Sonnet IV: Not in this chamber
Not in this chamber only at my birth--
When the long hours of that mysterious night
Were over, and the morning was in sight--
I cried, but in strange places, steppe and firth
I have not seen, through alien grief and mirth;
And never shall one room contain me quite
Who in so many rooms first saw the light,
Child of all mothers, native of the earth.
So is no warmth for me at any fire
To-day, when the world's fire has burned so low;
I kneel, spending my breath in vain desire,
At that cold hearth which one time roared so strong,
And straighten back in weariness, and long
To gather up my little gods and go.
poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Sonnet 04: Not In This Chamber Only At My Birth
Not in this chamber only at my birth—
When the long hours of that mysterious night
Were over, and the morning was in sight—
I cried, but in strange places, steppe and firth
I have not seen, through alien grief and mirth;
And never shall one room contain me quite
Who in so many rooms first saw the light,
Child of all mothers, native of the earth.
So is no warmth for me at any fire
To-day, when the world's fire has burned so low;
I kneel, spending my breath in vain desire,
At that cold hearth which one time roared so strong,
And straighten back in weariness, and long
To gather up my little gods and go.
poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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The Seeker
GOOD People, by your fires to-night
Sit close and praise the red, red wood!
The wind is cold, the moon is white;
With me who wander 'tis not well; it is not well, but God is good.
'Fore birth I was foredoomed to roam,
To keep my soul and self apart,
An alien without hearth and home —
With me who wander 'tis not well; there is no warmth of fire or heart.
I mate with all the wandering winds
That roam across the wintry earth;
What time behind your close-drawn blinds
Your firelit faces smile and smile, I would that I might share their
mirth.
But if I entered I should sit
A wordless dreamer at your fire;
With heart unwarmed and eyes unlit,
I should be like a spectre there, shut off from you and your desire.
And yet, I would that I might warm
My heart and hands at your fire-glow;
But headlong seas and shouting storm
They thrill my blood, they fill my eyes, they call me forth, and I must
go.
Good People, maids and dames and sires,
Ye have your little woe and mirth;
Ye dream no dream; but there are spires
That point to stars, and still point on in spite of this dark, drawing
earth.
It is not well with me to-night,
And I by that strange shore would be
Where, 'twist day's last grey gleam and night,
A Wonder wanes that I alone of all the world must seek and see.
What cliffs they be, what sea rolls there,
I do not know; but, spirit-chained,
Lost visions fill me with despair,
And all the washed grey foreland speaks of some strange Wonder that
has waned.
Good People, bread and wine are good,
And all your visions goodly be.
But some may crave for other food,
And some are seekers from their birth, and dream of lights they shall
not see.
And there is he who fain would find
A Wonder by an alien shore:
Athwart the seas he speeds his mind,
But on the instant fades a light, and lo, the Wonder is no more.
poem by Roderic Quinn
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Sitting by the Fire
Barren Age and withered World!
Oh! the dying leaves,
Like a drizzling rain,
Falling round the roof -
Pattering on the pane!
Frosty Age and cold, cold World!
Ghosts of other days,
Trooping past the faded fire,
Flit before the gaze.
Now the wind goes soughing wild
O'er the whistling Earth;
And we front a feeble flame,
Sitting round the hearth!
Sitting by the fire,
Watching in its glow,
Ghosts of other days
Trooping to and fro.
Oh, the nights - the nights we've spent,
Sitting by the fire,
Cheerful in its glow;
Twenty summers back -
Twenty years ago!
If the days were days of toil
Wherefore should we mourn;
There were shadows near the shine,
Flowers with the thorn?
And we still can recollect
Evenings spent in mirth -
Fragments of a broken life,
Sitting round the hearth:
Sitting by the fire,
Cheerful in its glow,
Twenty summers back -
Twenty years ago.
Beauty stooped to bless us once,
Sitting by the fire,
Happy in its glow;
Forty summers back -
Forty years ago.
Words of love were interchanged,
Maiden hearts we stole;
And the light affection throws
Slept on every soul.
Oh, the hours went flying past -
Hours of priceless worth;
But we took no note of Time,
Sitting round the hearth:
Sitting by the fire,
Happy in its glow,
Forty summers back -
Forty years ago.
Gleesome children were we not?
Sitting by the fire,
Ruddy in its glow,
Sixty summers back -
Sixty years ago.
Laughing voices filled the room;
Oh, the songs we sung,
When the evenings hurried by -
When our hearts were young!
Pleasant faces watched the flame -
Eyes illumed with mirth -
And we told some merry tales,
Sitting round the hearth:
Sitting by the fire,
Ruddy in its glow,
Sixty summers back -
Sixty years ago.
