The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.
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Man's mind is not a container to be filled but rather a fire to be kindled.
quote by Dorthea Brande
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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As fire kindled by fire, so is the poet's mind kindled by contact with a brother poet.
quote by John Keble
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sonnet XXX: Those Priests
To the Vestals
Those priests which first the Vestal fire begun,
Which might be borrow'd from no earthly flame,
Devis'd a vessel to receive the Sun,
Being steadfastly opposed to the same;
Where, with sweet wood, laid curiously by art,
On which the Sun might by reflection beat,
Receiving strength from every secret part,
The fuel kindled with celestial heat.
Thy blessed eyes the sun which lights this fire,
Thy holy thoughts, they be the Vestal flame,
The precious odors be my chaste desire,
My breast's the vessel which includes the same.
Thou art my Vesta, thou my Goddess art;
Thy hallow'd temple only is my Heart.
poem by Michael Drayton
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Kindling the Well
Within the well
A fire dwell
The fire must be kindled
Above the hay
The people lay
Away the day is dwindled
In the air
The birds will share
The sticks and limbs of trees
Above the sky
But not too high
The moon is covered in fleas
But down to earth
Within the hearth
A house is being shingled
Within the well
A fire dwell
The fire must be kindled
-Johnnie Crockett
poem by Johnnie Crockett
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Kisses Dance Like Fire
Kisses dance like fire
Upon my lovers soul
Her whispers on my neck
Seek to regain control
Our curves are filled
By equal parts
One part passion
One part heart
Fingers stranded
Where lovers dare
Lips locked
In scarlet hair
Kindled by hopes
Of loves desire
We linger on slopes
Engulfed by fire
Now we lie face to face
And side by side
Quenched and satiated
Fom the well of
A long abandoned fire
poem by Brian Kilpatrick
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The Vessel
The Vessel was a thing of clay.
the sort you use, then throw away.
It was worth little, of itself,
but that vessel was filled with Love.
It poured out Love upon the Living
Free and selfless was its giving.
When at last the clay was dry,
it was the vessels time to die.
It shattered on the sands of time,
now half a lifetime gone from mine.
The vessel was my Dad you see-
and by his gifts I was set free.
I wept the day he met his end-
will I ever see his like again?
God willing on a higher plane
I'll get to call again his name.,
but if my journey ends in dust,
he taught me how as all men must.
poem by John F. McCullagh
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The Boy with Fire in His Eyes
The boy with fire in his eyes
Stands there waiting.
It is his soul inside;
It keeps him standing.
And if ever the fire goes out,
He will freeze in the cold.
It is his heat
And all that keeps him living.
Or if it never is put to use,
It will consume him;
He will burn to the ground
His ashes left behind.
But if the fire blazes,
If kindled, kept and carried,
If the boy with fire in his eyes
Finds life inside that fire,
His fire will light the world,
Will pierce the mist,
A fire to drive the dark away
Forever and ever more.
poem by Daniel Nairn
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In all parts of the Old World, as well as of the New, it was evident that Columbus had kindled a fire in every mariner's heart. That fire was the harbinger of a new era, for it was not to be extinguished.
quote by Charles Kendall Adams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Lonely God!
a lonely God...
from dust made flesh,
and filled it with
the haunting spirit of wind.
eyes that open
both in and out,
a fire kindled of bones!
who are we
to run blindly
into the sun?
to hide from the rain
that weeps for us?
idols made of fear,
the soul chokes the spirit.
we stand on the porch,
afraid to open the door!
dust and flesh,
wind and fire...
bones that cry out,
tears lost in the rain.
a lonely God...
walks away!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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The Vessel That I am!
I am a weak vessel.
Strengthen me, O Lord!
Help me fill up to the brim
With virtues of all sorts.
I am a small vessel.
Make me hold more, O Lord!
Take away my porosity;
Let things remain intact.
I am a clay vessel.
Polish my sides, O Lord!
Let me stand most splendidly,
Glorifying my God.
I am a mere vessel,
Distorted somewhat, O Lord!
Place me on a rocky base,
To show the world my class!
The vessel whatever that I am
Will serve Thee only, Lord.
Fill me up with thy grace, O God
To prove that I’m fine clod!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 2-1-2009
poem by John Celes
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A Fire Within
When a fire is burning within
the mind will keep it lit.
Fanning the flame with every breath
will not allow it to quit.
And whosoever has no fire
posesses a mind that's numb.
No amount of fanning the breath
will allow them to become
wired, inspired and filled with passion
for any worldly thing.
