“Love is a burnin' thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire”

“We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment.”

“Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire.
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire?”

“When I was writing 'The Lords of Discipline,' I went to The Boo for help. 'What makes The Citadel different from all other schools? What makes it different, special and unique? Why do I think it is the best college in the world when I hated it when I was here, Boo? Help me with this.' The Boo held up his hand and said, 'It's the ring, Bubba. Always remember that. The ring, the ring, the ring.' I thought about it for a moment then wrote the words, 'I wear the ring.' 'How about this for a first line?”

“The sun was a molten coin burning a circle in the low-hanging overcast, surrounded by a fairy-ring of moisture.”

“To love is to burn, to be on fire.”

“Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong.”

“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”

“Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell.”

“Upon him I will visit famine and a fire.
Till all around him desolation rings
And all the demons in the outer dark
Look on amazed and recognize
That vengeance is the business of a man.”