
Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.
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Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.
Fire and Water
Fire and water.
Fire and water, closer than we think.
We always think of fire
The destroyer, the demolisher.
We always think water
The life-bringer, the rebuilder
But, what about flash floods?
Rushing, raging taking all.
What about forest fires?
Spreading nutrients,
And maintaining habitats?
Also, without fire there is no passion
No love, no drive
But, without water no serenity,
no restraint, or peace
we need to keep balance in our lives
fire and water duality
kindness in our hearts
passion in our work
Fire and water.
poem by Matt Daffern

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Ebbs The Tide
How long I wait
out there to see your long face
each day and each day I come back
treading water it coming, it going out
either way, 'I know it moves quickly,
and some times, 'I grow restless, floating.
Saying that I would recognize the swells
above the water as your line is
and because of mine there below
I am trapped as well, under water
Ebbs the tide and the water does it move.
poem by Is It Poetry

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Treading Water
Movies like zoos
try another me
And I will try another you
Or put my arms around you
Like I think you want me to
But tell me what youre thinking
I so often misconstrue
Treading water treading white wine
Seeing borders seeing straight lines
I get these feelings that I dont
Have much time
Always rushing always late
Movies like zoos
I talk to missionaries when theyre
Standing at my door
They tell me what i should be reading
I still cant see what for
We both stand there politely trying
To change each others core
When other angels float by
They seem likely to fall from the sky
What I want is difficult I must try
I see traces when you walk
And other voices when you talk
When you talk
When other angels float by
They seem likely to fall from the sky
What I want is difficult I must try
I see traces when you walk
Treading water treading white wine
Seeing borders seeing straight lines
I get these feelings that I dont
Have much time
Always rushing always late
Always rushing always late
song performed by by Nada Surf

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fire! Fire!
A fire is lit, gleaming backs
Drums beat, in ecstasy dancers
Hop around the night fire
He dipped, to be baptized,
In water and said
‘ he will come for water
His time will change to fire’
Fire! Fire!
Lit in my heart, this fire
That heals, in ecstasy, in holiness
Universe enjoined, fire in your eyes
Melted my heart!
poem by Charles Jagongo Ogola

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If You Show Patience
If you show patience, I'll rid you of this virtue.
If you fall asleep, I'll rub the sleep from your eyes.
If you become a mountain, I'll melt you in fire.
And if you become an ocean, I'll drink all your water.
In Water
You’re fraught with words, better go sit in water;
For they swell with meaning and glow more in water.
Look for the heart in the chest and roast it on embers
Look for the blood in the liver and drink it in water.
Tomorrow Kashmir will stretch in the sun like a desert,
The day after Ladakh and Leh will float in water.
Under the hollow banks frightened waves take refuge;
Lord Jaldev is born with fire in water.
At mid day, even the sun gets soaked in sweat;
At the end, even the moon catches fire in water.
Even in excitement, sometimes, people set towns on fire;
Even for fun, sometimes, people pour poison in water.
The lost cow is looking for the elevensome, would someone tell her?
Five drowned in dry land, six are aflame in water.
The peddler of ghazals, this Kamil, makes fiery calls
But the fatefrost people are coldly sleeping in water.
[Translated from the Kashmiri by Muneebur Rahman]
poem by Amin Kamil

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What Do You Want With Me
You live in a mansion, with your own private harbor
And you own an island, where you go every summer
What do you want with me, Earth, wind, water, or fire
You're been educated in the best schools all around the world
Life is simple when people hang on your every word
What do you want with me, Earth, wind, water, or fire
Your father is a leader and unknown to the world
A puppet master of billions, and your his little girl
What do you want with me, Earth, wind, water, or fire
You mother has a club in Rome where the elite come to gather
Illuminated by fine conversation, while enjoying their evening supper
What do you want with me, Earth, wind, water, or fire
Your riches can't buy everything
Your riches can't buy everything
You are a collector of unique and very precious things
And store them for safe keeping, hoping to save them
What do you want with me, Earth, wind, water, or fire
What do you want with me, Earth, wind, water, or fire
Copyright Colin Coplin 2012
poem by Colin Coplin

