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Best Poems Written by Vernon Witmer

Below are the all-time best Vernon Witmer poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

Your Strongest Day

Your strongest day is standing
just outside your door. Let it in.

Each day the sun comes home to you 
it whispers with the wind
calling out your name.

This is no video game.

Life’s a bouquet banquet 
made from your reflections.

You do not need directions.

Pick your moments carefully.
Stop and smell the roses,

leave your motor running 
for the dangers trust exposes.

Listen to where life comes from
the beating sound of your own drum.

Make the most of music that it brings.
Unraveling all your tangled balls of strings.

With patience Iron out each peace, 
 holding tight to all you love 
with nails and teeth.

Now put your stubby thumbs 
through their tiny holster loops 
and pull your britches up.

Hitch them high, 
and puff out your chest !!

You’ve always been ready for this. 
This is not a test.

This is your life.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

Builder of Dreams

I met a man who was a builder, harder life than some.
His lifetimes measure built of him the man he has become.

A carpenter who works with hands, grown tough through each nail driven.
For each connection made he stands to witness love he’s given.

A life that’s built of wood and people, dreams all shared with God.
Connected through a path of faith, a worthy man might trod.

He builds the dream of home and hearth that each heart so requires  
with hands that strive forever forward, even though he tires.

With back that bends toward prayer as a soul on bended knees
he places pieces one by one til finished home he sees.

A sculptor of each family’s home and all their vested futures. 
With caulk and nail and sweat and blood his only given sutures. 

Directing useful trees to be arranged by artful hand.
Conducting symphonies of glory, weather to withstand.

A visionary born of lumber, plaster, tile, and stone,
making memories of houses where his light has shown.

A designer of dreams he moves with speed to completion.
Steady with strength, quick with purpose, into every season.

Delivering hollowed caverns of life for those to call their own.
Shaping shells whose contents hold the people he has known.

A shaper of fluidity, measuring courses, marking flow; 
constructor of places where souls reside, and lives have space to grow.

This man I met is but one finger, not at all so odd, 
who moves with steady purpose, on another hand of God.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

Returning

He followed the motion and before it left the hand, he was away.

His greatest thrill was fulfilling his purpose, to please.

On returning, he stood patient, waiting for that firm stroke 

That caressed his spine; and the feel of the palm on his ribcage;

Two pats coupled with the words:  “Good Boy”.

He knew this pleasure was a current that ran both ways.

This game of fetch, as close as he could ever come, 

To playing catch with his father.  

The way they did, 

When he was once a boy.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

The Poet Soldier

The mind eternal lies before us always.
Less pure in tone, we come to it drenched with life;
Fearless companion in our hour of days. 
A purity not withstanding breadth of knife. 

Away! Away! succubus death, 
much less a breach than I.
How many not mislaid in breath, 
In priceless toll, said duty to be paid.
No field of honored memories 
they preach without belie.

Captured each, and each with closed fist shouting;
Me or not, Cold or hot, we stand between as choice;
all for desperate screams grown silent.
Pastoral in the presence, of one solitary voice,
Whose form of words so hesitantly mouthing.

Whence came we witness to the stream.
Whose eyes are these that hold our field a-view?
Memories whose touch a solid scream;
Form ignored and glory gored of few.

We are not the man.
No animal or simple word defined.
We pause, we pleasure, we perform,
With speck, and all our mind deform;
Our fingers will one day unfold.
Our torrid tortured tale be told.

Yours, mine, ours, 
Drumroll spam-like dance, 
Become the gist of one more fist
To smash against the sand.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

Someone Waits

Morning Sun to Wash My Skin,

Air So Crisp and Clear.

Musical Songs From Every Bird

Soft Laid Upon My Ear.

Bougainvilleas and Magnolias,

Beauty From Every Shore;

Upon My Face, all Heaven Placed,

I Could Not Want for More.

Yet Somewhere Someone Waits For Me, 

For Whom My Heart Completes

Who Sees In Me The Birth 

Of Every Moment 

Their Heart Beats.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

Our Flowers

They move to the breeze 
Created by life’s movements,
Seeding nations, trusting 
The world’s touch.

We may hold our breath 
And say it was taken away
When it was only our words 
That disappeared.

They offer themselves up 
Like earth’s fingers 
Pointing to the stars,
Sun warming 
their drawing stems, 
Reflecting the innocence of god, 

Over and over hoping to be noticed 
For their lack of any casual mistake.
Pull them close and breathe, 
Collect them in glass, 
Protect them at last;

They are each a living mirror 
Reflecting our truth.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

The First of Anything

It dropped white suddenly,
As predicted.
The empty air embraced it; 
Faced it 
With the recognition
of love.
In the quiet 
It would seem forever.
The birds knew.
We counted thirteen 
In the closest tree.
Unsettled,
They seemed to dance 
With the restless joy 
Of children.
They knew 
That what we think of 
As the beginning,
Always comes in the middle.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

now memory

a small cloud passed white

against a dark blue sky

curved, for eyes like mine,

remembering eyes like yours.

a small cloud igniting 

another heart

to burn along its way

that was my yesterday.

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

The Fair

The car door opened 
The first thing I saw 
Was an explosion of balloons, 
More than I’d ever seen 
In my entire nine-year life.  
For the first time 
We were at the fair 
I leapt from the car 
Feet running before 
They hit the ground, 
Knowing I had to see 
Everything, 
Do 
Everything, 
Taste 
Everything 
In just two hours 
Before the long trip home 
And, I did!!
The drive home was filled 
With dizzying, dazzling, 
Stupefying memories of
Excitement, movement, 
Colors, noise, 
Tastes, 
People, 
Rides.  
I had taken in 
As much as I could 
As fast as I could 
Leaving scarcely room
For a breath 
Now I finally let it all out 
By throwing up 
In the back seat 
With a loud, “Brrraaaggghh!!
As he pulled the car over 
My father mumbled, 
“Never again”, 
My mother whispered, in reply 
“Never again”,   
I scarcely heard them 
As I shouted, 
“When can we go again??”!!

Details | Vernon Witmer Poem

On Apologies

today a baby died
a girl was raped
a boy was shot
someone got divorced
someone lost their dog
a car broke down
a flower was trampled
someone broke their arm
it rained
it flooded
there was a fire
there was a tornado
someone was given a diagnosis
someone failed their test
someone lost their job
someone broke up
someone broke down
someone burned something
a letter didn't come
someone declared war
someone didn’t show up
someone showed up
someone left
someone returned
someone got lost
someone was found
someone got lucky
someone’s luck ran out
someone lost a limb
someone lost their life
and
someone hurt your feelings

sorry