Birthday poems

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One Year ago—jots what?

© Emily Dickinson

One Year ago—jots what?
God—spell the word! I—can't—
Was't Grace? Not that—
Was't Glory? That—will do—
Spell slower—Glory—

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The Disciples

© Aleister Crowley


Beneath the vine tree and the fig
Where mortal cares may not intrude,
On melon and on sucking pig
Although their brains are bright and big
Banquet the Great White Brotherhood.

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A Birthday

© Aleister Crowley

Then Easter, and the days of all delight!
God's sun lit noontide and his moon midnight,
While above all, true centre of our world,
True source of light, our great love passion-pearled
Gave all its life and splendour to the sea
Above whose tides stood our stability.

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daughter

© Suheir Hammad

leaves and leaving call october home
her daughter releases wood
smoke from her skin
rich in scorpio

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A Birthday Present

© Alfred Austin

```Say what, to please you, you would have me be.''
Then listen, dear!
I fain would have you very fair to see,
And sweet to hear.

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The Break Away

© Anne Sexton

I pray it will know truth,
if truth catches in its cup
and yet I pray, as a child would,
that the surgery take.

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The Wifebeater

© Anne Sexton

There will be mud on the carpet tonight
and blood in the gravy as well.
The wifebeater is out,
the childbeater is out

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Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)

© Anne Sexton

Consider
a girl who keeps slipping off,
arms limp as old carrots,
into the hypnotist's trance,

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Where's My Billy Goat Gone To?

© Henry Clay Work

Take my home! Take my farm!
Yes, me too (if you want to);
But tell me! tell me!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?
Pretty little Billy, Billy - Oh!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?

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The Ring And The Book - Chapter VIII - Dominus Hyacinthus de Archangelis

© Robert Browning

(Virgil, now, should not be too difficult
To Cinoncino,—say the early books . . .
Pen, truce to further gambols! Poscimur!)

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Dream Song 106: 28 July

© John Berryman

Calmly, while sat up friendlies & made noise
delight fuller than he can ready sing
or studiously say,
on hearing that the year had swung to pause
and culminated in an abundant thing,
came his Lady's birthday.

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Trial

© Ruth Padel

I was with Special Force, blue-X-ing raids
to OK surfing on the Colonel's birthday.
Operation Ariel: we sprayed Jimi Hendrix
loud from helis to frighten the slopes
before 'palming. A turkey shoot.

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Street Cries

© Sidney Lanier

Oft seems the Time a market-town
Where many merchant-spirits meet
Who up and down and up and down
Cry out along the street

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Passing Through

© Stanley Kunitz

Nobody in the widow's household

ever celebrated anniversaries.

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A Birthday Song. To S. G.

© Sidney Lanier

For ever wave, for ever float and shine
Before my yearning eyes, oh! dream of mine
Wherein I dreamed that time was like a vine,

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To Mrs. M. B. On Her Birthday

© Alexander Pope

Oh be thou blest with all that Heav'n can send,

Long Health, long Youth, long Pleasure, and a Friend:

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Birthday

© Sukasah Syahdan

clouds over Jakarta sky
conceal the midnoon sun
of my birthday

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Turning Fifty

© Judith Wright

Having known war and peace
and loss and finding,
I drink my coffee and wait
for the sun to rise,

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Convention

© Sukasah Syahdan

(To Grandma)Convention will fail us, grandma dear
One of these days, as another birthday is drawing nearI hope I can manage with a proper wish
on something you no longer cherishAnd if I can’t help wishing you
a happy birthday anywayJust look at me in the eyes

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Your noble reign

© Ivan Donn Carswell

The man whose term we would remember as our longest,
constant serving Head of State, besides the late Sir Robert
Gordon Menzies, turned 67 yesterday. Congratulations John,
you’ve run a long and torrid race, kept up a frenzied pace