Barren Age and withered World!
Oh, the dying leaves,
Like a drizzling rain,
Falling round the roof -
Pattering on the pane!
Frosty Age and cold, cold World!
Ghosts of other days,
Trooping past the faded fire,
Flit before the gaze.
Now the wind goes soughing wild
O'er the whistling Earth;
And we front a feeble flame,
Sitting round the hearth:
Sitting by the fire,
Watching, in its glow,
Ghosts of other days
Trooping to and fro!
poem by Henry Kendall
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A Child of the Snows
There is heard a hymn when the panes are dim,
And never before or again,
When the nights are strong with a darkness long,
And the dark is alive with rain.
Never we know but in sleet and in snow,
The place where the great fires are,
That the midst of the earth is a raging mirth
And the heart of the earth a star.
And at night we win to the ancient inn
Where the child in the frost is furled,
We follow the feet where all souls meet
At the inn at the end of the world.
The gods lie dead where the leaves lie red,
For the flame of the sun is flown,
The gods lie cold where the leaves lie gold,
And a Child comes forth alone.
poem by G.K. Chesterton
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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The Crowd Roared
The crowd roared, the lion roared, another christian faced death,
And one was as hungry as the other for another's final breath.
No tears were shed as he lay dead, no thought, no regret, no sob.
And the slaves and the lion keeper went back to do their job.
The stake was set, the fire burned, the witch screamed for her god
And the crowd of flickering faces cursed the path she trod.
But when night covered their sight they huddled round their hob
And were glad it hadn't been them who'd had to do the job.
The blade fell, the head rolled and madame murder committed,
And the crowd roared while another madame sat and knitted.
But the noise went dead when its terror bred a terror for the mob,
And none cheered too loud after that when madame did her job.
No lion roared, no fire burned, no blade flashed in the sun
But when the crowd breathed in the gas their death was as one.
Their flesh was mean when buried unseen 'neath a dark and rocky knob.
And at last a tear was shed when executioners did their job.
In court they sat their faces stone, their eyes had never known a sob
And one by one they stood and said: 'I was only doing my job.'
But the crowd saw through their law and hissed and spat and sputtered
When one person used those words another person suffered.
It's dawn again, that time again, the sun has made the day
And see again that fatal sight of wood and rope and clay.
The crowd sighed but never cried as the trapdoor life did rob
And the executioner went away well pleased with his job.
poem by Paul Anthony
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A Child of the Snows
There is heard a hymn when the panes are dim,
And never before or again,
When the nights are strong with a darkness long,
And the dark is alive with rain.
Never we know but in sleet and in snow,
The place where the great fires are,
That the midst of the earth is a raging mirth
And the heart of the earth a star.
And at night we win to the ancient inn
Where the child in the frost is furled,
We follow the feet where all souls meet
At the inn at the end of the world.
The gods lie dead where the leaves lie red,
For the flame of the sun is flown,
The gods lie cold where the leaves lie gold,
And a Child comes forth alone.
poem by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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Fire and Light
Fire and light, fire and light
we were fire and light
before the world began
we shown like stars
now enclosed in flesh
like fireflies in jars
we forget we emit light
and a flame that consumes
Like the earth inside the core
or the lamps inside a room
we are like our Maker
fire and light, fire light,
a love that consumes the cold and night.
