Best Beforehand Poems
I see you coming, old age
Approaching, at an ever-accelerating pace,
Your face is so grim
Your expression is so austere
Your look so menacing,
A frightening sight you are
Many battles I have fought in life
With vigor and youth at my side
Thus victorious, I emerged
But
Now that my allies are slowly abandoning me
One after the other,
I am left alone in the last battle to fight
A battle, I know beforehand I am bound
To lose
However
At this moment, as trials begin
When all seems to get tougher by the day
A new ally I have found, willing to help me,
All my courage to amass to confront you,
Oh, merciless old age:
The wisdom I have acquired all these years
Roaming the planes of experience and
Learning!*
© Demetrios Trifiatis
18 June 2017
* This poem was honored as POTW on the 25th of June 2017. I thank everyone who has appreciated it as everyone who visits me and comments, for without their love, nothing would have been possible. THANK YOU, PS!
[beforehand i just want to let you know that i wrote this in honor of November 17th. which is
To Write Love On Her Arms Day. im hoping to come up with a better one before than. but i
still hope you enjoy this quickly-wrote one(: ]
this is about me.
this is my story.
it is about my struggle,
my fall downs,
&& all the breakdowns.
this is about every wound i placed upon my body.
over 60 self inflicted wounds,
that as my story went on they began to heal.
i stoped writing "give up"
i began to write love on my arms
this is about me.
this is my story.
it is about my past.
how it haunted me for years,
&& how im still running from some of it.
this is how i went from a hood rat,
to me actually caring about myself.
i began to write love on my arms
this is about me.
this is my story.
it is about how i learned to keep the bottle off of my nightstand.
i dont need liquor running through my veins 24/7.
i started to look at life through sober eyes.
i began to write love on my arms
&& as i wrote this day after day, i saw that i was loved.
i found comfort in better things then pills, liquor, && razorblades.
&& even though i am still in healing,
my story is not over.
&& it will never be.
i still write love on my arms
As I prepared to come here, my family, relatives, and friends anticipated my arrival. By prepare, I mean that I was in a developmental process that took
nine months. I only knew that I was inside a warm and secure place, and I was never hungry or thirsty. I say secure because my mom loved and cared
for me, protecting me at all cost long before I arrived. And waiting for me to enter the world was such genuine love which knew no gender. You see, these
were the dark days before ultrasound, so my gender wasn't known beforehand.
Nevertheless, they had a name waiting for me whether I would arrive male
or female. I learned in later years that I arrived noon-day Saturday. Love was waiting for my arrival and I am certain that love will be by my side when I die.
It is a love that does not die.
I shall expect to inhale nothing of melancholy and may the flow of sadness be detoured from the fading hours of my life. When death arrives and my spirit is released from this my earthly body, let there be no fear of death in me. Instead, may I be full of joy and smiling if not laughing at the point of my exit.
I tell you without a doubt, I am already endowed with an incomparable anticipation. Even though not endowed with a musical gift, may I sing to the music of the arriving angels as I am ushered to heaven land through those beautiful pearly gates.
As I exit earth in route to my new home, I will feel that same love that ushered me here so many years before. I shall experience the ecstasy of that timeless forever love that never dies.
05142018PS, Contest, A Poem About Death, Broken Wings; Theme: Love does not die; 2P
If only we could have
held more tightly, a bit
longer; perhaps while
fondly dreaming had learned
beforehand the many
dexterities of hearts...
but the moment
is a moving target--
once seized
its changes continue,
nothing held long enough
to exist the same
beyond the first
grasping….
Back in 2013 the President 'resetting,' drew a line in the sand
Syria sprinted across it; faced no response from our end
So, Bashir Assad killed his own countrymen with chemical gas
hundreds upon thousands fled Syria, Europe's problem, alas*
Then near the end of his term, ignoring his every general's advice
DJT threatened to pull the plug on Afghanistan one night
--thought a quick exit for his 'resume' would be nice
And now JB's gone and done it, what a horrific choice we face
To recognize the Taliban, an admission of disgrace
A low blow to all our brave troops who died in that place
Yet if we cut off the Taliban; if we can't bite out lips
ISIS stands ready to blow Afghanistan to bits
Now I'm not just complaining; I've a simple solution at hand
No more Presidents play-acting Commander-in-Chief
-- without military service beforehand
Let's have a former soldier who honors and respects his command
who can discern perils in jungles, deserts and mountain badlands
If this means a separate office for Commander-in-Chief
I'm all for it: Enough of my countrymen's (and the free world's) disbelief
And if you feel I'm all wet, think 2029... Try to envision
AOC** reviewing troops, making life-and-death decisions
_______________________________________________________
*Even today, as I write this, Syrians homeless since 2013 are being
used as political pawns by Russia and Belarus, who have flown them
in (!) to crowd the border of Poland, where they 'live' in unsanitary,
makeshift 'cities' -- all as part of Russian blackmail to force Poland
and its European backers' hands. (Source: Wall-Street Journal,
November 13, 2021, page 1 report).
**Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez... a popular 30 year-old member of the
House of Representatives, an avowed Democrat-Socialist, who's
backed open borders, defunding the police, and many other such
'progressive policies.'
The squirrels are busy
They are searching now
Looking everywhere
Searching high and low
For the needed food
To keep the food stored
During the winter months
Swans that are in parks
Now have a winter home
They will be cared for
Although the winter
Geese are flying now
Going somewhere warm
Robins flies south to
The darkness comes early
Daylight leaves beforehand
Two birds are resting
They are so cozy
Awaken from sleep
To greet another day
At the break of dawn
I feel thankful today,
You loved me beforehand,
Your love makes me feel grand,
Your love that came my way;
I feel grateful today,
Your grace showered on me,
Your grace that set me free,
Your grace that shone my way;
I feel thankful today,
Your mercy I can feel,
Your mercy me did heal,
Your mercy guides my way.
11/23/18
Thankful contest
Sponsor: Tania Kitchin
I got bit
Three times.
By what?
I do not know.
Up the leg,
Past the knee.
Itch
Unmistakable.
Beforehand,
I spied
An ugly spider,
With a white dot.
After Brunswick stew
And my husband’s wings,
Pretzel sticks with mustard
And onion rings.
Yummy in the tummy —
but
what
bit
me?
I do not know!
will
i
go
back?
The food was great
but so’s the itch.
6/23/2019
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
In the Pinta, Nina and Santa Marie
He found the New World,
And got spooked by a squirrel.
Thats the last you heard of C.C.
God had created the New World.
And saw that it was good.
In mystery it remained covered,
Till Columbus came and discovered
Just as his Lord knew that he would.
He sailed with the blessing of Spain
And when he dicovered the land,
He named it after Amerigo Vespucci,
('Cause he had not yet heard of Gucci,)
As God instructed him beforehand.
Charlie Pelota HSLP
Durin' my nearly four-score years I've had many a grand repast,
But there's one delicacy that will never, ever be surpassed!
There ain't nothin' like a huge helpin' of luscious fried chicken!
Ah, just thinkin' about it makes my pulse begin to quicken!
Mom was an expert at preparin' a bird for the old iron fryin' pan.
The hapless fowl was beheaded and plucked in the shortest span,
Cut up, seasoned and fried before you could count to ten,
Leavin' the old rooster crowin' in bewilderment sans one hen!
The preacher made his periodic visits for dinner at our house.
Mom's admonition to us kids beforehand always made me grouse.
Sayin', "Let the preacher help himself to the choicest parts!"
So we kids usually ended up with the necks, gizzards and hearts!
If I was asked to plan a dinner menu, here's what it would be:
Heaps of fried chicken, mashed pertaters, gravy and iced tea,
Sourdough biscuits, garden fresh carrots and sweet spring peas,
And for dessert a huge slab of cherry pie ala mode, if you please!
Nowadays the Colonel touts chicken from San Diego to Nantucket,
With all the fixin's in a box, bag or a handy two-gallon bucket,
Spicy or original and fried in lots of grease to a crispy, golden brown,
But I prefer my spouse's southern fried 'cause it's the best in town!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Rules: Use at least 10 candy names from those listed below.
(30 candy names used)
Tomorrow we'll explore our Galaxy,
not just by space ship, but with 'space nerds' too!
We smarties, gifted Mike and Ike, with me,
will start our marathon and journey through
the Milky Way, where now and later we'll
be called 'Three Musketeers', the best, bar none,
to capture live a star burst with great zeal,
or see sno-caps on spheres far from the sun.
We bet each other a full 100 grand,
that we'll make history on this space spree;
discover whoppers, things we beforehand
knew zero 'bout those sites we couldn't see.
We're on a rocky road, since asteroids
can put an end to pay day...must take 5,
and watch our every move like paranoids,
not air heads, if we want to stay alive.
We'll take along some good Boston Baked Beans
with hot tamales and Ike's Charleston Chew,
a snack his mom bakes filled with good proteins;
and frozen Swedish fish will please us too.
Okay, we're off to Club 5th Avenue
for a good meal before we board for flight.
The Jolly Rancher hamburg, or Dots stew,
are lifesavers to please our appetite
before we're stuck with whatchamacallit
food, Mr. Goodbar, cook, packed up to go.
Goodbye for now...from sunlit to starlit,
please wish us mounds of luck from down below.
