fade by forgotten fable

With your face on the floor, you reach out. With regret at all of your wasted life. Try to figure out where you went wrong. Don't give in to the hate. Don't give in to the lies. When they said that you were nothing worth being lived for. For the dreams that live in your mind, desires that reign in your heart. You can sing. Don't lose that spark from your eye. The friends that left you wanting. The family that left you haunted. You can sing. Don't lose that spark from your eye. With the Book on the floor, face up for the words to fill the air, reach out and grasp wisdom that belongs in your heart. Don't reach out with a fist, don't reach out with regret. But hold fast to the truth: you are something worth living for. No more wasted nights trying to make you come back to me. No wasted dreams for you. I can finally sleep at night and dream of peace. Don't fade. 




This song is quite cool.  it has a very depressing tone yet throughout it the singer offers glimpses of hope.  he begins by describing a situation in which the subject of the song is drowning in a sense of despair.  in three words the singer offers a way out...you can sing.  by saying this he is reminding the subject that they have a voice and that they dont have to lay down and give up.  then he says "dont reach out with a fist, dont reach out with regret. but hold fast to the truth: you are something worth fighting for." this line says a lot about how much the singer admires the subject.  he is trying to convince them to believe that they truly are worth it.  i love this song and i love what it says.

Brothers and Sisters by Lewis Carroll

"SISTER, sister, go to bed!
Go and rest your weary head."
Thus the prudent brother said.

"Do you want a battered hide,
Or scratches to your face applied?"
Thus his sister calm replied.

"Sister, do not raise my wrath.
I'd make you into mutton broth
As easily as kill a moth"

The sister raised her beaming eye
And looked on him indignantly
And sternly answered, "Only try!"

Off to the cook he quickly ran.
"Dear Cook, please lend a frying-pan
To me as quickly as you can."

And wherefore should I lend it you?"
"The reason, Cook, is plain to view.
I wish to make an Irish stew."

"What meat is in that stew to go?"
"My sister'll be the contents!"
"Oh"
"You'll lend the pan to me, Cook?"
"No!"

Moral: Never stew your sister.







This poem is kind of morbid but funny at the same time.  It starts off with the usual sibling bickering going on...but then leads into threats and eventually a stew.  It starts off with the brother telling the sister to go to bed, and the sister refuses.  But, she not only refuses, she responds with a threat to batter his hide and scratch his face if he tries to make her go to bed. These lines remind me of when my brother and I were little and we used to get into the whole "make me" argument...good times. Anyway, the brother responds with a 'go ahead and try...i'll just beat you' kind of reply.  The sister then calls his bluff and dares him to by saying "Only try" which of course, to a boy, means he has to do it.  This form of back and forth dialogue in the poem really helps to demonstrate the innocence of these children, by having them talking back to each other. The brother hastily runs off to the cook and asks him for a pan in which to fry his sister...a request which the cook thankfully denies.  I like this poem because it reminds me of how Killian and I used to be...and sometimes still are.

The Little Boy and the Old Man by Shel Silverstien

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

 

This is a beautifully simplistic poem.  It reveals to us just how much we go in a full circle over the course of our lifetimes.  The little boy begins to confess things to the old man, and the old man confesses that the same things seem to be happening to him too.  The old man comforts the little boy in this way, and they seem to make a real copnnection in that they share the same 'weaknesses'.  I love this poem because it reminds me of when i used to talk to my Grandma about everything that i was having problems with at the time.  I remember how nice it was to be able to talk to someone.  I like this peom for its simple but powerful mood. 

funny...but not by: Arianna Loshnowski

it's funny how hello is always accompanied with goodbye
it's funny how good memories can start to make you cry
it's funny how forever never seems to last
it's funny how much you'd lose if you forgot about your past
it's funny how “friends” can just leave when you are down
it's funny how when you need someone they never are around
it's funny how people change and think they're so much better
it's funny how many lies are packed into one “love letter”
it's funny how one night can contain so much regret
it's funny how you can forgive but not forget
it's funny how ironic life turns out to be
but the funniest part of all, is none of thats funny to me 







This poem is pretty self-explanatory.  The author contradicts everything she claims to be 'funny' by offering a downside.  it becomes obvious very early in the poem that Arianna does not really think that any of these things are actually funny.  Also, very early in the poem, Loshowski begins to come off as bitter.  It seems like she resents all of the things that she is talking about.  Loshowski uses the word funny all throughout the poem to further drill in her feeling of bitterness.  I like this poem because i use the sarcastic "isn't it funny" phrase all the time.  Arianna Loshowski does a great job of conveying her bitterness, her resentment, and her sarcasm in this poem.