poem by J. E. Carpenter
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She's On Fire
Well this is just between us but between us let's get high
In pictures I have seen her and to see her is truly fine
She's on fire
She's on fire
Flowers in her evening set I get the feeling she won't forget
And there's times you'd long to be her but to be her is surely blinding
She's on fire
She's on fire
She's on to me
And I'm over me
She's on fire
And if I could be inside her light
I would steal enough to make my way into the night
And if I could be inside her light I might just find I'd be alright
Well it's not just a daydream if you decide to make it your life
And this is not between us but between us let's keep getting back to where it's from
She's on fire
She's on fire
She's on to me
And I'm over me
She's on fire
She's on to me
And I'm over me
She's over me
And I'm on to her
She's on fire
She's on fire
She's on fire
song performed by by Train from Drops Of Jupiter
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Cold Fire
Standing here
In the middle of the fire
Watchin the walls burn
Feelin my heart turn
Hard as a rock
Cold as stone
A cold fire
Look away
And when the walls fall
How will you deal with it
This time
By the light
Of the cold fire
You see your reflection
Ah love in the darkness
Should be kept in the night
Never to see the light
Never to see the truth
Always gonna get burned
Fire and ice
A dangerous combination
Ah but destiny rules
And the walls will fall
One more time
In the cold cold fire
05/17/05 Ninth Wave Poems
Michael Farquer
poem by Michael Farquer
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Cat People
See these eyes so green
I can stare for a thousand years
Colder than the moon
Feel my blood enraged
It's just the fear of losing you
Don't you know my name
Well, you been so long
And i've been putting out fire
With gasoline
See these eyes so red
Red like jungle burning bright
Those who feel me near
Pull the blinds and change their minds
It's been so long
Still this pulsing night
A plague i call a heartbeat
Just be still with me
But it wouldn't believe what i've been thru
You've been so long
Well it's been so long
And i've been putting out the fire with gasoline
Putting out the fire
With gasoline
See these tears so blue
An ageless heart that can never mend
Tears can never dry
A judgement made can never bend
See these eyes so green
I can stare for a thousand years
Just be still with me
You wouldn't believe what i've been thru
Well you've been so long
It's been so long
And i've been putting out fire with gasoline
Putting out fire with gasoline
Putting out fire
We've been putting out fire
Well it's been so long so long so long
Yes it's been so long so long so long
I've been putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
And putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
Yeah yeah putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
Been putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
Yeah putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
Putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
It's been so long
Been so long so long so long
It's been so long
Been so long so long so long
It's been so long
Been so long so long so long
I've been putting out fire
Been so long so long so long
song performed by by David Bowie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Baby Emmanuel On Christmas Day
A Lamb of God is born tonight,
And sleeps upon just hay;
The boy must Shepherd flocks to light.
Be King on Judgment Day!
He chose a manger, poor and cold;
The earth He made hadn't room!
‘A Virgin gave Him birth, ' we're told,
He is the world's Bridegroom!
Shepherds by fire-side were first,
To have a glimpse of the child;
They worshipped Him for He was Christ,
Though born both meek and mild!
A star atop the stable stood:
A sign of kingly birth!
For mankind's sins, yet, die, He would,
To give us endless mirth!
O baby Jesus, born today,
'Come dwell within my heart! '
'You are the light and truth and way,
Be with me, don't depart! '
poem by John Celes
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Fire!
(Translation To: Feuer Frei!)
Whoever knows pain becomes criticized
From the fire that burned up the skin
I throw a light in my face
A hot cry
Fire!
Bang!
Bang!
Whoever knows pain is raised
From the fire that burns in desire
A hard thrust (that gives off sparks) into her womb
A hot cry
Fire!
Bang!
Bang!
Fire!
Whoever knows pain is dangerous
From the fire that burns the soul
Bang bang
The burned child is dangerous
With fire that separates from the life
A hot cry..
Bang!
Bang!
Fire!
Your happiness
It is not my happiness
It is my misery
Bang!
Bang!
Fire!
song performed by by Rammstein
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Thats The Way Love Goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Cant you see my desire?
Thats the way love goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Cant you see my desire?
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Cant you see my desire
Thats the way love goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
Thats the way love goes
My love is blind
Cant you see my desire?
Come with me
Dont you worry
Im gonna make you crazy
Ill give you the time of your life
Im gonna take you places
Youve never been before and
Youll be so happy that you came
Oooooh, Im gonna take you there
Oo-ooh hoo-ooh oo-ooh
Thats the way love goes
Hoo
Thats the way love goes
Thats the way love goes
Thats the way love goes
Dont mind if I light candles
I like to watch us play and
Baby, Ive got on what you like
Come closer
Baby closer
Reach out and feel my body
Im gonna give you all my love
Ooh sugar dont you hurry
Youve got me here all night
Just close your eyes and hold on tight
Ooh baby
Dont stop, dont stop
Go deeper
Baby deeper
You feel so good Im gonna cry
Oooooh Im gonna take your there
Oo-ooh hoo-ooh oo-ooh
Thats the way love goes
Hoo
Thats teh way love goes
Thats the way love goes it goes it goes
Oooh thats the way love goes
Reach out and feel my body
Thats the way love goes
Dontcha know
Thats the way
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Cant you see my desire
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire my love is blind
Cant you see my desire?
Thats the way love goes....
song performed by by Janet Jackson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Sun and You
I woke up this morning with your Thought in my heart
It was dull and the radiance of the Sun seems Null
I stepped out and I saw that it was cold and wet
How I wish I could get a little warmth from the sun... I said to myself.
Why the sun?
Why do I desire so much warmth?
The sun is beautiful
It also keeps you warm
Not only does it light the day,
It shows you the beauty hidden the present day.
That’s why I long for you day by day
I miss you...
