~ LG’s Poetry Compilation ~

Damelus' Song to Diaphenia

Diaphenia, like the daffadowndilly,
White as the sun, fair as the lily,
           Heigh ho, how I do love thee!
I do love thee as my lambs
Are belovëd of their dams—
           How blest were I if thou wouldst prove me!

Diaphenia, like the spreading roses,
That in thy sweets all sweets incloses,
           Fair sweet, how I do love thee!
I do love thee as each flower
Loves the sun's life-giving power,
           For, dead, thy breath to life might move me.

Diaphenia, like to all things blessed,
When all thy praises are expressëd,
           Dear joy, how I do love thee!
As the birds do love the spring,
Or the bees their careful king,—
           Then in requite, sweet virgin, love me!

"women are the sweetness of life."

poets can build galaxies from pebbles
& breathe the word of life into brief glances,
but one must be careful with the power of creation
so i scribble an obligatory, struggling to keep from
staining the page with the exaggeration of new passion,
unsure if i am simply the writer who lives downstairs,
plays his coltrane too loud & likes thunderstorms

i take a trip one flight up
where your eyes escort me to another country,
your touch becomes a wet kiss on the horizon
of a birthday in a warm july
i travel to your smile to hear stories of
wrecked trains parked in your dining room

but the past is a vulgar thief
it steals the laughter from your eyes,
tosses the broken edges of yesterday's heartache
into this remembrance
i dream of erasing painful memories with lingering
caresses from a steady hand

i rearrange the jagged stars of your past
i am the young boy smiling at you with love letter eyes
i carve your name into the soul of graying trees
i am your first slow dance, a trembling hand teetering on your waist
i replace the melancholy prayers on your lips with urgent kisses
i swear an oath to your beauty, become holy in your embrace

traveling tall miles through years of distance,
i arrive, wet from your tears,
my only tool—a poet’s skill
i mend your smile,
emancipate your eyes,
& together
we ride that wrecked train from your dining room
to the horizon of your birthday in another country.

Look off, dear Love, across the sallow sands,
   And mark yon meeting of the sun and sea;
How long they kiss in sight of all the lands,
      Ah! longer, longer we.

Now, in the sea's red vintage melts the sun
   As Egypt's pearl dissolved in rosy wine
And Cleopatra night drinks all. 'Tis done,
      Love, lay thine hand in mine.

Come forth, sweet stars, and comfort heaven's heart,
   Glimmer, ye waves, 'round else unlighted sands;
Oh night! divorce our sun and sky apart
      Never our lips, our hands.

from Astrophil and Stella

Queen Virtue's court, which some call Stella's face,
Prepar'd by Nature's choicest furniture,
Hath his front built of alabaster pure;
Gold in the covering of that stately place.

The door by which sometimes comes forth her Grace
Red porphir is, which lock of pearl makes sure,
Whose porches rich (which name of cheeks endure)
Marble mix'd red and white do interlace.

The windows now through which this heav'nly guest
Looks o'er the world, and can find nothing such,
Which dare claim from those lights the name of best,

Of touch they are that without touch doth touch,
Which Cupid's self from Beauty's mine did draw:
Of touch they are, and poor I am their straw

from Astrophil and Stella

Queen Virtue's court, which some call Stella's face,
Prepar'd by Nature's choicest furniture,
Hath his front built of alabaster pure;
Gold in the covering of that stately place.

The door by which sometimes comes forth her Grace
Red porphir is, which lock of pearl makes sure,
Whose porches rich (which name of cheeks endure)
Marble mix'd red and white do interlace.

The windows now through which this heav'nly guest
Looks o'er the world, and can find nothing such,
Which dare claim from those lights the name of best,

Of touch they are that without touch doth touch,
Which Cupid's self from Beauty's mine did draw:
Of touch they are, and poor I am their straw.

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Ben Jonson

Her Triumph

See the chariot at hand here of Love,
    Wherein my lady rideth!
Each that draws is a swan or a dove,
    And well the car Love guideth.
As she goes, all hearts do duty
      Unto her beauty;
And enamour'd, do wish, so they might
      But enjoy such a sight,
That they still were to run by her side,
Through swords, through seas, whither she would ride.

Do but look on her eyes, they do light
    All that Love's world compriseth!
Do but look on her hair, it is bright
    As Love's star when it riseth!
Do but mark, her forehead's smoother
      Than words that soothe her;
And from her arched brows, such a grace
      Sheds itself through the face
As alone there triumphs to the life
All the gain, all the good, of the elements' strife.

Have you seen but a bright lily grow,
    Before rude hands have touch'd it?
Ha' you mark'd but the fall o' the snow
    Before the soil hath smutch'd it?
Ha' you felt the wool o' the beaver?
      Or swan's down ever?
Or have smelt o' the bud o' the briar?
      Or the nard in the fire?
Or have tasted the bag of the bee?
Oh so white! Oh so soft! Oh so sweet is she!

