The Elements
MAN is permitted much
To scan and learn
In Nature’s frame;
Till he well-nigh can tame
Brute mischiefs, and can touch
Invisible things, and turn
All warring ills to purposes of good.
Thus, as a god below,
He can control,
And harmonize, what seems amiss to flow
As sever’d from the whole
And dimly understood.
But o’er the elements
One Hand alone,
One Hand has sway.
What influence day by day
In straiter belt prevents
The impious Ocean, thrown
Alternate o’er the ever-sounding shore?
Or who has eye to trace
How the Plague came?
Forerun the doublings of the Tempest’s race?
Or the Air’s weight and flame
On a set scale explore?
Thus God has will’d
That man, when fully skill’d,
Still gropes in twilight dim;
Encompass’d all his hours
By fearfullest powers
Inflexible to him.
That so he may discern
His feebleness,
And e’en for earth’s success
To Him in wisdom turn,
Who holds for us the keys of either home,
Earth and the world to come.
poem by John Henry Newman
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Related quotes
Morning Thoughts
What secret hand at morning light,
By stealth unseals mine eye,
Draws back the curtain of the night,
And opens earth and sky?
'Tis Thine, my God - the same that kept
My resting hours from harm;
No ill came nigh me, for I slept
Beneath th' Almighty's arm.
'Tis Thine - my daily bread that brings,
Like manna scatter'd round,
And clothes me, as the lily springs
In beauty from the ground.
This is the hand that shaped my frame,
And gave me pulse to beat;
That bears me oft through flood and flame,
Through tempest, cold, and heat.
In death's dark valley though I stray,
'Twould there my steps attend;
Guide with the staff my lonely way,
And with the rod defend.
May that dear hand uphold me still,
Through life's uncertain race,
To bring me to Thine holy hill,
And to Thy dwelling-place.
poem by James Montgomery
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The Undiscovered Country
Man has explored all countries and all lands,
And made his own the secrets of each clime.
Now, ere the world has fully reached its prime,
The oval earth lies compassed with steel bands,
The seas are slaves to ships that touch all strands,
And even the haughty elements sublime
And bold, yield him their secrets for all time,
And speed like lackeys forth at his commands.
Still, though he search from shore to distant shore,
And no strange realms, no unlocated plains
Are left for his attainment and control,
Yet is there one more kingdom to explore.
Go, know thyself, O man! there yet remains
The undiscovered country of thy soul!
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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Curtain Of Iron
The streets of the city are barren
All the windows and doors have been closed
As the night draws near
You can feel their fear
Their freedom is just an illusion
And they tell us that love is a lie
Can it all be true
What can one man do
(Chorus)
See the pages as they turn
Never will the children learn
Born as a prisoner in a curtain of iron
Never will the pages turn
The City of Gold's in the distance
And they've already forgotten their dream
Visions slowly fade
In this land of shade
(Chorus)
As the power grows, darkness spreading
Hope is still alive, though we're dreading
What the future holds, no more need to
Fear what all men face
Only good can win the race
Rumors speak of war, all the nations
Turmoil in the streets, tribulations
Now it's plain to see
All the prophecies are taking place
Only good can win the race
There are fragments of truth still remaining
And they bring them the light of the world
To this hope we cling
Till the bells will ring
See the pages as they turn
In their wisdom we will learn
Our bloody history soon will resolve
See the pages as they turn
In their wisdom we will learn
Free from the prison, a Curtain of Iron
song performed by by Kansas
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Church Monuments
While that my soul repairs to her devotion,
Here I intomb my flesh, that it betimes
May take acquaintance of this heap of dust;
To which the blast of death's incessant motion,
Fed with the exhalation of our crimes,
Drives all at last. Therefore I gladly trust
My body to this school, that it may learn
To spell his elements, and find his birth
Written in dusty heraldry and lines;
Which dissolution sure doth best discern,
Comparing dust with dust, and earth with earth.
These laugh at jet and marble put for signs,
To sever the good fellowship of dust,
And spoil the meeting. What shall point out them,
When they shall bow, and kneel, and fall down flat
To kiss those heaps, which now they have in trust?