Broken Promise by Placebo

They rise above this,
They cry about this,
As we live and learn..

A broken promise,
I was not honest,
Now I watch as tables turn,
And you're singing -

I'll wait my turn,
To tear inside you,
Watch you burn,
I'll wait my turn,
I'll wait my turn.

I'll cry about this,
And hide my cuckled eyes,
As you come off all concerned,
And I'll find no solace,
In your poor apology,
In your regret that sounds absurd,
And keep singing -

I'll wait my turn,
To tear inside you,
Watch you burn..
And I'll wait my turn,
To terrorize you,
Watch you burn..
And I'll wait my turn,
I'll wait my turn.

And this is a promise -
Promise is a promise,
Promise is a promise,
Promise is a promise.

And I'll wait my turn,
To tear inside you,
Watch you burn,
I'll wait my turn,
I'll wait my turn.

A broken promise,
You were not honest!
I'll bite my time
I'll wait my, turn.



This isn't exactly the happiest song that I've ever heard, but ironically, it's one of the catchiest.  In this song, I believe what the singer is trying to say is that whoever he is talking to deserves to be brought down.  But, he is also saying that he is going to wait his turn to take his 'revenge.'  This could possibly imply that there are more people who have it in for the person being spoken to.  It could also imply that the speaker knows that something bad is about to happen to this person, and he wants to wait until it is over.  I noticed that the singer uses the phrase "watch you burn" quite often.  This could symbolize the destruction of this person's reputation, or perhaps their relationships with other people.  Whatever the singer is trying to say, it is definitely not very good, and if I was the person he was talking to, I would be pretty scared.

Everyday Is Exactly The Same by Nine Inch Nails

I believe I can see the future
Cause I repeat the same routine
I think I used to have a purpose
But then again
That might have been a dream
I think I used to have a voice
Now I never make a sound
I just do what I've been told
I really don't want them to come around

Oh, no

[Chorus:]
Every day is exactly the same
Every day is exactly the same
There is no love here and there is no pain
Every day is exactly the same

I can feel their eyes are watching
In case I lose myself again
Sometimes I think I'm happy here
Sometimes, yet I still pretend
I can't remember how this got started
But I can tell you exactly how it will end

[Chorus]

I'm writing on a little piece of paper
I'm hoping someday you might find
Well I'll hide it behind something
They won't look behind
I'm still inside here
A little bit comes bleeding through
I wish this could have been any other way
But I just don't know, I don't know what else I can do

[Chorus x2] 









I don't think I can even express in words how much this song means to me.  From the first time i heard it, I decided that I would always remember what it said.  I decided that I would ever let my life turn into the life that the song describes.  Trent Reznor, the singer for Nine Inch Nails who wrote this song, is trying to tell the world about his opinion of himself.  When he wrote this song, he was struggling with recovery from drug addiction.  He describes the monotony of his drug inhabited life.  Sometimes we let things get away from us, and we slip into a rut.  It's something we may not notice right away, but when we do, it's quite a shock.  Then, we start thinking about where we went wrong.  This is kind of what Reznor is doing.  He is analyzing how he used to live a full life, but now lives everyday with no feeling.  He admits to just sitting back and doing what he's told.  This is an extremely common theme in our generation.  I love this song, and I love how Reznor chooses to face his problems by putting them into a song.

Unsubdued by S.E. Kiser

I have hoped, I have planned, I have striven,
To the will I have added the deed;
The best that was in me I've given,
I have prayed, but the gods would not heed.

I have dared and reached only disaster,
I have battled and broken my lance;
I am bruised by a pitiless master
That the weak and the timid call Chance.

I am old, I am bent, I am cheated
Of all that Youth urged me to win;
But name me not with the defeated,
To-morrow again, I begin.

This poem is truly inspirational to me.  Kiser first tells of how he has been put down, he says "The best that was in me I've given, I have prayed, but the gods would not heed."  Here he is telling us that even though he has given everything that he has, he just can't seem to catch a break.  Kiser then goes on to say "I am bruised by a pitiless master that the weak and the timid call Chance."  Here Kiser is reinforcing the theme of his seemingly hopeless struggle against fate.  He is telling us that chance/fate has beaten him down, and he calls it his master, implying that it controls him.  Then, in the last stanza, he again admits his frailty.  "I am old, I am bent, I am cheated of all that youth urged me to win."  Here Kiser admits that he is in a very low place.  He is essentially admitting that he has been beaten.  But then in the last two lines he says: "But name me not with the defeated, To-morrow again, I begin."  Here, Kiser rises out of this darkness, and tells us that tomorrow, he will begin again.  He is telling us that not only will he survive through the night, but he will rise again with the daw, to face whatever may come.

