Best Notwithstanding Poems
hanging in the air
humidity’s heaviness . . .
the river’s slow crawl
On the Mississippi lies the beautiful little city where I once lived. How many times I trudged up inclined streets; or leaning forward, red-faced and panting, pressed up slopes with all my might, feet on pedals of my purple Sting-ray bike, urging myself not to dismount prior to reaching glorious level ground! The damp beneath my clothing in those days was a given. Simply stopped to rest. . . sipping pop underneath a tree, I would often feel rivulets of sweat that trickled down beneath my underarms, a surfeit which caused circle stains to appear beneath the arms of short-sleeved shirts or on Sundays, beneath the flowered dresses that I wore to church. However, despite the heat’s discomfort, it was summer, after all!
counting down the days
until the school bell’s last ring -
a fling with summer
Released from stifling classrooms for vacation, I eagerly embraced the sun. . .and how I played! Kickball with the neighbors, visits to the city pool with my sisters and friends, bike rides to parks or into town, where I spent my allowance on records and treats, and hours racing eagerly through the pages of Nancy Drew books in front of a cooling fan - all these things consumed me.
It was in the month of August, and more than a decade of muggy summers later that I found myself transplanted in a desert. As if thrust into a giant pre-set oven with a noose about my neck, I learned firsthand the meaning of “slow roast.” Here, in the new and different place where I've now lived most of my adult life, the heat can leave one with a burn like acid watered down, a deep sensation lingering in skin long after sun has left the sky. Perspiration may just evaporate before it has a chance to wend its way along the body’s contours. Discomfort notwithstanding, there’s no pain. Acclimated to these summers now, I find that it is easier for me to breathe in August heat than it was the first time I’d ever encountered it. Released from stifling work, I go outside into the oven, pen in suntanned hand!
sunshine reflections
so many summers have passed
writing till twilight
It's been eons since
Life took us in diametrically different directions
Yet melancholic memories of you
Still bloom in my mind like a flower, filling me with glee
Our fleeting union, I'll forever treasure. It's strange
Grieving the loss of what might've been. Notwithstanding
The brevity of our romance, the flame ignited between us
Still remains undimmed, flickering in the wind
I miss your captivating stories about
Your upbringing in Rio De Janeiro
I instantaneously think of you every time the song
"The Girl From Ipanema", creeps into my mind
Oh, the many fun times we had! Walking arm in arm
Under the summer sun; snuggling cozily on winter nights
The sound of your laughter, your voice
Your fragrance, the twinkle in your smiling eyes
So adoring and brimming with tender love
I remember them all too well
Thoughts and dreams of you, a smoke that will never turn to ash
If I could turn back time and relive all the happy, endearing
Even the silly moments we shared, I would. Sadly, our bond
Couldn't weather every storm that came our way
Our loving companionship, though brief, I'll hold dear
In perpetuity. Thanks for the everlasting memories
We were never meant to be
I guess that's the way destiny intended it
It's been eons since we parted ways
Like rope severed under a colossal weight
Yet melancholic memories of you
Still bloom in my mind like a flower, filling me with glee
Submitted for...
Impress Me With An Old Poem(002) Poetry Contest (Winner: 7th Place)
Sponsored by Poet Destroyer A
Date submitted: 10/08/2020
Strand Special 12 Any Form,Any Theme Poetry Contest(Winner: 2nd Place)
Sponsored by Brian Strand
Date: 12/29/2019
Best free verse April 1, 2018 to July 15,2018 Poetry Contest(Winner: 3rd Place)
Sponsored by John Hamilton
Date written and posted: 07/12/2018
Best Free Verse in July 2018 Poetry Contest/Winner(1st Place)
Sponsored by: Laura Loo
Date written and posted: 07/12/2018
Although it may build a bridge connecting the future with our ancestry and our history, a puzzle is not all together
a hidden mystery. A puzzle presently considers the unveiling of where we've been and where we are going. A puzzle also
helps to guide and direct our longings as it unfolds the meanings of our belongings. Each piece of the puzzle of life is a part and picture.