Dear flesh, while I do pray, learn here thy stem
And true descent, that when thou shalt grow fat
And wanton in thy cravings, thou mayst know
That flesh is but the glass which holds the dust
That measures all our time; which also shall
Be crumbled into dust. Mark, here below
How tame these ashes are, how free from lust,
That thou mayst fit thyself against thy fall.
poem by George Herbert
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Little tolerent
Nature has taught us to be tolerant
Forget about past and live in present
Try to adjust with changing mood
As mind and body both need fresh food
Don’t try to stagnate and sit idle
If you are really enterprising and capable
World may be full of problems and troubles
But try to face it and never crumble
We have to learn from the nature
It only protects our future
It has much to give in return
We must look forward and positively turn
Nature has never deceived
Even thought enough of cruelty is received
Trees are cut and deforestation is on large scale
Time is not far off when our face may turn pale
Nature is changing fast
It is feared world may soon last
Desert is experiencing snow
Rive are in spate and madly flow
The earth is often threatened with tremors
Shocks are sometimes not observed
But wherever it has taken place
Complete destruction is caused in all the cases
We have polluted every field
Nothing is to be secretly yield
We may not be in position to hold little later
Earth may look barren and there won’t be anything to cater
poem by Hasmukh Amathalal
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I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
I Don't Know About Tomorrow
I Just Live From Day To Day
And I Don't Borrow From The Sunshine
'cause The Skies Might Turn To Grey
And I Don't Worry About The Future
'cause I Know What Jesus Said
And Today I'm Gonna Walk Right Beside Him
'cause He's The One Who Knows What Is Ahead
There Are Things About Tomorrow
That I Don't Seem To Understand
But I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
And I Know Who Holds My Hand
And Each Step Is Getting Brighter
As The Golden Stairs I Climb
And Every Burden Is Getting Lighter
And All The Clouds Their Silver Line
And I'll Bet The Sun It's Always Shining
And No Tears Will Ever Dim The Eye
And The Ending Of The Rainbow
Where The Mountains They Touch The Sky
There Are Many Things About Tomorrow
I Don't Seem To Understand
But I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
And I Know Who Holds My Hand
Yes I Know Who Holds My Hand
song performed by by LeAnn Rimes from You Light Up My Life
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Death Is My Companion
(4/3/12)
Where do we go from here? When death is very near.
Is there another plateau we must climb
Before we reach the end of the line.
Death is just a resting place - a rest stop if you must!
You will not be afraid if in GOD you put your trust.
Death is my companion - he holds my hand
Death is my companion - he understands.
Known as the angel of death, the grim reaper
Of this temporary life he is the keeper.
In his clutches you'll be for a short spell
Till they decide if you're going to heaven or hell.
This is a rest stop where you take a break
Till they decide what is your fate.
So while I am on this plateau
There is no where that I will go.
Where do we go from here?
Your guess is as good as mine
As long as I'm not here until the ends of time.
This must be purgatory that I hear so much about
Maybe this is where we can turn our lives about.
Death! I know you're my companion
And we have walked hand in hand
But there is something I think you should understand
There are things on this earth that I must do
And until I finish them, my life on earth is not through.
I put my faith in GOD that he will show me the way
And from that road, I know I will not stray.
poem by Louis Rams
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Work Hard And Make Your Dreams Come True
Work hard and turn your dreams into reality.
In your mind, wipe clouds of impossibility.
Perform your objectives; do it with liberty.
'I'll fulfill my dreams', say it with finality.
To walk in the ropes of success, you have to learn.
From the face of failure to success, try to turn.
Things that'll snatch victory from you, try to discern.
The bridges leading to failures, you have to burn.
The good procedures and good moves, try to address.
If you're tired don't forget to for short recess.
To your plans and ambitions, pray that God will bless.
Carry on, pursue your dreams and go for success.
poem by Bim Galimba
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Available free
We are on loosing spree
Death is available totally free
We have destroyed the trees
We soon may be bending our knees
Time is not far off when there will be turn in atmosphere
We won’t find safe place to go anywhere
Where is the space to move here and there?
We are acting irresponsible and not fare
The nature is giving in to mad race
The natural wealth is loosing its face
There complete hollowness in earth’s belt
The consequences may be known later or felt
The earth is sliding and gradually and making way
The extraction of oil and coal has taken security away
The secret movement under the earth belt is causing worry
The day is not far off when we will feel compete sorry
There may be devastation all over
We are loosing shield and nice cover
The sky is over burdened with useless objects
There is no control over stupid and unreasonable acts
Tidal waves are rising to dangerous level
The rivers are in spate as bad sequel
The banks are threatened with complete destruction
It may swallow it anytime with dangerous inductions
What to think of sea, air or land?
We can’t blame it on unseen hand
The nature has always acted as friend
We are hell bent upon bringing an end
The end may not be easy and quick
We must stop playing the dirty tricks
The generation may be faced with dangerous diseases
It will be an appropriate reason to go down and cease
poem by Hasmukh Amathalal
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Who Art Thou?
Who art thou playing the eternal lyre,
Harmonize the discordant world;
Extinguish the burning fire?