I Love Thee

I love thee, as I love the calm
    Of sweet, star-lighted hours!
I love thee, as I love the balm
    Of early jes'mine flow'rs.

I love thee, as I love the last
    Rich smile of fading day,
Which lingereth, like the look we cast,
    On rapture pass'd away.

I love thee as I love the tone
    Of some soft-breathing flute
Whose soul is wak'd for me alone,
    When all beside is mute.

I love thee as I love the first
    Young violet of the spring;
Or the pale lily, April-nurs'd,
    To scented blossoming.

I love thee, as I love the full,
    Clear gushings of the song,
Which lonely—sad—and beautiful—
    At night-fall floats along,

Pour'd by the bul-bul forth to greet
    The hours of rest and dew;
When melody and moonlight meet
    To blend their charm, and hue.

I love thee, as the glad bird loves
    The freedom of its wing,
On which delightedly it moves
    In wildest wandering.

I love thee as I love the swell,
    And hush, of some low strain,
Which bringeth, by its gentle spell,
    The past to life again.

Such is the feeling which from thee
    Nought earthly can allure:
'Tis ever link'd to all I see
    Of gifted—high—and pure!

James Henry Leigh Hunt

Jenny Kissed Me

Jenny kissed me when we met,
   Jumping from the chair she sat in.
Time, you thief, who love to get
   Sweets into your list, put that in.
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad;
   Say that health and wealth have missed me;
Say I'm growing old, but add—
   Jenny kissed me!

Friends Don't Always Last
by Ashley Baron
I try to be nice, but you just laugh.
I'm not fitting in anymore, what can I do?
You don't realize, but it's starting to hurt.
When everything's just right, it always turns to dirt.

Help me, what am I doing wrong?
I don't understand, I'm there when your not strong.
I try to be happy most of the time, but it's getting harder now,
knowing your friendship isn't mine.

As you sit in silence,
Wondering why
I'll be your shoulder to cry on
Until your tears run dry.

When you've been hurt,
And can't believe what they've done
If you need someone to talk to
I'll be the one.

If a close friend hurts you,
And you don't understand
Remember I'm here,
I'll lend a helping hand.

Burdens are lighter when carried by two,
And I just want you to know
I'm here for you.

No one really knows
What kind of bond we share
And even if I told them
They probably wouldn't care

You are very dear to me
I hope you know it's true
And now that you are sick
Tell me what that I should do?

While you've been gone
A part of me has been lost
It's like I've taken our friendship for granted
And now I'm paying the cost

I never knew how much you meant to me
Until you went away
The thought of you being really sick
Haunted me every day

I spent a few days at school alone
And my weekend was such a bore
A lot of my time was spent in my room
I think my mom's ready to break down the door

And now I make this vow to you
To keep until the end
I'll help you through the pain and tears
Until our rivers bend

So if you ever need someone
You know just who to call
I'll be here by the phone
To catch you if you fall

My Hero
by Keri
You may not consider yourself,
But you may very well be
A leader, a winner,
For all the world to see.

In the eyes of others,
You are a martyr.
You have received recognition,
And you have worked harder.

But why ? Why all the praise?
I have done nothing but kept my word,
To a dear friend who needed me,
In every incidence that occurred.

But friend, I tell you, you are a hero.
You helped me see the light.
When I had no eyes,
You saved me, and you were my sight.

I feel like I've known you forever
Although I only met you sometime this past year
But our friendship will remain forever
No matter what shall cross our paths and hearts

The best thing that's happened to me
Is finding a forever friend like you
You're there to listen, help, and talk to
And best of all, I know I can confide in you

Some say the best love is one sprung from friendship
So I feel this is why we should try
Time leads us in this direction
Should we follow on down the line?

Friendship and love are always intertwined
Too close which sometimes causes confusion
But if we don't try, we will never know if it was meant to be
But forever you will remain my friend

I don't know if this is going to work
I'm not totally sure we should try
But I have all these mixed feelings
Bottled up inside

I love you both inside and out as my best friend
And I know that you love me that way too
So when I say "best friends forever"
That even means when I'm saying" Goodbye, I love you, too."

