norm (02/06/83)
the following poems are not all by me. The first was written by Dave Glenn
and published in Life and Liberty magazine (now defunct). The second,
Moments to Remember was my Antidote to Dave's Moments Categorized, and the
third was my brother Steve's similarly-motivated reply to Dave's. I've not
written many poems in my life -- probably Monitor and Emilia are the last
poems I wrote.
I suppose my excuse is that it's hard to find the time, but I guiltily feel
that I really lack motivation...
Anyway, here's the poems -- I hope somebody likes them! --Norm Andrews
Moments Categorized
The moment born in beauty
Dies before its beauty is made known.
Reaching out, to seize and keep it,
But confirms our direst fear:
The moment never was.
The moment born in Terror
Haunts us after its Time is long gone.
Reaching out, to seize and kill it,
But confirms our direst fear:
The moment lives forever.
The moment born prosaic
Hovers `round us like a dense fog.
Reaching out, to seize and change it,
Yet confirms our direst fear:
The moment is our cage.
Dave L.Glenn 1970?
Moments To Remember
The moment born in Beauty
Lives - I made Her essence known.
Thinking first, I strove to Own Her,
Identified my Values:
Now Beauty is my Own.
The moment born in terror
Died swiftly - I made its essence known.
Thinking then, to know it, grasp it,
Affirmed my Love of Values:
The moment's dead as stone.
The moment's mistlike dullness
Chilled me, checked my soul.
Thinking how to seize and change it,
I stretched my Self -
UPHELD my Values:
The mist is gone - I'm in control.
Norm Andrews 1970?
"NEIN-KAMPF"
The mundane moments are kindling--twigs!
To a fiery frame of mind,
And terror is a stranger, except to he who finds
That he's sabotaged the cause and base
of beauty born in time.
STEVE ANDREWS
in c/o: Norm Andrews, ABI
Holmdel, N.J.
(The following written when the New Hampshire legislature
decided to run a contest to help them select the best
"State Animal" for New Hampshire.)
THE FAMILY OF MAN
Strange animals -- with minds to think,
and reasons to care, they deny themselves
and do not dare to CHART their courses
anywhere -- at least it sometimes seems
that way! But look again, their minds
will glow, and from those minds
torrents flow, of goods (and waste)
and POEMS to tast: RHYMES they do
and undo! Egoistic creatures, these
animals, these Men!
With all their weaknesses and problems,
humans are the most decent and heroic
animals. Let This State, which flaunts
the motto "Live Free or Die", now select
The Family of Man to represent our
animal ideal!
Norm Andrews
Monitor
An introspective thought by me
May monitor my mind to see
That in the case of transient stores,
None change the state of protein cores,
So "noughts" aren't formed where "ones" ought be.
Norm Andrews -- 1971?
Monitor
An introspective thought by me
may monitor my mind to see
if transient stores
to protein cores
put "oughts" (nought ones)
where ones ought be.
Norm Andrews -- 1971?
To Emilia, Intimately, Publicly.
Naked you shall see me
(With but transient imperfections)
As I stretch myself, luxuriously,
Relishing a strongly sensual pleasure.
(The fools' indifference counts for nothing.
And those who admire me
May smile, affirm me as their own,
Yet still be strangers.)
You see, radiant beauty and naked strength are values,
While faults and flaws, or imperfections,
Non-values unworthy of purposeful display,
Are minor afflictions -- to be ignored.
Of course it would be corrupt of me
To brandish a blemish,
As though it were really a torch,
And do so as a part of my style.
But I don't. i hold a torch,
A lamp which dispels darkness,
Effortlessly, since the existence of darkness
Depends on the absence of light.
So, I'll trade my poems for yours,
And if you're good at it, more.
Smile for smile, stretch for stretch,
Nakedness for nakedness.
Norman Andrews 1970?
Norm Andrews
American Bell
4E333
Holmdel, New Jersey
(201) 834-3685