrods when the corner shop will do
A friend giving a lift becomes a chauffeur for two
The grandest illusions to hang on to
There you are with your golden brown skin
The sparkling pacifico catching your chin
The salt on your marguerita will stick to your lips
Lips that Id die for a fleeting stolen kiss
My mind wanders to you and things that we might do
But youre just another illusion
My mind wanders to you
Wanders to you and the things that we might do
But youre just another illusion
My mind wanders to you
(come with me)
(wander with me)
There you are with your london grey skin
The light from the streetlamp corrupting your chin
The cream from a guinness lingers on your lips
Lips that would beg for a meaningful kiss
My mind wanders to you and all that we might do
But youre just another illusion
My mind wanders to you
Wanders to you and all that we might do
But youre just another illusion
My mind wanders to you
Wanders to you
Wanders to you

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Hammer & A Nail

Clearing webs from the hovel
A blistered hand on the handle of a shovel
Ive been digging too deep
I always do
I see my face on the surface
I look a lot like narcissus
A dark abyss of an emptiness
Standing on the edge of a drowning blue
I look behind my ears for the green
And even my sweat smells clean
Glare off the white hurts my eyes
I gotta get out of bed
Get a hammer and a nail
Learn how to use my hands
Not just my head
I think myself in a jail
Now I know a refuge never grows
From a chin in a hand
And a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth
If you want a rose
I had a lot of good intentions
Sit around for fifty years
And then collect a pension
Started seeing the road to hell
And just where it starts
But my life is more than a vision
The sweetest part is acting
After making a decision
Started seeing the whole
As a sum of its parts
And I look behind my ears for the green
And even my sweat smells clean
Glare off the white hurts my eyes
Gotta get out of bed
Get a hammer and a nail
Learn how to use my hands
Not just my head
I think myself in a jail
Now I know a refuge never grows
From a chin in a hand
And a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth
If you want a rose
My life is part of the global life
Id found myself becoming more immobile
When Id think a little girl in the world
Cant do anything
A distant nation my community
And a street person my responsibility

[...] Read more

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Hammer And Nail

Clearing webs from the hovel
A blistered hand on the handle of a shovel
Ive been digging too deep
I always do
I see my face on the surface
I look a lot like narcissus
A dark abyss of an emptiness
Standing on the edge of a drowning blue
I look behind my ears for the green
And even my sweat smells clean
Glare off the white hurts my eyes
I gotta get out of bed
Get a hammer and a nail
Learn how to use my hands
Not just my head
I think myself in a jail
Now I know a refuge never grows
From a chin in a hand
And a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth
If you want a rose
I had a lot of good intentions
Sit around for fifty years
And then collect a pension
Started seeing the road to hell
And just where it starts
But my life is more than a vision
The sweetest part is acting
After making a decision
Started seeing the whole
As a sum of its parts
And I look behind my ears for the green
And even my sweat smells clean
Glare off the white hurts my eyes
Gotta get out of bed
Get a hammer and a nail
Learn how to use my hands
Not just my head
I think myself in a jail
Now I know a refuge never grows
From a chin in a hand
And a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth
If you want a rose
My life is part of the global life
Id found myself becoming more immobile
When Id think a little girl in the world
Cant do anything
A distant nation my community
And a street person my responsibility

