Best Successes Poems
Day, my lifelong friend
Thousands of times have we said good morning to each other and
As many times have, we said goodnight,
You have awakened me up with the caresses of the sun’s rays and put me
To sleep with the lullabies of sunset’s myriad hues.
Many a time, you were calm as a harbor's waters, and others you were
Turbulent as the stormy sea,
But
I loved you the same, so we inseparable have remained.
How many times have I waited for your coming, you will never know.
Neither will you know how much I have prayed to see you faster go
When so unkind you were to me,
However,
You kept your pace unchanged, obeying only the will of mighty time.
All these years you have brought to me:
Joys and sorrows,
Laughter and tears,
Successes and failures
Health and sickness
Life and death.
You were the best of my friends and the worst of my enemies but
United, side by side, we stood. How could it be otherwise when we
Both wished our destiny to fulfill?
Now, my eternal friend, the circle of my life is almost complete.
The days for me are numbered.
How many more times are we going to salute each other is unknown to all but to God,
So
Before we say our final goodnight, let me thank you for every sunrise and every sunset,
For all the sunshine and all the storms you have brought to my life
For
Without them, an empty vessel, without any experiences would have been,
Useless to everybody and worthless to myself
Thus
When tomorrow you, my wise friend, come and unable you will be, me to awake,
Be not disturbed
Since
Another dawn, brighter than yours, will have taken me into its arms to
Console me with her everlastingly divine love!
© Demetrios Trifiatis
03 September 2015
My life, like the sea, ebbed and flowed,
A world littered with peaks and valleys
A painted vision like a chiaroscuro,
When times were sometimes light, others dark.
Yet one thing I can truly say
Despite the fact you often left and returned.
I was always blindly loyal to you.
I never looked at another spouse.
I admit we were neither Cherubs nor Seraphs,
We all had our shortcomings.
Despite that, you judged me on my few failures,
However, I had my successes too.
I worked hard and achieved much,
Alas that interested you not.
Eventually, we got married.
I remained a faithful soul.
We had our ups and downs, but I was loyal to you.
So when I die I only wish for someone
To write upon my tomb’s headstone:
He loved loyally.
How About This for Veterans Day
A monthly Monday morning military meeting
Would be great for them as way of greeting
Talking about things happening another day
Of past successes and prices they had to pay.
Enlisted Term of Service (ETS) had expired
Veterans honorably left service or retired
And here a home they all have selected
Exist in society again and highly respected.
Should show them what they mean to us
Give them this one day a month to discuss
And talk about old times gone by and past
That in their many minds will last and last.
May have survived or died across an ocean
Have priest do a one day a month devotion
Who is of sound mine, body and good health
Even retired veteran with knowledge a wealth.
A 0700 meeting on 3d Monday of each month
would be a great way to show how much we
appreciate them like all. I am preparing this poem
out of respect for those to be recognized on this
great Veterans Recognition Day. My dad was killed
in an accident on the Aircraft Carrier Intrepid CNA-11
now in New York Harbor. This makes me a War
Orphan and I am also a retired veteran myself.
James Thomas Horn
Retire Veteran and Poet
RiverSea Plantation
Bolivia, NC
I was blessed to know a woman in my life
Who faced hard times, struggle, and strife.
A Chinese immigrant, she came from a poor town
Lost her husband, was kept from her daughter, but not kept down.
She had three other children who were born here
Getting them a better life was her biggest fear.
She had to fend for herself and them alone you see,
Speaking little of the language in this foreign country.
But, she had always lived a determined life
So she fought back...with a fork and a knife.
She opened a restaurant in a small community
Where her gracious manner made her friends instantly.
Her children would grow up in town with new friends
The restaurant she opened was the mean to her ends.
She worked very hard...sometimes eighteen hours a day
She never complained because that was her way.
Her life's expectations knew more successes sublime
The restaurant grew...one egg roll at a time.
She once told me of the anxiety she felt at the money she'd spent...
Laughing said, "My uncle said sell 2 qts of Chop Suey/Day...you've got the rent."
She was a woman who chose kindness as she felt had to her been shown
To people far and near her generosity was known.