Notwithstanding, we must be discerning of pieces never designed to fit. As we proceed forward, our lives may seem puzzling, but we must
not fear, fret, or second guess, because as the puzzle pieces are placed into position, our lives become easier to read and understand.
Each person placed in our path assists in God's wonderful plan and purpose for our lives. No person or piece of the puzzle of life is to be
deemed more valuable than the other, because each is like a sister or brother prepared to take us further in the journey toward our destiny.
052222PSCtest, A BRIAN STRAND PREMIERE CHOICE, Brian Strand
In my skin,
I'm proud and free!
This beautiful dark skin
I was born with
And live in
Fills my soul to the brim
With unadulterated pride;
Notwithstanding
A few scars
and discolorations.
Through my chocolate skin
Captivating stories
Are revealed.
Look closely and you'll see
Some parts have seen better days,
But the imperfections
Both seen and hidden,
I welcome,
I accept.
This beautiful dark skin
Of mine, I'm so proud of;
Glistens in the sun
when Vaseline
Is smoothly rubbed into it.
I live in it, and always will.
It makes me who I am.
I love being Black.
It's beautiful, as they say.
In my skin,
I'm proud and free!
Date written: 03/07/2021
In the intermediate zone between heaven and hell
opinions and complaints, after much moaning, may
come to be held in common.
The way a flock of chickadees
moves through the woods, cheerfully,
each bird taking a turn on point.
All meaning must be found, here, in the middle zone,
notwithstanding fears that rend and own us,
of dying unknown.
A Spring day
the flycatcher broke its neck against our bay window
nothing changed.
I buried it, somewhat reverently, in a shallow grave.
No differently, really, than I would a man
who'd died suddenly.
Who'd left footprints in the snow
which became wild lily-of-the-valley, running pine
then snow again in time.
After long enmity
Sally hugs me, asks if I've been happy.
A moment in a year.
February, the light is long, more direct.
It's meaningless, repetitious
but held dear.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by, and
That has made all the difference".
The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost
We deem it normal for babies to cry when they arrive.
Perhaps it's the best indication that they are alive.
But in their minds, it seems they are issuing a protest.
Notwithstanding, it takes only a little bit of loving caress,
and, just like that, newborns succumb to affection and tenderness.
It's as if a baby accepts it by saying, "Now that I am here"....
What if we were just as adjusting when life presents us with the
unexpected? "Now that we are here" would be a calming and mature
manner of course. We will never know the difference our lives would have been or would have made had it gone just as we had planned or how we
had prepared for it to be.
Before now, I had not given much thought to what might be happening at
birth in the minds of the baby, but I believe that there is a God-designed element within us at birth that gives us an untrained instinct or hidden
desire to make adjustments when so required.
Sometimes, when we are drawn into places that are unplanned and unsuitable, or by our own intention, we have every right and a need to
protest and seek an exit. But then, there are times that we of necessity
must bow to the situation and say, "Now that we are here", let's make the best of the circumstance. Let's reevaluate and recalculate. Let's reconsider and recheck the GPS that God has given us.
"Now that we are here", who knows but what God has brought us or allowed us to enter this place, this season, this misfortune, for such a time as this?
Like newborn babies, let us indeed protest this strange turn of events. We
absolutely have been given a will, a uniqueness, and a mind of our very own.
By the same token, we must occasionally turn aside and say, "Now that we are here", what now? Now that we are here, a place we never intended to be or to go, what shall we now do? Does this way lead to my destiny? What new ideas and inspiration await us? I know whereof I speak, and I must say, mine has been quite a ride.
031923PSCtest, Now that we are here. Unseeking Seeker
We must never forget that
we're human beings, above all.
We're God's children, all equal in his eyes.
We need to treat each other
with the utmost respect and dignity.
We need to learn how to peacefully co-exist.
Notwithstanding our deity of worship -
Whether you call God just that, God,
or Allah, or El-Shaddai, or Bhagwan.
Notwithstanding the language
we speak, or the accent
of our speech, domestic or foreign.
Notwithstanding our politics -
Democrat, Republican, or Independent,
or even party-free.
Notwithstanding our race -
White, Black, Hispanic, Asian; whether you
check "Other" on application forms.