[...] Read more

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Dont Look Back

Written by cole-yancy-allen
Everyday the population is growing and to find some peace of mind is something rare
Dont you get discouraged keep on going and dont you mind the way that the people turn and stare
Now how long can you keep on feeling guilty and tell me why should you feel bad about feeling good
Dont you know that the world is cold and filthy, aw yes it is, but if youre a special child
They know sometimes youll be misunderstood, (you can never look back)
Yesterday is dead and gone, (dont you look back) your tomorrow is here today
Keep on fighting, a quitter never wins, hold your breath stick out your chin
Count to ten start again, everybody wants to be somebody
But they cant seem to see the forest for the trees, we just cant let our past
Hold back our future, oh, no, no, when its all over but the shouting
Nothing is left but memories, looks like you could use a little bit of happiness
Now I know that its really hard to find, but you owe it to yourself to have the very best
And only a fool will try to catch up to what he has left behind, (you can never look back)
No, no, cause yesterday is dead and gone, (dont you look back) your tomorrow is here today
And when youre crying, you need someone to hold on to
Its not the end of the world my friend, tip your hat, start again
And keep a positive direction, oh, keep your vision straight ahead
You cant lose with the stuff you use, weve come too far just to turn around, oh, oh,
Dont you look back, yesterday is dead and gone (dont you look back)
Your tomorrow is on the way and if youre fighting, people, a quitter never wins
Hold your breath stick out your chin, count to ten, start again, dont you look back
No, no, uh, oh, (dont look back) no cause weve come much too far
Just to turn around, uh, oh, oh, (repeat dont you look back) dont you look back now
Yesterday is dead and gone, dont you look back, your tomorrow is here today
And when youre crying, cause all your friends have forsaken you
Its not the end of the world my friend, just tip your hat start again
Keep on steppin yaul, dont look back, dont turn your head around
Get up, get out on the good foot, keep on fightin, yeah, hold your breath
Stick out your chin, count to ten and start again dont try it
You got to keep on movin yaul, get, get, get up on the good foot

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Why Me

(olivia newton-john)
Oh dont ask why me, why me why not me
Why not me is the thing
Dont ask why me, lifes running by me
Live each moment that it brings
Take the time to smell the roses
Take the time to watch the stars
Take the time to see your child grow
Daddy now I know
Daddy now I know
Oh dont ask why me, why me why not me
Yes time is going fast
Im starting to question, what is lifes intention?
Guess Ive been too scared to ask
But Im letting go, to God in his wisdom
Or whoever that may be
Nobody knows who plans your future
Or decides your destiny
Oh dont say why me
Oh dont say why me
Oh dont say why me
Oh dont say why me
Life does the strangest things
You never know
What each moment can bring
You turn around
Your life has changed
Youve got to fight each round
Yes take it on the chin
No dont you ever give in
Oh dont say why me, say life just try me
And grow from all your tears
Every obstacle before you
Is a tool to face your fears
Yes now I know, its time to slow down
Its the sign to take control
For too many years Ive been a victim
But daddy now I know
Daddy now I know
Oh dont say why me
Oh dont say why me
Oh dont say why me
Oh dont say why me
Youve got to fight each round take it on the chin
And never never never ever give in
Fight each round take it on the chin
And never never never ever give in
Daddy now I know

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Oceanside

She never wanted to talk
She never wanted to argue
But thats the way it goes
When theres nobody listening
Eyes straight on the front line
Knee deep in the river flow
Keep your chin up, keep your back straight
Rescues on the way
Always the keeper of secrets
Always the source of confusion
But thats the way it goes
When theres nobody listening
Eyes straight on the front line
Knee deep in the river flow
Keep your chin up, keep your back straight
Rescues on the way
Nobody said this was going to be easy
But Ill tell you what Im gonna do
Can I take you to an oceanside
Can I take you to an oceanside
For a few hundred years
Im telling you thats all I ever heard about it
Can I take you to an oceanside
Never a word of intention
Never a hope of reunion
But thats the way it goes
When theres nobody listening
Eyes straight on the high wire
Knee deep in the river flow
Keep your chin up, keep your back straight
Rescues on the way
Nobody said this was going to be easy
But Ill tell you what Im gonna do

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Rhythm

When red is black and petals blue
And in my sleepless head our love's been dead a week or two
Sometimes good times are stuck inside of you
And then they're gone. But I don't know why
A lot of things have changed since you said goodbye
There are reasons for you to love me
But I gave you none
So I tap my glass and nod my chin
And wonder who you've been in rhythm with
Sometimes just time, cause can't escape
When clouds are playing close, not often too far away
Blue has no value, power over you
Open skies, relationless
Carelessness is what I miss
And that's how I think of you
Sometimes good times are all we have to do
So I tap my glass and nod my chin
And wonder who you've been in rhythm with
So I tap my glass and nod my chin
And wonder who you've been in rhythm with
[Beautiful]

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The Two Dreams

I WILL that if I say a heavy thing
Your tongues forgive me; seeing ye know that spring
Has flecks and fits of pain to keep her sweet,
And walks somewhile with winter-bitten feet.
Moreover it sounds often well to let
One string, when ye play music, keep at fret
The whole song through; one petal that is dead
Confirms the roses, be they white or red;
Dead sorrow is not sorrowful to hear
As the thick noise that breaks mid weeping were;
The sick sound aching in a lifted throat
Turns to sharp silver of a perfect note;
And though the rain falls often, and with rain
Late autumn falls on the old red leaves like pain,
I deem that God is not disquieted.
Also while men are fed with wine and bread,
They shall be fed with sorrow at his hand.