She was thankful that she had the opportunity
To give back with love rather than animosity.
I first met her over some 30 years back
She struck me from the that moment as a person who had the knack
To make others feel at home though strangers they be
She certainly did, because she did it to me.
I still remember her caring for me...it was shown
Once caught in a blizzard, she opened her home.
So often was there a path to this woman's door
Though she stood, less than 5 foot 4.
Her heart was as big and wonderful as one would want
An earthly angel, she was heaven sent.
Though her health began to wane later in life
She never gave in to that world of strife.
Her eyesight began to fail and it was difficult for her to see
But that didn't stop her or her generosity.
She loved people and filled everyone with cheer
Ever thankful that she had had a life here.
Though she is gone I'll never forget her face
Or her love of life, devotion to family, and unstoppable pace.
To me I'll ever be thankful to have had the joy
Of calling her "Ma" ... ONE IN A MILLION~was Connie Moy!
1st Place Winner - "One in a Million" Poetry Contest
I have come to the point of decision
And I have decided in favour of love
Wisdom is not solely measured by experience
But more by capacity for it
I have glimpsed deep into history
I have sieved through its successes
...for the soundest advice I could find
Most profound I have received from the greatest achievers in its archives
I am a Student of Life
I am a Wordsmith of Optimism
And I am a Mason of the Castles of Dreams
This Trinity of Purpose for me goes hand in hand, side by side
Each benefits the other
Issue is, they set me apart from the others
Here I am, young when I should be intoxicated with the fads of modernity
Fortified with skills that are eager to pay the ordinary wages
But nay, I am not to be beleaguered
I focus ahead to perceive the greater rewards at the summation of days
For I place most value on the greatest wealth: WISDOM and HAPPINESS
I have come to the point of decision
And I have decided in favour of love
I choose to commit my heart entirely
To the work I love best
For it is this calling that shall liberate the sanctity of my humanity
The world I dwell in fathoms not a shred of my quest
For it views life through the lenses of reality
True as it may be that my work suffices not to endow me
...with common currency in these economic times
The rationale of my perception discerns far beyond this temporary mist
Let them roar their throats in laughter at my perceived stupidity
But it is their children and their children’s children that shall benefit most
...From this shelter of thoughts and dreams that for them I build
I expect no immediate remuneration for my onerous undertaking
For I rationalize it as a selfless gift to humanity
Hence I shall tap deep within to give all can give
I am determined to build this Shelter of Thoughts and Dreams
I have the basic skills hence I commit my willingness and ingenuity
The Good Gods shall present the mortar and bricks
The fear of failure has been permanently exiled from boarding my being
As my eyes are fixated on the prize
I am ready to pay the price
An odyssey through hurdles, yet a blessing it is to dwell on earth,
Aiming for destination beloved, chasing sweet dreams of mirth,
Through successes and failures, amid joys and woes, since birth,
Life can be hurricanes and storms, but living it justifies its worth.
Sometimes life beams with hope, sometimes despairs in throes,
Navigating peaks and troughs, undulating with highs and lows,
Yet, unyielding to reign of angst, life rejects doldrums of sorrow,
Aspiring boldly to sunny horizons, hosting endeavors of morrow.
Life, a realm of virtues divine, resounding endearment of love,
A benediction, an endowment, a gift from the heavens above;
Its paradigms and precepts reverberate from temple of soul,
Echoing sapience of enlightenment, teachings paramount toll.
On strength of sheer endurance, aspirations of dreamers soar,
Flexing willpower of ambitions, resolutely they bring to fore,
As life rewards strenuous efforts, striving for its worthy goal,
Fulfilling purpose of tomorrow, triumphs of achievers extol.
Life toddles, stumbles and falls, enduring as it learns to walk,
It stutters, it babbles thoughts, yet persists as it learns to talk,
Cognizant over time, sorting good from bad, right from wrong,
Obeying tenets of morals and values, guiding humanity lifelong.
Day, my lifelong friend,
Thousands of times we have said good morning to each other and
As many times we have said goodnight.
You have wakened me up with the caresses of the sun’s rays and
You have put me to sleep with the lullabies of sunset’s myriad hues.