Who art thou play the eternal lyre?
You create on one hand,
Destruct on the other!
Who art thou singing the song of Eternity,
Thou turn tempest into music,
And flow peace in the heart of Humanity?
Who art thou flash through
The thundercloud, and shower through rain,
Wipe out our mental pain,
Just to put us in belief,
That thou art here?
Who art thou play the eternal lyre?
(There are some eternal questions- who has kept this world in unity? Is He God? Does He expose Him through the objects of nature?)
poem by Nilakshi Das
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The Brotherhood Of Man
How few have asked and understood!
'Who needs a helping hand? '
I pray you'll help the brotherhood,
The Brotherhood of Man...
What use is wisdom without love
Or skills left on the shelf?
Lift up your hearts to God above
And live not for yourself...
Instead, move on! Leave your cocoon!
Ask 'How? ' instead of 'Why? '
Release the beauty and you'll soon
Become a butterfly!
Man's apathy increases strife!
Each man should do his best!
The good works that we do in life
Go in God's treasure chest!
Through our examples, others learn
And train as volunteers...
Then with God's people they'll discern
The purpose of their years...
Let's see if you have understood!
'Who needs a helping hand? '
I pray you'll help the brotherhood,
The Brotherhood of Man...
poem by Denis Martindale
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A Boon Nature Is For Man!
Man has to learn great lessons from not books but Nature!
Education provides just the fundamentals and foundation,
Basing which he has to build world learning from Nature.
So, he has to go out of the portals of education to Nature!
Nature is everywhere and man is part of Nature forever!
If he enjoys animal pleasure or aesthetic pleasure or
If he intellectually explores truth or mystically enjoys bliss,
If he digs or builds using Earth, it is one and the same!
Nature is living scientific art man has to explore the truth
With his heart, mind and soul through woman, art, Nature!
Five elements of Nature like air, fire, water, land and space
Man is made up of and is everywhere he has to explore!
His exploration will help him how to transform himself to spirit
And mingle himself with the all pervading spirit of bliss in Nature!
poem by Ramesh T A
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Spring comes again an attempt at a villanelle
1)
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will,
Longest night is past and with it, shortest day,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year wheel.
2)
Snow quiets the world, keeping deeply still,
Cold holds hard, holds dark, holds very Time at bay,
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will.
3)
Winters seem forever, only covering what we feel,
Something deep is waking, as old as Earth, as shy as May,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year-wheel.
4)
Only change is endless, is timeless, never still,
Whispering wisdom tells us, make change welcome, be unafraid,
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will.
5)
Sun's new year's past, and with the Moon's we heal,
In late winter's trembling light, to the darkest days put paid,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year-wheel.
6)
With snow-drops showing, and daring buds atop a hill,
The lesson's learned again, even winter cannot stay,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year-wheel,
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will.
(written in April,2000)
poem by Gabrielle Ciarann Roniyah Baer
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I Have A Baptism
God’s truth will out and must be preached
Till earth’s four corners have been reached
“My Ghost and Flame shall be outpoured –Joel.2: 28
Receive my child”, thus says The Lord
The bible’s here for man to read
God welcomes all to on Christ to feed –Jn.6: 51
Throughout the flock He spreads The Flame –Lk.12: 50
To guide to heal purge of shame
God’s word is meat to babies tough
Water baptism’s not enough
If endless life is man’s desire
He must receive God’s Ghost & Fire –Jn.3: 6
The Fire of Christ refines till pure
Consumes our ills none else can cure –Heb.12: 29
Burning the chaff midst Jesus’ wheat –Mt.3: 12
Bringing the foe beneath our feet
By grace God’s Holy Ghost is here
Spirit & Flame have none to fear
When safe and sound in Jesus’ hand
The truth we truly understand
God’s Fire burns deep cleansing the heart
Consuming dross from every part
Salvation comes the truth to give
When through The Flame again we’ll live –Gen.3: 24
God’s Fire brings death upon its knees
Who holds the truth receives the keys
Eternal life body and soul
For those in Christ The Flame’s made whole
We need The Fire to win life’s race
But pure of heart will see God’s face
One thing in Christ we need the most
Fire baptism with His Holy Ghost…
poem by Michael P. Johnson
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Which Way Will The Wind Blow
People on the sidewalk
Making small talk
Keeping up with life
Ask no questions
Make no decisions
Just do whats right
Oh, do you wanna runaway
Oh, do you wanna breakaway
Someones screamin
Calling out for help
But everyone looks after themselves
No one cares or gives a damn
How can we live in this land
Are you looking out for you
One hand can change
This world, its true
Some will stay and some must go
But do they really know
Oh, which way will the wind blow
Which way will the seas flow
Which way with time
Oh, which way will the world turn
Whos hand will control it in our time
With our hands on eyes
Fingers in our ears
Weve been like this
For too many years
Let others do what they do
Without asking if its good for you
Turn it round, upside down
Plug it in, turn up the sound
Lets hear whats in your head
Before its too late to be said
song performed by by Uriah Heep
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Let's Come Together
Chorus:
Let's come together
We're singing for the world
Unite forever
We are family
Let's come together
We pray for peace on earth
Love lasts forever
We are family
Chorus B:
Come and sing this song
This song of joy
We are one family
Come and sing this song
This song of joy
We are one family
Vers 1:
Now - we can reach so high
We can touch the sky
Whenever, wherever
Now - hand in hand we stand
All across the land
Let's come together
Vers 2:
It's time - time to live and learn
We can make this turn
We're gonna change it
This world - can be a better place
For the human race
For now and forever
Bridge:
I see a new horizon in my view
For me and for you, for me and you
song performed by by DJ Bobo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You
You - you make me see all the possibilities
You- you make me feel emotions that I try to conceal.
