Why? I asked, in awful awe
Knowing the death in Nature's law Should you risk the spot you've won To pull me up, toward bright day's sun out of the nothing - awful no In which I've lain… Before I heard his soft reply He was pulled from his place and brought to lie, Against the curb that had known my blood, Tattered and marked, covered with mud Seeming to be nothing - except the nothingness …of men's disdain I leaped once more toward the Sun Higher than I'd ever done... Remembering the eyes of the man who fell Toward the rotten tone and dark alone Hell I found nothing - except the nothingness of lonely pain . Now, something beckoned me even more... Than the highest leap ever known before, I needed to lift my brother below, To see his eyes and have him know. That the greatest good I'd ever known wasn't the highest leap above and alone But his hand outstretched to lift me up To give me place, to share his cup... Why? I asked, in awful awe, knowing the death in Nature's law Should you risk the spot you've won, to pull me up toward bright days Son… Out of the nothing - awful nothingness In which I've lain Before I heard his soft reply, he was pulled from his place and brought to lie Tattered and marked, covered with mud, against the curb that had known my Blood... Seeming to be nothing - except nothingness all men’s disdain. I leaped once more toward the Sun, higher than I'd ever done... Remembering the eyes of the man who fell, toward rotten stone and dark alone Hell I found nothing - except the nothingness of lonely pain… Now, something beckoned me even more, than the highest leap ever known before I needed to touch the man below, to see his eyes and have him know It wasn't the highest leap above and alone, that was the greatest good I'd ever Known but his hand outstretched to lift me up, to give me place, to share the cup... If, in touching him I should fall toward stone, tattered my flesh and broken my Bone It could not be toward nothingness - Nothing's when you're Alone. If in lifting him, I should fall toward stone Tattered my flesh, and broken my bone It could not be toward nothingness – Nothing's when you're alone.
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New child - in the night loudly crying
Bringing me urgently forth from may deep Needing me - needing me - needing me I rejoice - flowing with love, with the river of life Holding you - holding you - holding you I know what pm for - holding you. Young child in the sunlight now playing Sand and water upon your bright face Showing me - showing me - showing me All that you can make - all that you can do watching you - watching you - watching you For this was I made - watching you. Growing child - walking upward newly tall I'll still here if you should fall toting now - waiting now - waiting now I can only wait - wait if you should call Willing me - willing me - willing me To stay in this place - if you should go No longer child now - only man I cannot see for all my tears Searching now - searching now - searching now For the place where I must stand Listening now - listening now - listening now All alone on deserted sand A sound comes - a million voices in the night Shouting their hunger - shouting their fright Pleading now, calling now - hoping now Moving me quickly toward desperate cry Answering them answering them - answering them There are too many - I cannot reach Young man - you walk quickly before me Child I once carried, now fully grown Leading me - leading me - leading me You too hear the sound of the voices Touching them - touching them - touching them I do not walk alone. The biggest fear has always been that fallen once, I could not rise again
That should I slip upon the stone, helpless held, down pressed – Alone There would be nothing - except nothingness and taste of pain. I strove to rise with mighty leap, above the highest in the heap Struggling fiercely through the tide In which those weaker slipped and died Dropping to nothing - except nothingness Death's frightful reign. It came of course, the thing despised, against a thing by men devised Pulled down and smashed against the curb All my taste knowing bitter herb I expected nothing - except nothingness All hope in vain. But when I fell. to my surprise, I saw a look in one man's eyes His hands outstretched to pull me up A tender mercy, outstretched cup In the midst of nothing - except nothingness Gift of Cain. Why? I asked, in awful awe, knowing the death in Nature's law Should you risk the spot you've won? To pull me up toward bright day's sun Out of the nothing - awful nothingness In which I've lain. Before I could heard his soft reply, he was pulled from his place and brought to lie Tattered and marked, covered with mud Against the curb that had known my blood Seeming to be nothing - except nothingness of men's disdain. I leaped once more toward the sun, higher than I’d ever done Remembering the eyes of the man who fell Toward rotten stone and dark alone hell I found nothing - except the nothingness of lonely pain. Now something beckoned me even more, than the highest leap ever known before I needed to lift the man below, to see his eyes and have him know It wasn't the highest leap above and alone that was the greatest good I'd ever known… But his hand outstretched to lift me up, to give me place and share the cup If in lifting him, I should fall toward stone Tattered my flesh and broken my bone It could not be toward nothing - awful nothingness Nothing's when you're Alone. Verse 1