Sometimes, you were calm as a harbor's waters, and other times you were
Turbulent as the stormy sea
But
I loved you the same, thus inseparable we have remained throughout
The years, holding hands from dawn till dusk.
How many times have I, anxiously, waited for you to come, you will
Never know
Neither will you know how much I have prayed to see you faster go when
Unkind you were to me,
However,
You kept your pace unchanged, obeying only to the will of mighty time.
All these years you have brought to me:
Sorrows and joys,
Tears and laughter,
Failures and successes,
Sickness and health,
Death but also life.
You were the best of my friends and the worst of my enemies but
Side by side we stood, united and determent.
How could otherwise be when we both wished our destiny to fulfill?
Now, my eternal friend, the circle of my life is almost complete.
The days for me on this planet are numbered.
How many more times are we going to salute each other is
Unknown to all but God,
So
Before we say our final goodnight, let me thank you for every
Sunrise and every sunset,
For all the sunshine and all the storms you have brought to my life
For
Without them, an empty vessel, without any experiences would I have been,
Useless to everybody and worthless to myself
Thus
When tomorrow you, my wise friend, come and unable you will be me
To awake, do not be disturbed
Since
Another dawn, brighter than yours, will have welcomed me into its arms for
To console me with her everlasting divine love and light!
© Demetrios Trifiatis
24 November 2021
*Due to the recent serious health problems that brought me face to face with death, I decided to edit and repost an older poem of mine with the same title.
The Old Man In The Mirror
Who is that old man who looks at me in the morning?
When I shave and shower he is there living in a pane of glass
Grey hairs replacing the dark walnut brown
More and more each day, each hour
Eyes looking tired from ages of struggles
Each reflecting a soul which was once so full of life
Now it lays stagnant and lost
It has the memories of its youth
Doing this that that man can only now remember
Wrinkles took so long to show
Even fooling that old man into thinking he was younger than he is
Every grey hair, every wrinkle has been earned
They are the wages of stress, pain and anxiety of aging
Some called them badges of honor
I look in the mirror and see that old man looking back at me
I don’t see honor, pain, stress or anxiety
That old man looking back at me has lived a full life
Successes and mistakes of the past are reflected in the mirror
Lost loves and loves found are hidden in his spirit
I look at the old man in the mirror
I look at the grey hair and the sad eyes
I see each and every wrinkle
I look at the old man in the mirror and I see life
Teach them the songs of the land.
Teach them the rhythm of life.
Teach them the strength of the past,
That they may appreciate the beauty of the future.
Children of today, nations of tomorrow.
They have the right to know and believe in the unity of life.
Teach them to know that all men and women are not just nor truthful.
Let them know that for every mean and selfish people, there are honest, generous and dedicated ones.
Teach them the power of the spirit of sportsmanship, to enjoy winning and as well accept losing when it comes.
Teach them that a dime earned is to be valued far more than a thousand stolen.
Teach them to rejoice in each others successes rather than envy. Teach them to have faith in God and to believe in themselves.
Remind them never to forget that they are masterpieces of the Creator, and none can replace the other.
Please, don’t forget to teach them that it is more honorable to fail than to cheat, and there is no shame in tears.
Teach them the difference between the real world and the world in the pages of magazines, movie screens and television.
Teach them the enduring powers of patience and kindness.
Teach them the endless powers of love and forgiveness.
Expose them to verities of colors of life and remind them to look beyond
skin colors to appreciate the blood of life.
Teach them the importance of a smile in the dark tunnels of life.
Teach them to be simple and truthful to themselves and to keep there distance from drugs.
Teach them to be respectful of life and elders that they may be respected.
Teach them our mother’s songs; tell them where we are, where we have been, where we are going and they will lead the way.
blue birch tree
behind the forest walls
staggering
in the shadows
absorbing every howl.
The phantoms collide
with your seeds of sobriety...
their cackle intensifies
(barometer of your successes).