Just like I miss the sun in the early hours of the day
A day without you is like a day without the sun
‘Cos you remind me of all that is beautiful, all that
Is bright, everything full of light.
Come to me my sun
Come to me my light
Come with all your might
And make everything just as bright
Up it rises in the morning
Down it sets at night
I will always have you in my heart
Even till the sun sets in my life
poem by Adedamola Adeleke Ajibade
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Do Not Threaten Me With Fire My Love
do not threaten me with the fire of your body my love
for i am a man born of fire and shall die of fire
i eat fire, i bathe in fire, i swim in the deepest part of fire
i like to burn in the fire that you start
from your flicker, from the flints of your gaze
i like to see this hearth, this warmth, this conflagration
you with me burning like hell
do not threaten me with the fire of your thighs
for i eat fire, my body is fire, it is alive with its heat
my sweat are the smokes of fire
my end is the char that stays beside your legs
and tomorrow morning when i finally die
when i am put off by your power
you shall find me as burnt residues
beneath your feet
i am the offering of love to life.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Kolkata Burning
The wild flames of fire
Has engulfed us all
Bricks, mortars, stones
All things from the roof did fall.
All were confused,
All ran helter skelter
All wanted a hand of help
All wanted a safe shelter.
Fire was here and fire was there
Fire was far and fire was near
The wall of flame went restless
People roared below
And fire was tameless.
Its long tongue
Destroyed all
Fire spread like a cannon ball.
I heard some saying
Fire will never tire
I heard some saying
The world will end in fire.
poem by Ratan Bhattacharjee
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Eustace Tilley In Heaven I
Insincere, they said,
Your heart is forever vanishing, going out of sight
returning each night to its violable branch,
its enchanted wood. Like a firefly it beckons. Ha!
I set my course. It disappears. Appears again
somewhere in the well, in a new direction,
then again, no longer the fire. Quark
dark and cold the altarstone, re-reminding me that I, too,
have lingered long on twilight benches in city parks
as the moon linked itself to the night,
tapping my spats lightly on stone to indicate-what?
Interest? Impatience? Let's have a drink, go to bed,
and then, perhaps, a good dinner.
In time I did die and went to heaven-surprise!
even a caricature must, you know, go in ruffs,
in discreet whiffs, up the nostrils of the gods.
There, toeing the mark, was Nature's advocate.
Here it is harder to be critical.
The butterflies are of a golden hue. Remember butterflies?
Here we reflect long days on past glissando
while the stars come on
and the fire-flower sinks in every human hearth.
poem by Morgan Michaels
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The Other Storyteller
Do you hear his retiring, from day long work
his foot lazily falls on the ground
not to annoy earth or from tiredness.
The lossened clay and we call him,
gather round him and fire.
Sitting, the quite hours of childhood,
which have nothing to say.
By and through the fire he changes
everytime his transformation escapes us
stars stay for a while as a mute witness.
Words on the warmth of darting flame
reach our ear
smoke fill up the every space of childhood.
Amidst, he leaves few spaces for us to fill
with whisper and breath.
We the fearful
always fill up
lest his transformation and by him ours
might crush.
poem by Subodh Pandey
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I Am Ash
do not threaten me with the fire of your body my love
for i am a man borne of fire and shall die of fire
i eat fire, i bathe in fire, i swim in the deepest part of fire
i like to burn in the fire that you start
from your flicker, from the flints of your gaze
i like to see this hearth, this warmth, this conflagration
you with me burning like hell
do not threaten me with the fire of your thighs
for i eat fire, my body is fire, it is alive with its heat
my sweat fumes are the smokes of fire
my end is the char that stays beside your legs
and tomorrow morning when i finally die
when i am put off by your power
you shall find me as burnt residues
beneath your feet
i am ash
the offering of love to life.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Im On Fire For You Baby
(david elliott)
Published by polygram international - ascap
This empty space Ive held so long
You come around, and now Im warm
I thought that I was havin fun
And now I see the way its done
I thought wed led a life before
And who we were, well Im not sure
But one thing I know is right
I loved you then, Im gonna love you tonight
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
So dont take your time, its gettin late
We might lose if we hesitate
Cause bein free is lots of fun
For me, though Im just 21
I got things to do, and things to see
Might even have to leave you be
But till that time, lets give our all
And dont look back, until you fall
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Itd be a shame, if our games, were doin us
With all the time spent on tryin, then to lose your lovin
So come on girl, well raise the sky
Well break on through, well get so high
And dont worry about tomorrows world
The time is now, I need you girl
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
Im on fire for you baby, fire for you woman, all night
song performed by by April Wine
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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