They will spend their time here on earth
with never a song to sing.
poem by Edwina Reizer
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Sonnet: A Pot of Special Clay
The Potter chose to make a pot of clay,
And used some special earth to mould its frame,
That turned to be a vessel, which one day,
Became so holy, bringing Him, great name!
God filled the vessel with His divine grace,
And placed it on His sacred altar, when
The vessel glowed with beauty, worth much praise:
And quenched were souls, who drank from it often!
And when the pot had done its job on earth,
It cracked one day when old, and turned to dust:
But looked much finer than ev’n gold, at birth;
For, it had held the blood of Jesus Christ!
By fulfilling His Maker’s ardent aim,
The pot had turned to dust, from whence it came!
Fondly dedicated to a deceased ‘Man of God’,
Brother Dr. DGS Dhinakaran,
JESUS CALLS MINISTRY, TN, India
Copyright by Dr John Celes 2-22-2008
poem by John Celes
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Tell Me Why
That tuesday night, turned 26 and I caught your smile
laid down my life, one kiss would take me through the night
I close my eyes, I feel your touch, I see you smile
it's on my mind, it's just a dream I know, but why?
why I just can't stop wondering you're on my mind
noone tells me why, tell me why
tell me why you filled that emptiness in me
tell me why, tell me why,
tell me why you filled that emptiness in me
just to tell you goodbye
a day down the line, reality's back on my mind
yesterday's behind, the charm of love has died but why
unsatisfied with what we get used to in this life
I laid it aside, looks so pale with open eyes
so I just keep on wondering about what's on my mind
noone tells me why, tell me why
why again you filled that emptiness in me
tell me why, tell me why,
why again you filled that emptiness in me
so I tell you goodbye
tell me why, tell me why,
tell me why you filled that emptiness in me
tell me why, tell me why,
tell me why you filled that emptiness in me
tell me why, tell me why,
why again you filled that emptiness in me
so I tell you goodbye
song performed by by H-BlockX
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Within this Earthen Vessel
WITHIN this earthen vessel are bowers and groves,
and within it is the Creator:
Within this vessel are the seven oceans
and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;
and within this vessel the Eternal soundeth,
and the spring wells up.
Kabîr says:
'Listen to me, my Friend!
My beloved Lord is within.'
Fire Keepers
Keep the fire burning
That's been kindled in you soul
For the fire burns the dross away
And brings forth precious gold
Shine the light the fire brings
To the darkness in the land
For the Light is the Light of the world
And the darkness flees at His command
Keep the fire of praise ablaze
To combat life's malaise
For the Lord's fire is in Zion
An Inhabiter of our praise
Take your lamp where the fire burns
Bring oil most precious and true
For the oil causes the lamp to burn
All the dark night through
Seek the Giver of unchanging fire
From Whom all blessings flow
For you know not what the day may hold
And tomorrow is not your own.
poem by Theresa Quinn
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With Doubt
My mind is often filled with doubt
about who I really am.
I know my name and what I be,
but really who am I?
Some say this and some say that,
they are only reflections
of who I really want to be.
My lack of confidence in myself
leaves me lagging behind everyone else
and my mind filled with doubt
about whom I really am.
Dark clouds descend around my head,
no clear sky do I see
and mind is filled with doubt
which disguise is really me.
Will my mind clear one day
and reveal the truth to me
or will I face life with doubt
of who I really be.
17 February 2011
poem by David Harris
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Rekindled smoke
You asked for smoke,
But kindled fire
And ashes rolled beneath your feet.
But if you lived without desire
Betrayed your wrath for something higher
Then there'd be smoke without fire
And love would spring up from the heat.
poem by Sasha Ioffine
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Desirable Fire?
Life is said to be filled with fire
It is the one that fuels every desire
To be on top of a high rise
To win at every price
As if breaking the rules becomes a behavior
A spark ignites a fire and breaks the barrier
We grow, we triumph and we inspire
It is fire in us that makes other perspire
Right from the genesis
Fire has been the basis
The fire from the sky
The fire the earth spurts by
Each and every time it's the fire that revives n destroys
Which makes the cardinal rule, only d toughest survive
Fire makes the dew, fire makes the ice
Fire makes everyone pay their due price
Fire is the end, it is the life
It beings and ends everybody's strive
poem by Blossom Mist
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The dog I bought, bit me; the fire I kindled, burned me.
Restrict the wants to things in hand
The milk that is not full in a vessel
Can be full in an exact vessel
And even spill over from a smaller one.
Your want is the vessel and things, the milk.
25.12.2000, Pmdi
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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