There grew a rose-garden in Florence land
More fair than many; all red summers through
The leaves smelt sweet and sharp of rain, and blew
Sideways with tender wind; and therein fell
Sweet sound wherewith the green waxed audible,
As a bird’s will to sing disturbed his throat
And set the sharp wings forward like a boat
Pushed through soft water, moving his brown side
Smooth-shapen as a maid’s, and shook with pride
His deep warm bosom, till the heavy sun’s
Set face of heat stopped all the songs at once.
The ways were clean to walk and delicate;
And when the windy white of March grew late,
Before the trees took heart to face the sun
With ravelled raiment of lean winter on,
The roots were thick and hot with hollow grass.

Some roods away a lordly house there was,
Cool with broad courts and latticed passage wet
From rush-flowers and lilies ripe to set,
Sown close among the strewings of the floor;
And either wall of the slow corridor
Was dim with deep device of gracious things;
Some angel’s steady mouth and weight of wings
Shut to the side; or Peter with straight stole
And beard cut black against the aureole
That spanned his head from nape to crown; thereby
Mary’s gold hair, thick to the girdle-tie
Wherein was bound a child with tender feet;
Or the broad cross with blood nigh brown on it.

Within this house a righteous lord abode,

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The Colored Band

W'EN de colo'ed ban' comes ma'chin' down de street,
Don't you people stan' daih starin'; lif' yo' feet!
Ain't dey playin'? Hip, hooray!
Stir yo' stumps an' cleah de way,
Fu' de music dat dey mekin' can't be beat.
Oh, de major man's a-swingin' of his stick,
An' de pickaninnies crowdin' roun' him thick;
In his go'geous uniform,
He's de lightnin' of de sto'm,
An' de little clouds erroun' look mighty slick.
You kin hyeah a fine perfo'mance w'en de white ban's serenade,
An' dey play dey high-toned music mighty sweet,
But hit's Sousa played in rag-time, an' hit's Rastus'on Parade,
W'en de colo'ed ban' comes ma'chin' down de street.
W'en de colo'ed ban' comes ma'chin' down de street
You kin hyeah de ladies all erroun' repeat:
'Ain't dey handsome? Ain't dey gran'?
Ain't dey splendid? Goodness, lan'!
W'y dey's pu'fect f'om dey fo'heads to dey feet!'
An' sich steppin' to de music down de line,
'T ain't de music by itself dat meks it fine,
Hit's de walkin', step by step,
An' de keepin' time wid 'Hep,'
Dat it mek a common ditty soun' divine.
Oh, de white ban' play hits music, an' hit's mighty good to hyeah,
An' it sometimes leaves a ticklin' in yo' feet;
But de hea't goes into bus'ness fu' to he'p erlong de eah,
W'en de colo'ed ban' goes marchin' down de street.