Notwithstanding our religion -
Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, Mormonism,
Buddhism, Islam, and so on.
Notwithstanding our culture,
belief system, financial status, sexual orientation,
or how we dress. Whether we're believer or atheist.
Notwithstanding the side
of the railroad track we hail from...
We must never forget that
we're human beings, above all.
We're God's children, all equal in his eyes
We need to treat each other
with the utmost respect and dignity.
We need to learn how to peacefully co-exist.
In the final analysis, we are all equal!
Opinion Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Kai Michael Neumann
Date Written: 06/23/2020
Happiness is...
Starting each dawn
With a bright smile,
Notwithstanding
Disgruntled faces here and there.
Greeting people hello
With a friendly wave,
And, of course, a smile;
Friend or stranger, it doesn't matter.
Playing with your children
In the backyard, out in the park.
Taking the dogs out for a walk.
Giving of yourself
To God, and to nature.
Complete detachment
From negative influences
And toxic people.
Surrounding yourself
With people who genuinely love
And care about you.
Doing whatever you enjoy doing
To the best of your ability.
Loving yourself
Inside out, outside in;
Warts and all.
Because you were conceived in love
Because I sang to you each night in the womb
Because I was the first human being to hold you in their arms
Because everything is more joyous, shared with you
Because you're the best parts of your mother, not the bad parts of me
Because you have made my life worthwhile, and my heart, full
Because your love of me eclipses all my wrongs
Because your smile wipes clean the darkness
Because of our fav, Entenmann's Cheese Filled Crumb Coffee Cake
Because neither of us can get enough of Harry Potter
Because of our special handshake whenever we think the same
Because I finally got to sing and perform on stage with you
Because "Daddy" is the most beautiful word ever spoken
Because you're my favorite dance partner, toes notwithstanding
Because magic carpets are real after all
Because you pretended to not know about Santa's sleigh bell
Because no man will EVER be good enough
Because before you I felt love, but after you I was love
Because tea parties and Barbie shows NEVER get old
Because you know ME better than I do, and love me anyway
Because there's nothing I miss more than singing you lullabies
Because you are the most amazing young woman I've ever known
Because you are the best friend that I will never deserve
And because I'll never, ever get used ... to saying goodbye.
(For my youngest daughter, Alyssa, my best friend)
I hold it up again today; the world,
Pregnant with magical dimples
Of a child's reckless abandon,
And look at the face,
Then I look at the deep cut
And the pain it inflicted
I look back at the unpaid ransom,
The whips, hands chained to the back
Faces buried deep into the cold wall,
The so-called wall of the world, soaked
By the tears of our raped eyes.
I have seen the world through and through;
The sweet bitterness of living and dying,
The joyful agony of getting and losing;
The memories come clear like crystal
And the weak world whirls by unconsciously
Taking us down its untrodden alluvial depths
And scattering silence nearby and abroad:
Those are the world's worth!
Who amongst us does not have a story?
The world is killing us, thinking, perhaps
That there is sudden rebirth in each death
But those we lost are gone forever
And we bite our lips and rub our eyes,
Alas! Another phenomenon has been lost.
Like a cherished effigy
I hold it up again, the wild world
The nuance feeling surges like thousand waves
And I listen as different sharp sounds
Of cries, nay, moans pierce my ears,
The tears fall in torrents like a waterfall.
The earth, our unconcerned world is killing us,
Like little ants...it kills us with sledgehammer,
Hypothetical villain lurking by street corners
Waiting and waiting, almost impatiently.
But we love the world, and so much so
We cling to life, despite the odds
We want to live, love and be loved,
We want to experience and explore the depths.
We have been heart broken again and again,
And each time we heal
We lick our wounds and clean our tears
Trying to protect our battered ego.
We hold it up again and again
Like a cherished effigy, smiling
Notwithstanding our heaps of unfulfilled dreams,
Our not-to-clear future, our unheard cry-cracked voices,
Despite the rigours of the trite rituals
Of our religions, our creeds, our norms;
Despite the guns, the bombs, the blades
That cut us clean and shatter our unborn hopes,
We still cuddle our earth like a cherished effigy
Dressed to pattern by virgin children
While it takes us down one after another
Jubilantly like a well trained military marksman.