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Treading Water
The tired tiger made his way
Until he found the stream,
The sight of it had made his day,
It truly was supreme...
His whiskers twitched at newborn scents
That stirred within the mud
And yet he felt the recompense
As water cooled his blood...
This is the life! No doubt at all,
Just walking here and there
And further on, the waterfall,
A sight beyond compare...
Just treading water, nothing more,
Content to rest therein,
With oozing mud between each claw,
Enough to make him grin...
The tired tiger gently breathed,
His heartbeat calmed as well,
His shoulder muscles now relieved
As Nature cast its spell...
God makes the sunshine then the rain,
Then streams upon the land,
So tired tigers can't complain
When times like these are planned...
Denis Martindale, copyright, December 2011.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Treading Water'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com
poem by Denis Martindale

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Bathing In A Tub
What is cleaner-
Bathing inside a tub
or out of it?
How stupid to ask
such a silly question!
You put turkey in a pan
to cook it over fire
Your potatoes won't bake
but burn if put in fire
Your Bar-B-Q would char
if put in fire
So, what seems good
Is to put things over fire
not in it.
If you bathed in a tub
full of water with sud
your pretty skin will catch
all the germs you dropped
in the dirty bath water
No need to be Japanese
But learn from anybody is good
you don't have to burn your hand
by putting your hand in fire
or for the sake of this topic
in the infested water in the tub
Get going and take a bath
outside the bath tub
when you've cleansed yerself
of all 'pollution'
then only you should sit
pretty in the clean water
of your bath tub
and get healthier and more!
poem by mazHur Butt

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Upon The Flint In The Water
This flint, time out of mind, has there abode,
Where crystal streams make their continual road.
Yet it abides a flint as much as 'twere
Before it touched the water, or came there
Its hard obdurateness is not abated,
'Tis not at all by water penetrated.
Though water hath a soft'ning virtue in't,
This stone it can't dissolve, for 'tis a flint.
Yea, though it in the water doth remain,
It doth its fiery nature still retain.
If you oppose it with its opposite,
At you, yea, in your face, its fire 'twill spit.
Comparison.
This flint an emblem is of those that lie,
Like stones, under the Word, until they die.
Its crystal streams have not their nature changed,
They are not, from their lusts, by grace estranged.
poem by John Bunyan

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Siren Of Fire
Fire:
When the water turns to mist
And the flames are rising high
I'll appear to you my darling
To wipe the tears from your eyes
I'll dance around the fire pit
Running wild with the flames
But as soon as the fire is out
I'll leave you without so much as my name
Water:
When water extinguishes the flame
It will also extinguish me
I will leave you to yourself
To soak in memory
When the land is watered down
And you stand beside the sea
Look for the bonfires
For that is where you'll find me
Burned:
Don't play with fire dearest
You know you will be burned
Leave the flames to me my love
They remind me of how I've yearned
For the sensation of my fire
That keeps our passions hot
I'll stay with you until the tide comes in
But after, I cannot
Drowned:
They douse the flames with water
Putting out the light
I drown with the flames
That ensnared you all night
I cannot stay with you now
My flames have been drowned out
But remember whenever you need me
Fire will bring me about
poem by Tatianna Rei Moonshadow

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North of North
I’m treading shallow water
and there’s moss on all sides of the trees
evergreen
this must be north,
north of north.
“Sometimes I am rock-like
and sometimes I am herring
and sometimes I am you.”
I say this while the water works like wind
upon my eyelashes.
When you are underwater you are always crying
or never crying
and it doesn’t look so blue.
Your boots are territorially based,
rock and rock and mud.
“Do you plan on swimming the whole way? ”
I close my eyes like you don’t exist
like I am being eaten by a bear
like the water is my water and I am dying.
Then I am crying real salt tears
into the real fresh water
and I think of the tree you cut down
and how it cried real maple tears
and surrendered.
“No, ” I say. “We’re here.”
poem by Shaye Anderson