Always feeling alone, until you
I didn't love myself, until you
I didn't care about life, until you
I never held a friend's hand, until you
I never told a friend that I loved her, until you
No one had ever held me for no reason, until you
No one had ever truly known me, until you

Lying in the darkness, without you
I don't know who I am, without you
I don't know what to do with myself, without you
How did I ever get by, without you
How did I ever find comfort, without you
Would I have ever seen my true self, without you
Would I have ever known true friendship, without you

Friends 4-Life
by Doryan Hallicy
Friends 4- life is what we are
Through thick and thin you were my friend
Leaning on you, you gave me support
The strength to get up and go again

If my heart was shattered, you'd heal it
If my heart was happy, we both rejoiced in it

You are my best friend
always and forever
It's been good
the best friendship ever
Never end, now and forever

I never thought that I would find
a friend so great and a friend so kind
I look up to you in every way
'cause I learn something from you every day.

Without you I don't know where I'd be
but you're still here, friends with me
you deserve so much more than I can give
but without you I wouldn't live.

You've given me more than money can buy
and for you I'd give my all and I would die
This feeling I feel gets stronger every day
hoping not to screw it up, I constantly pray.

I know we have our problems every now and then
but once it's fixed our friendship is better times ten
and I want you to know that I truly do care
even in fights when I say things that aren't fair.

You're an angel from God up above
and I'm thankful for your understanding love
because when you're around everything seems right
and for you, until the end, I will fight.

It doesn't matter what you do or say
because you'll be my friend anyway
I know the real you that's down deep inside
and in you, I'll always confide.

Thanks for being the friend you are
you're my best friend, an angel by far
everything in you is an inspiration to do great
and you'll be loved by all cause that's your fate!

So never stop being the real and wonderful you
cause God shines through in all that you do
and whenever it seems like I'm never there
remember this: I love you and I'll always care!

You use to be a girl in my class,
you never meant that much to me,
You sat beside me while we learned our ABC's.
But slowly we became best friends,
our friendship made me glad,
I never thought you would
become the friend I never had.

(Chorus)

Back then, we thought you would stay,
forever you'd be here always.
But now there isn't much time,
It's time to say goodbye.

Chesnee, I'll miss you,
Chesnee, I care.
Chesnee, I'll miss you,
Chesnee, my friend.
You're my friend.

I laughed with you and I cried with you,
we went through the good and bad.
When I needed someone,
you were always there for me.
I've had a lot to think about,
the way we use to laugh and play,
I never thought that you would ever
have to move away.

(Chorus)

Back then, we thought you would stay,
forever you'd be here always.
But now there isn't much time,
It's time to say goodbye.

Chesnee, I'll miss you,
Chesnee, I care.
Chesnee, I'll miss you,
Chesnee, my friend.
You're my friend.

(Chorus)

But now, we know you can't stay,
forever we'll be friends always.
Now there isn't much time,
It's time to say goodbye.

Chesnee, I'll miss you,
Chesnee, I care.
Chesnee, I'll miss you,
Chesnee, my friend.
You're my friend.

Chesnee, I love you,
Chesnee, I care.
Chesnee, I love you,
Chesnee, my friend.
You're my friend.

I love having you as a friend,
You make my day brighter,
I'm happy with this friend I've found
Who makes my burdens lighter.
Whenever I see you,
It makes me want to smile,
You were never too cool,
Always in Style.
Don't you ever leave me,
I'll never make you frown,
By your side I'll always be,
Especially when you're down.
Even through the worst of days,
I will be right here,
Watching you through ever faze,
Catching every tear.
You hold my feelings in your hand,
Every single one,
My friendship will forever stand,
Even when the fun is done.
So don't ever forget me,
For I will not forget you,
Here for you I will always be,
No matter what you do.
If others could feel as free,
As I feel with this Friend,
Friendship and warmth is all they'd see,
And love would never end.

Excitement and fear fill our hearts.
Soon a new way of life will start.
Thirteen years have almost past.
But in our mind the memories last.

We've been through it all.
And realized who are true friends are.
The one that was there.
When no one else seemed to care.

So as our senior year comes to an end.
I want to say, thanks for being a true friend.

Open your arms to change, but please don’t lose yourself
You are what makes you who you are in sickness and in health
A friendly atmosphere has made you who you are to be
Your character is in charge and will control your destiny

You’ll go someplace you’ve never gone, you’ll make your mark again,
You will reset your standards, and sure will make new friends
As soon as today is yesterday your heart will always give
I hope you won’t regret today, cause your future longs to live

If our paths don’t cross again, I won’t forget this day
Cause I’m afraid of change, I’m scared to shift my ways
My eyes will see things they’ve never seen, but I’ve always been here
The time that counts your moments gone will teach me not to fear.

You’ll look upon your life and see familiar grounds
You’ll hear the call of memories and recognize the sound
All the lives you change will make stars disappear
And as you’re settled down, you’ll realize you’ve never left here

There are two angels whom I know,
Both so glorious they seem to glow.
When they smile you don't need the sun,
And that's not all, these girls are fun!
One is sweet and thinks of nothing but others,
The second is strong and has many colors.
My love for them grows every day,
My closest friends forever I pray.
I miss my angels when we are apart,
They fill an emptiness that is in my heart.
Annie I'll miss you when you are away,
You'll always be my angel tomorrow and today.
Rossie, you are perfect, perfect as can be,
My love for you both won't fade,
This you'll always and forever see.