Alas! Another phenomenon has been gone.
Alma Mater in denial
Beckons proof of terrible sin
Congregation gather to witness
Defrocked disciple
Endeavours to catch her and hear
Flagellate in fear of the hounding.
Girl on a high, this nun in retreat
Hypocrite trying to steal an identity
Image of optical semblance
Juridical Janeass vindicated
Karma until now was next of kin
Lassitude before bringing her in.
Mother superior plays out her role
Noxious blend notwithstanding
Objurgates the slayer in rowdy prayer
Praises the Pope, insincerely
Quaint yet putting on an act
Rebuttal for her charge to be free of sin.
Sisters of mercy at the convent
Travel time from zero BC
Unavailable for opinions.
Vindicate their needs for solidarity
While the priest hands down the cane
Xenophobia takes hold.
Yearning for the truth
Zephyr sweeps it all away.
© Harry J Horsman 2020
liberating...
the recognition
of a job well done;
infinitely more worthy
than any trophy.
a chef's kiss explosion
at the realization
that an accomplishment
is, at last, celebrated
that one crying for help
is seen and heard
that one is enough
for the Lord
notwithstanding
walking with feet of clay
ain't it grand...
one soul -
out of a billion -
knowing
how bright another shines?
isn't it a blessing
that he or she sees
the spark
of the besmirched gem
deep within
when the universe remains
hopelessly blind?
it's an answered prayer.
Afar off you stand,
fearful of me
because of what ...
the color of my skin?
At a distance (you deem safe)
do you judge
the worth of me
As you live in gated comfort
of isolation
Wearing a white suit of
fruit salad honors,
pressed to the breast
are the colors you love
Valor and bravery
was imbued to you
by a metal wizard wand
Spitting fire in your hand
allowed you to stand
afar off from me
With a steely hand
you pinned unspeakable deeds
on the innocent and guilty
Commendations notwithstanding,
when did I give you
a medal of fear
to put me in a box safely?
From blue service to white promotion,
your scarlet actions
were washed away
by the firmament gutter cleaners
And many heroic hosannas
were rained upon you
from a goodly parade distance
As the familial tears
of your justice
were buried from view ...
Safely, at a lengthy emotional dug space
Afar off further you stand,
hateful of me
because of what ...
the color of vitality you withdrew
from under my brother’s skin?
And you deposited
your talisman protection
at a safe distance,
yet-to-be determined
in the witching hour
Fifty years ago this July
Three American astronauts put the lie to 'Why'
On the surface of the Moon they made a pinpoint landing
Primitive technological devices notwithstanding
We thought the era of space exploration had started
But after only six more missions, the Moon we departed
For 47 years now we haven't been back
It is raw courage, or determination, that we lack?
Sad to say, it's a fundamental distortion of human vision
No longer do we look outside ourselves for challenges to meet and surpass
We've become self-absorbed narcissists, content to sit on our arses
This diminution of our vision comes at a steep price
When the going gets rough, be it at home or abroad
Our instinct is to give up, not to make sacrifices
I
God had a thought
That is the Universe
Including you, sun, stars, grasses
Like the Eternal Author
All else are merely prop and personae
II
God's thought may be like an Ocean
I enjoyed being a wave
From the tiniest drop in the ocean
I became a ripple; I grew
I loved growing ... and rushing forward
Though I saw others bigger and more colorful
Crashing on the shores of mortality
Sinking back in Oneness with Ocean
III
I plunged forth, gathering speed and form
(Foam too, as I frothed at the competition)
I towered above other waves; was the envy of surfers
I can see I will crash and die
But I am in my prime, in the heart of Ocean
I cannot be a pessimist (so close to July 4th)
I keep moving on, hot sun or cloud notwithstanding:
Last night I dreamed of looking back at Ocean
To compare our relative sizes
I must have grown mighty, too, I dreamed
My ego was me: a false me, without steam
I know I will be part of Ocean again
In the mind of a Good God
Who thought the Universe in a split second
And the thought wants to make God the object?