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You May Believe
Four elements, fire, earth, air and water,
Each on the calendar takes a quarter.
Fire and water together do not mix,
Fire always needs air, for that is its fix.
Earth, air and water that is a trio.
In what section would we find our Leo.
Horoscopes are some peoples obsession,
All the forecasts would give one depression.
You may believe them or you may not,
But quite frankly, I do not care a jot.
I’m an Aries and I’m a fiery one.
A Ram, well Ewe, when all is said and done.
Whatever prediction, for good or ill,
Will on a few occasions fit the bill.
Astrology will continue to lure,
All who feel readings can foretell ‘Amour’.
poem by Ernestine Northover

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A Force Powerful!
Drenched in rain while walking in the beach
I decided not to take shelter nearby anywhere
Because the rain would not stop so soon then!
I used to be careful about my shoes at rain time;
I have lost many canvas shoes due to rain water!
Otherwise I enjoyed walking in rain seeing sea
And the water running in floods along the road!
Which is most powerful - fire or water? I brood!
Fire and water are counter forces and dangerous,
In which man cannot survive long by anyway!
Water contains fire and most powerful of the two!
But rain cools down body and creates jollity
That makes children and elders enjoy in dance,
A natural urge nobody can refuse to accept!
poem by Ramesh T A

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Water and Fire - Triolet
Water and fire oppose each other;
Sing the transmutation song
Air flows like water; it's another
Water and fire oppose each other,
And Earth's our gentle-giant mother,
Matter sings it's song life-long
Water and fire oppose each other;
Sing the transmutation song.
poem by Patti Masterman

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Walk On Water
(ian hunter/mcnasty)
(transcribed by justin purington)
Little flame tormented soul
Tried to get lost in all that rock and roll
Came crashing through here like some hurricane
Too much too soon for you little flame
[chorus]
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on water, dont try
Like a lamb to the slaughter
Oh! but for the grace of God go i
Little flame caught that savage sound
He liked to turn it upside down
Well I think I know what you were talking about
Im just so sorry that your flame went out
Fun with no conscience, tracks with no tears
The rich get richer and the devils got no fears
Sounds his call, political lies
There aint no virtue without sacrifice
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on water
You cant walk on
[repeat and fade]
song performed by by Ian Hunter

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Water: The Gift From Nature!
Water, water, and water
The most purest sign of virtue,
How wonderfully nature has indebted us with this gift,
An offer that none can resist
Oh water, water, water
Comes in all forms of states
Solid, liquid, and gas...
Packaged in all forms of life,
That subtle taste that we cannot taste,
That deep fragrance that we cannot smell,
As it falls onto your smooth skin and romances around your body,
That reassurance in the body which rests the mind,
That horrific depression if suppressed from,
Energy replenished, mixed in all sorts, organic and inorganic, for it were not for thy water, how could you fabrish the presence of life?
poem by Sahil Mamtani

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And what does reward virtue? You think the communist commissar rewards virtue? You think a Hitler rewards virtue? You think, excuse me, if you'll pardon me, American presidents reward virtue? Do they choose their appointees on the basis of the virtue of the people appointed or on the basis of their political clout?
quote by Milton Friedman

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The fire and the water
The fire belongs to heaven
It was stolen by Prometheus
and was brought to the earth
The fire however always wants to
go back home in the skies
The flames always clamour for that
looking up with hissing tongue
The fire seeks to burn the earth into ethereal heaven
The water belongs to the earth
The demon Vritra robbed the earth of its water
and hid it in the caverns of heaven
But the water longs for its home and groans
through the thundering cloud
till it comes back home in earth
in rains
When do the fire of the skies
and the water of the mingle?
Do they ever mingle?
poem by Dr. Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya

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