Sandra M. Haight
~5th Place~
Contest: 'Screwed XIX
Sponsor: Rob Carmack
Judged: 01/02/2019
Candy Bar Words To Use (choose 10)
Dove, Chunky,100 Grand, Bar None, Galaxy, Marathon, Milky Way, Mounds, Mr. Good Bar, Pay Day, Rocky Road, Skor, Snickers, Take 5, Whatchamacallit, Zero, Skittles, Jolly Rancher, Starburst, Smarties, Three Musketeers, Tootsie Roll, Kit Kat, Air Heads, Boston Baked Beans, Charleston Chew, Dots, Hot Tamales, Lemonheads, Nerds, Slo Poke, Sno-Caps, Spree, O Henry, Whoppers, Swedish Fish, Butterfinger, Lifesavers, 5th Avenue, Mike and Ike, Heath, Goobers, Now and Later
with eyes that look beyond circumstance, beyond all feelings of pain,
our father who sees our deepened hearts, his feelings of love stay the same,
off balance at times while we've searched for truth, not knowing what to expect or
believe,
we've wracked our brains to make sense of our issues, and even then we don't
suceed,
you would think that after the first try, we would back down to let god establish our
lives,
while we're so busy trying to figure out our problems, he already knew
beforehand all the tears we would cry,
our trust is so important to him, when i rest my thoughts, he speaks to me,
a clear and visual understanding that my eyes never noticed to see,
in my panic and fustration, when worries begin to overflow,
while fear tries to trap me, he whispers "my daughter, let go."
it seems so easy to say these words, but much harder to put them to practice,
our human nature still wants us to work through it ourselves, while god wants us
to give him full access.
The bright orange rugby shirt I had,
When I was fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen,
Was my trophy and my pride and joy,
Never to be deprived of me,
Even if I complained to my parents or to their friend,
To have been seen to be a boy too much,
Or, in other words, mistaken as a superior person,
With other sociology to fulfil all my wishes.
I was just assertive and intelligent and all that,
A fashion icon, an example to others,
To disabled people or to church young persons,
Who were both the same to me, like each other;
They just wanted to fit into society,
To mark their case for more wheelchair rights,
Or in order to state their reason for believing in god.
I had my identity, my beliefs, and my role models,
Listened to them in respect, with amorosity:
I knew what I wanted to do in life,
And my goals were of course reasonable,
Because they could be achieved no problem, abstractly.
But that was it, and there it was,
Objectively everything sounded fine,
Doable, but what you thought about it,
The practicalities weighed you down,
Taught the string which so dangled entertainingly,
As a condition that was more of a pleasure,
To make, to work out such that your desires happened.
So my bright rugby shirt said it all really,
That I should have my desires and goals,
That I should be met and facilitated in life,
And not my parents or those church leaders,
That I was supposed to follow.
I did not ever have to state my case beforehand,
Before the meetings about my future and care needs,
Because everyone knew I was an atheist,
Able with expression and communication,
Able with much trust for other people.
I was in Germany once with my parents,
Dressed as usual in the clothes that I like,
Without hesitation, care or timidity;
My jumper may not have been bright orange,
But it was still colourful enough to attract attention.
So my parents were embarrassed, particularly my dad,
Who was a war veteran true and sensitive,
And so from then on we hid inside shops,
And even stayed longer in restaurants,
Because all the wheelchair spaces for the cafés,
Were outside those cafés at tables on the pavement;
So we shopped, visited the toilet more, went to museums,
Instead of drinking coffee in the cafés of Berlin.
Interludes of a Night Rat
You can not plan out the day’s use of words.
You can not predict noon’s thoughts and moods.
You can not lasso in the interludes of reality
And press it here with the carnations
Destined for long life,
Pressed in the good book,
The big black book filled with violence and salvation.
You can not know the answers found in the twilight of now.
Know the reasons why life is a big test.
Know the questions never asked or seen beforehand.
The big test with no answer key.
You can not lasso in the interludes of reality.
You can not take time and sit on it
So it won’t get away.
But it does, my friends.
Like the night rat,
Time sneaks outside the house every night for
The bigger crumbs.
It’s comforting these days to look into the mirror
And see an old man ready for the voyage,
A final voyage beyond the noon’s thoughts and moods.
I sit in the still caressing of death.
I sit in the still cemetery
And I can hear the barn owl eating the night rat.
when I look at you
I don't see you as others do
for in my eyes you will always be
beautiful through and through
people may look or stare
they may not see what I see there
a heart of gold true beauty I see inside
for in the Lord you do delight
so his Love will always shine through
you so radiant and bright
so no matter what others think or say always know you're beautiful in every way.
Psalms 34:5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendour of old men is their grey hair.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Amen