The golden brook is within your reach
of your denim fingertips..
so reach dear one reach.
like a star searches for its sweet burning heart
full of life and the living sweetness
fight on fight hard
swing your roses at the sword
your not alone
that bird in the clearing sings your victory song..
reach for it through the briar
i'll meet you in the center
in the bowel of the storm
and kiss away the blood of your battles.
For the love of Lippy I've done it all...
And I would do it all again
For my heart, for my joy, for my friend
Oh what a world you got me into!
Some days so long and hard, I thought I'd never make it through
Except for knowing that at the end of the day, I could spend some time with you
We weathered the disasters and wrong choices... mostly mine
But we've reveled in our successes, in our friendship and in our time
So many places, so many changes, what a life we've shared
You've done what I've asked, you've mastered your tasks
And for you I will always be there... as you have been there for me
When my mind is blood red and my heart is stone gray
You stand before me pure white
And your mane dries my tears and your coat soaks in my sorrows
And your eyes always reveal "The Light"
Given to each other by one greater than us who knew what we both would need
Never a truer companionship than with you my faithful steed!
From long lazy rides in lush green fields on warm bright summer days
To tranquil wooded trails and dusty old roads, you've carried me all the way
You saved my heart, you saved my mind, you saved me from it all
And I owe you my life, I owe you the world for answering my call
For you I do it all...
Always in my heart I know you'll be, no matter what time brings
For it cannot separate two spirits joined
Or the memories that make their hearts sing
Together we answered the call
For you my wonderful friend... I did it all
-Alias Pluto Lela
Lipizzan registry #XL007
2-12-81 to 2-9-13 -served as therapeutic riding horse
A curious cocktail of odours greets us
as we move in from playground
to corridor, to cloakroom, to classroom.
Beeswax fragrance: freshly buffed parquet.
Brasso smell: base metal turned to gold.
Jeyes Fluid: vapour killing vile germs.
Such alchemy starts our day with clean slate.
Playground cacophony left behind.
Now each sound has discipline, has purpose.
First bell: registration shall begin.
Next bell: proceed to assembly hall.
Lasses stand on round marks; lads on square marks.
Regular rows, parallel precision.
Stand to attention. Uniform inspection.
At ease. Handshakes and smiles. Peace be with you.
Silence pervades as we ponder our sins.
With ramrod fingers Miss thumps on the keys.
Staccato. Left. Right.
'Ride on Ride on in Majesty'.
A short sermon on compassion is served.
Then, school notices: soccer successes
and the listing of scallywags destined
for public thrashing at high noon next day.
Third bell: learning shall begin.
RI lesson. St Paul's Journey yet again.
In silence we colour in his route map.
With crayons on auto-pilot we day dream.
Our apostle arrives in Rome by morning break.
At this moment I sit and reflect,
so much water has flowed under the bridge,
so much life has been lived,
triumphs, successes, vitories, wins,
pain, frustrations, upsets and defeats,
I am here and more than the sum of my parts
I have lived, i have loved, I have broken hearts,
so much like the onion there is more of me with every peel,
once the peeling is done I will need time to heal.
send prayer, send healing, send chocolate, send love,
most importantly send the love,
while I sit here and reflect.
If I could be much younger than I am,
with my time in life as yet too brief
to give me evidence and cause
to change my views.
If views I held.
I would know such simple ways to right the world
and all the people and injustice in it.
I’d have such certainty of right and wrong,
old failures disregarded,
that all my eyes would see of times to come
would be my hopes,
and of my past,
successes.
I could show my strength of will
with lines drawn deep in evening sands
and cancelled by each morning’s tide.
And the loss of every latest, greatest love
would be forgot
whenever dark eyed interest
was sidelong glanced my way.
If I could be much younger than I am.
Light dances with the idea of love
the sharks circle at mere plight
of weakness but you cant kick out
a ballerina tiptoeing across rivers
red flowing with contemplation
and the final twin feather bed calling
Tomorrow's successes seduce
the captain's chair empty
he's gone out for air
backed up pickup but the limbs won't move
just need another reason for loving you
The walls are built by more than just an emperor
The chains are laced in verse of discrimination
but I'm building a bridge to you
just don't jump and leave us to clean up behind
and as the cock crows it's going to be alright