Thanks to women's liberation, at last I am set free Being an old fashioned woman has lost its hold on me I'm free to weld on metal, or fly an aeroplane I've the right to carry rifles, and cause a lot of pain But in spite of all my freedom, I've really got a beef For there's one thing in my life, that's causin’ lots of grief (refrain) My husband wears an apron and uses the Mop and Glow He often gets a headache, and then he tells me No! No! No! I got a pain in my head…No! No! No! I got to go and bake the bread…No! No! No! I got to get the children fed…No! No! No! (I don't want to go to bed) Verse 2 I have my very own hammer and can pound on nails all night I've the right to drink a six pack and go and pick a fight I know the workings of an engine and how to change the oil I've a spade to turn the garden, a hoe to till the soil I no longer do the ironing, to my great delight But in spite of all my freedom, I've got an awful plight. (refrain) My husband wears an apron and uses the Mop and Glow He often gets a headache, and then he tells me No! Not No! I got a pain in my head…No! No! No! I got to go and bake the bread…No! No! No! I got to get the children fed…No! No! No! (I don't want to go to bed) Verse 3 My daughter plays with semi-trucks, and our son, he has a doll Our daughter wants a boom and crane to help her wreck a wall She's building up her muscles, the strongest on the block She’s practicing Karate, and plans to break a rock Our son can cook a soufflé and do dishes in a snap When he asked his father about the facts of life His father said …"wait a minute son…I think it's all a trap" (refrain) You got to wear an apron and use the Mop and Glo And your only weapon is to learn to tell them No! No! No! I got a pain in my head…No! No! No! I got to go and bake the bread…No! No! No! I got to get the children fed…No! No! No! (No, I don't want to go to bed) Verse 4 Sometimes in the evenings after all my Free Day's done I wonder in my secret heart, what I've really won My husband's getting dishpan hands and his apron's getting worn He's asked me for a new one, and somehow I feel forlorn The rings around my collar are getting all his thought And it's been a long, long, long time since my loving arms he's sought... (refrain) My husband wears an apron, and uses the Mop and Glow Sometimes he gets a headache, and then he tells me No! No! No! I got a pain in my head…No! No! No! I got to go and bake the bread…No! No! No! I got to get the children fed…No! No! No! (No, I don't want to go to bed) TOMORROW
Armageddon’s armies are gathering on the side of each lighted shore shouting, 'Peace’ in grave desperation waiting feverish the moment of war Bright visions of splitting the atom and tossing a man to the moon intersperse with knowledge of hatred and unsleeping nightmares of doom perfecting devices of nations unseeing their brother's raw pain awarding metallic citations they brood over coveted gain Is there no pathway to follow than grey war, bloated diseased? Do we have no other volition to choose cool green moments of peace? Still seems the moment's surrounding as soft as the hurricane's eye and they call as lively as children in the seconds before we all die. Fishes silver in the sun, men in glistening sweat
Held together, bound as one, each caught in his net Chained by seasons of the year, by flood and tide and moon Moved by hunger's mighty force, dancing nature's tune. Then Christ called each man by name, to leave the net behind And follow his uncharted steps, a greater prize to find Knowing sadly as he called, the net must still be filled Men and fish, both of flesh, life's victim must be killed. But loving men enough to die, within the net of time He broke the nets brute nature forged, and gave sight to the blind And now we see the silver flash, the leaping life set free Mankind fed the food of God, and blind men's eyes now see. |
AuthorOpaline Marks is the pen name of Opal Markiewicz, a writer of novels, short stories and nonfiction essays. Archives
September 2006
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