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Roan Stallion

The dog barked; then the woman stood in the doorway, and hearing
iron strike stone down the steep road
Covered her head with a black shawl and entered the light rain;
she stood at the turn of the road.
A nobly formed woman; erect and strong as a new tower; the
features stolid and dark
But sculptured into a strong grace; straight nose with a high bridge,
firm and wide eyes, full chin,
Red lips; she was only a fourth part Indian; a Scottish sailor had
planted her in young native earth,
Spanish and Indian, twenty-one years before. He had named her
California when she was born;
That was her name; and had gone north.
She heard the hooves and
wheels come nearer, up the steep road.
The buckskin mare, leaning against the breastpiece, plodded into
sight round the wet bank.
The pale face of the driver followed; the burnt-out eyes; they had
fortune in them. He sat twisted
On the seat of the old buggy, leading a second horse by a long
halter, a roan, a big one,
That stepped daintily; by the swell of the neck, a stallion. 'What
have you got, Johnny?' 'Maskerel's stallion.
Mine now. I won him last night, I had very good luck.' He was
quite drunk, 'They bring their mares up here now.
I keep this fellow. I got money besides, but I'll not show you.'
'Did you buy something, Johnny,
For our Christine? Christmas comes in two days, Johnny.' 'By
God, forgot,' he answered laughing.
'Don't tell Christine it's Christmas; after while I get her something,
maybe.' But California:
'I shared your luck when you lost: you lost me once, Johnny, remember?
Tom Dell had me two nights
Here in the house: other times we've gone hungry: now that
you've won, Christine will have her Christmas.
We share your luck, Johnny. You give me money, I go down to
Monterey to-morrow,
Buy presents for Christine, come back in the evening. Next day
Christmas.' 'You have wet ride,' he answered
Giggling. 'Here money. Five dollar; ten; twelve dollar. You
buy two bottles of rye whiskey for Johnny.'
A11 right. I go to-morrow.'
He was an outcast Hollander; not
old, but shriveled with bad living.
The child Christine inherited from his race blue eyes, from his
life a wizened forehead; she watched
From the house-door her father lurch out of the buggy and lead
with due respect the stallion
To the new corral, the strong one; leaving the wearily breathing
buckskin mare to his wife to unharness.

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Charles Kingsley

The Song of The Little Baltung: A.D. 395

A harper came over the Danube so wide,
And he came into Alaric's hall,
And he sang the song of the little Baltung
To him and his heroes all.

How the old old Balt and the young young Balt
Rode out of Caucaland,
With the royal elephant's trunk on helm
And the royal lance in hand.

Thuringer heroes, counts and knights,
Pricked proud in their meinie;
For they were away to the great Kaiser,
In Byzant beside the sea.

And when they came to the Danube so wide
They shouted from off the shore,
'Come over, come over, ye Roman slaves,
And ferry your masters o'er.'

And when they came to Adrian's burgh,
With its towers so smooth and high,
'Come out, come out, ye Roman knaves,
And see your lords ride by.'

But when they came lo the long long walls
That stretch from sea to sea,
That old old Balt let down his chin,
And a thoughtful man grew he.

'Oh oft have I scoffed at brave Fridigern,
But never will I scoff more,
If these be the walls which kept him out
From the Micklegard there on the shore.'

Then out there came the great Kaiser,
With twice ten thousand men;
But never a Thuring was coward enough
To wish himself home again.

'Bow down, thou rebel, old Athanarich,
And beg thy life this day;
The Kaiser is lord of all the world,
And who dare say him nay?'

'I never came out of Caucaland
To beg for less nor more;
But to see the pride of the great Kaiser,
In his Micklegard here by the shore.

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Emmaline Conner room 101(contest winner writing.com)

Lids slowly closing, aged eyes rimmed with red
Blue veined hands clutching sheets to her chin
Fond memories, old boyfriends, gaily dance in her head
A Time traveler, scanning archives, sequestered within

My knock brings her back to this time, here and now
With a start she awakens, closes softly memory’s door
With a smile I approach, place a hand on her brow
Gently bringing her back to the present once more

Tucking a bib beneath her chin like an infant
Huge Breakfast tray pulled close to her breast
Eyes mockingly wide in jesting amazement
Solemnly promises to give it her best

I sit by her side, uncapping and helping
With the soft pureed breakfast I provided
A few birdlike bites, her resolve quickly melting
She’s really quite full now, she’s decided

Chiding her gently to eat some more food
she jokingly tells me she’s watching her weight
And with age earned authority it’s to be understood
At a fat eighty pounds, it’s already too late

I remove the tray, knowing when I’m beaten
By a wisp of a woman who grows more wispy each day
Each day of each week less food is eaten
Not much more time in this bed will she stay

diaper changing endured with lady-like grace
bed bath accepted with placid aplomb
Grey hair brushed back and tied with white lace
Wizened face a portrait of complacent calm

Dear friend, earnest student, strong right hand for her mother
Many persons this fine lady has played
Big sister for small brother, to strong passionate lover
Roles without end and with deep love portrayed

As I place the call button close to her hands
She dreamily places withered hands over mine
Be sure to come back here for lunch, she demands
And this time be sure to bring wine

Eyes slowly closing, drifting off into slumber
I gently pull sheets to her chin
Once more a time traveler, to memories without number
She travels back to the past once again

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