I would take the stars from the skies
Just to put the sparkle in your eyes.
You make me feel like I’m on cloud nine
And whichever way I turn I’ll be fine.
You give me the perseverance to survive
You give me HOPE which will never die.
But what you give me most -of that there is no doubt
Is your love that I can’t live without.
You give me dreams that I never dreamt before
You pulled me from the ocean and took me to the shore.
You have given me all that I desire
You have set my soul on fire.
You have made life worth living
And my heart worth giving.
You have become the earth in which all life grows
And from a seed I have grown to be tall and strong
And you as the earth is where I belong.
And as the earth holds on to all that
Grows within and nurtures it till its reached its height
You have done this to me, and given me the might.
My love will grow and flow like the rivers
And the streams for all eternity.
For in your bosom is where I want to be.
YOU - YOU ARE LIFE
poem by Louis Rams
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Mother Earth And Father Time Are Angry
Mother Earth and Father Time are walking hand in hand.
They're visiting their children and checking on their land.
They view the worlds destruction everywhere they turn.
They fear their precious children are never going to learn.
''This earth should be their playground with joys beyond belief
yet, all these children seem to know is senseless pain and grief.''
''How do we teach our children to care for such a place?
They may not get the message till we slap them in their face.''
The children are oblivious to even basic rules.
That's why so many people grow up looking like such fools.
Fistful
Gulping the morning ozone, mind is rejuvenating
Feeling much juvenile, I start to explore
With my right hand lengthily extending
I’m soaring, my intellect surging over
To carry the whole earth in my fist
Brain and heart conspire to venture
Beyond this ocean, there, horizon untouched yet
Aspiring to touch it, zooms on
My longer hand more extended upon
Touches the horizon; travels round the earth
Ends at my feet with fistful earth
More excited travelling in all directions
Longer hand tries much to its expectations
To carry the planet in its fist
Only in vain unaware of its folly yet
Fatigued extremely the hand resumes its size
My brain and heart blaming each other
Think upon their failure to realise
The virtuoso’s knowledge is only fistful
poem by Indira Renganathan
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The Invisible Man
Im the invisible man,
Im the invisible man,
Incredible how you can,
See right through me,
When you hear a sound,
That you just cant place
Feel somethin move
That you just cant trace,
When something sits
On the end of your bed
Dont turn around
When you hear me tread.
Im the invisible man,
Im the invisible man
Incredible how you can
See right through me
Im the invisible man
Im the invisible man
Its criminal how I can
See right through you.
Now Im in your room
And Im in your bed
And Im in your life
And Im in your head
Like the cia
Or the fbi
Youll never get close
Never take me alive
Im the invisible man
Im the invisible man
Incredible how you can
See right through me
Im the invisible man
Im the invisible man
Its criminal how I can
See right through you,
Hah, hah, hah, hello,
Hah, hah, hah, hello,
Hah, hah, hah, hello-hello-hello-hello,
Never had a real good friend - not a boy or a girl
No-one knows what Ive been through - let my flag unfurl
So make my mark from the edge of the world,
From the edge of the world,
From the edge of the world,
Now Im on your track
And Im in your mind,
And Im on your back
But dont look behind
Im your meanest thought
Im your darkest fear
Put Ill never get caught
You cant shake me, shake me dear,
Im the invisible man,
Im the invisible man
Incredible how you can
See right through me
Im the invisible man
Im the invisible man
Its criminal how I can
See right through you
Look at me, look at me
song performed by by Queen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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