Dance Upon the Wind by Intimate Knight

I wasn't looking for it, but some how it came, and found me.
Before I had a chance to react, it wrapped it's warmth around me.
Like a thief in the night, it has come and gone.
I have nothing, but that vision to reflect upon.

Until chance comes again, I'll let my thoughts dance upon the wind.
All day long, in my mind, I walk love's lonely street.
Like a tired man that longs to sit, but just can't find a seat.
Then, there it was again, up ahead, to light my way.

Only to vanish once more, just like all my yesterdays.
Until chance comes again, I'll let my thoughts dance upon the wind.
I don't know where I'm going, and where I've been isn't much to speak of.
I just know my heart is always showing, leading me to some far off love.

Just when I give up the fight.
Here it comes to make the bad things good, and the wrong things right.
Only to leave me lost and lonely again.
Drifting away as my thoughts dance upon the wind.

It has a name, I think they call it friend.






This poem is about friendship so I thought it ought to be dedicated to a very special friend.  Kaitlyn :)  I really like the way that Knight wrote this poem.  It rhymes in certain places, and it doesn't in others.  It's free spirited, just like it's subject : friendship.  Throughout one lifetime, dozens of friends come and go.  Sometimes there is nothing we can do to influence what happens when it comes to our friends.  Sometimes they come into our lives when we least expect it, and other times they leave just as we discover that we need them.  But, as Knight illustrates through the character of his poem, all we can do when we lose a friend is look forward to the next one.  I really love Knight's use of his title phrase throughout the poem.  "I'll let my thoughts dance upon the wind," and "Drifting away as my thoughts danced upon the wind."  It's a very cool phrase, and I think that it adds a lot of personality to the poem.  Speaking of personality, let me tell you about Kaitlyn...the sweetest most perfectest person ever.  She's pretty great, and she always makes me smile. This one's for you :)

Ticklish Tom by Shel Silverstein

Did you hear 'bout Ticklish Tom?
He got tickled by his mom.
Wiggled and giggled and fell on the floor,
Laughed and rolled right out the door.
All the way to school and then
He got tickled by his friends.
Laughed till he fell off his stool,
Laughed and rolled right out of school
Down the stairs and finally stopped
Till he got tickled by a cop.
And all the more that he kept gigglin',
All the more folks kept ticklin'.
He shrieked and screamed and rolled around,
Laughed his way right out of town.
Through the country down the road,
He got tickled by a toad.
Past the mountains across the plain,
Tickled by the falling rain,
Tickled by the soft brown grass,
Tickled by the clouds that passed.
Giggling, rolling on his back
He rolled on the railroad track.
Rumble, rumble, whistle, roar--
Tom ain't ticklish any more.





I think that this poem is very cool because it takes us back to the old days, when our parents tickled us ALL the time. Although most of us probably didn't get tickled as much as the poor kid in this poem, i think we all got tickled.  And that is something that just about every kid can share.  I remember this one time when my dad tickled me so hard I almost kicked him in the face...good times.  Thinking about being tickled makes me automatically flinch whenever someone tries to give me a high five, or when they try to shake my hand, I was so tickle-traumatized as a child that now, I flinch at just about everything.  

Invictus by William Earnest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

To say the least, this poem is incredibly inspirational to me.  Henley begins this poem by illustrating where he has come from.  He says he has come from a night as black as the pit. Then he continues to say that he has been a victim of the 'fell clutch of circumstance' and he has taken 'the bludgeonings of chance.'  These two comments that Henley makes lead us to believe that Henley has been through rough times, and they have changed him.  He now realizes that it will take more than bad circumstances to bring him down.  In the first stanza, Henley thanks whatever higher power he believes in for his strength.  He is unconquerable, and it took being at a very low point in his life to realize it.  In the second stanza, he says that even though he has faced extreme hardships and they have left him bloodied, his head remains unbowed.  Here he is saying that no matter how hard things get, and no matter how down he might be, he will not give in.  In the third stanza, he says "And yet the menace of the years finds, and shall find me, unafraid."  He here is saying that he is not afraid of whatever may come his way.  He is ready to face the world.  And then, my favorite part of the poem.  I first read this stanza a few years ago, and I will never forget it.  Here, Henley delivers his ultimatum.  He says that no matter how hard things may become, he is in control of his life.  "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." Good words to live by.