The hardest part of being a friend
is knowing when you need it a little
and when you need it a lot.

So just in case you're in need
of a friendly "hi" today,
I wanted to let you know I'm here still caring,
still thinking about you,
and still being your friend.

I'll always remember her,
in good times and in bad.
I'll always remember,
the good friend that I had.

Next year we'll be at different schools.
We'll have new teachers, new friends,
and al new rules.

I'll always remember,
the good times that we had.
And with her in my heart,
I'll never feel bad!

Every time I saw her,
She made me feel better.
I liked her more then anything,
the day that I met her.

I wish we could've been best friends.
That way I'd know she'd remember me,
till the very end!

As our school year comes to an end,
I'll always remember her,
as my "wanna be" best friend.

You hold my hand when I am weak,
And vulnerable at times.
And as you smile I cannot help
But turn my lips upward,
And duplicate the joy
Which lays spread across your face.
When I am sad or unsure,
You make me laugh.
And as you look into my eyes,
They seem to glitter and sparkle
With such energy and life
That I have never seen before.
And it makes me want to be closer to you
All the time.
And even when I am happy and content,
You are there for me.
Just in case I should happen to tumble or fall.
And as you laugh your sound carries across the room,
And it makes me want to be a better person.
As we go along together,
I realize how lucky I am
To be sharing my life with someone as special as you.
You are my everything;
My comfort, my weakness, my joy.
And I thank God everyday
For sending someone like you
To care and comfort me in times of need,
And to be my guardian angel.
For this I thank you,
And hope you will stay in my heart
Forever.

The smell of the just smoked joint,
Intoxicates my lungs.
My boyfriend pulls me closer to him.
I pull back and look deep into his blood shot eyes.
Does he think I wouldn’t notice?
Does he think I wouldn’t care?
As he tries to kiss my fatal lips,
I smell the mint he tried to use to cover up.
The pot is too strong and overpowers the mint,
And the cologne his body is smothered in.
A single tear flows down my cheek.
I wonder why he is doing this.
He told me he has stopped and it hurts.
It hurts that he lied.
It hurts that he had the nerve to show up,
Acting and looking high.
What if he gets addicted to drugs?
What if one day he O.D.’s?
I turn around and run into the darkness.
I’m sorry my love,
I’m sorry my friend,
I’m sorry I don’t
Understand.
Please tell me
Why?

Class of 2000 so bold and sweet
listen to us we shall speak
be so strong, be so tough.
One thing we say - just never give up.
If we're faced with defeat,
we just jump back on our feet.
We go one day to the next
not knowing what lies ahead -
To listening to what someone had once said.
So we say don't give up or bend your knees
just shoot for your hopes
and your dreams.

You turned my darkness into light;
You made everything all right.
You picked me up when I was down;
You turned my life around.
If I didn't have you, what would I be?
A blessing is what you are to me.

When I needed you the most, you were there;
Even if it seemed like you didn't care.
When I didn't think I could make it another day,
You chased all my doubts away.
If I didn't have you, what would I be?
A treasure is what you are to me.

The world is full of many people, it's true;
But there is only one of you.
You fill my heart with love;
You're a God-sent gift from above.
If I didn't have you, what would I be?
An angel is what you are to me.

Lost and alone, I will no longer be;
Because you are here with me.
There is no reason to be sad;
You've taken away all the bad.
If I didn't have you, what would I be?
A best friend is what you are to me!!

You are my lucky star
In life you've helped me get really far
You were always there when I needed you
And I hope I was always there for you too

You are my lucky star
I know God sent you here for me from afar
You had a way of making me happy when I was sad
And if I did something wrong, you wouldn't be mad

You are my lucky star
My best friend is also what you are
You helped me realize what I'm living for
But now you're gone & each day I'm missing you more

Forever Never Ends

F riends 'til the end, is what was once spoken,
O r is that just what you wanted to say?
R eally, I'd be heart broken
E veryday, I thank God for you in every way
V ery often do I forget to say, "I love you,"
E ven when I don't feel like it
R emember me when you're scared and remember I care about you too!

N ever take anything for granted,
E ven if there was a fight or two.
V ery Lucky am I, to have you as my best friend.
E veryday I think about you,
R emembering we're gonna be forever friends!

E ven if we're both scared,
N ever will I say Good- Bye.
D idn't I always say, "Forever Never Ends?"
S o, please believe me when I say, "Forever Friends."