FROM THE COLLECTED WORKS OF 1LT NOAH HARRIS
Acronyms, Mantras, and Poems
Although all of his works are published posthumously, many people knew about them while he was alive because he shared his thoughts freely. Everyone who knew or met him heard his acronyms, and he often shared his “working” mantra/prayer with his friends. He carried it in his wallet and read it out loud every day throughout the day as many times as possible because it helped him stay focused. We are thankful he kept so many journals which had little poems and more mantras and acronyms tucked between the pages. It is from these which this little collection has been drawn. It is not chronological memoir like Simply American, but rather thoughtful, prayerful, and poetic as was his spirit.
IDWIC: I Do What I Can!
I am in God’s hands. I am full of positive energy, ideas, and thought.
I am open and receptive to the ideas and the path
that will lead me to my higher purpose.
I am on the path and I walk with God.
I am open to the infinite intelligence of the universe as it guides me.
I believe in myself. I will focus on what I have to give
rather than what I will receive.
I will shine the light on others and ultimately, that light will shine on me.
Positive attitudes are contagious…each day that rises is a beautiful day
full of opportunity in which to make myself better and focus on God.
I will make the most of my time.
I must do this for me, but also to honor all the fallen heroes of my past.
This is the giant maple beside the Ticklebug Creek under which
Noah was conceived and where his ashes have been spread.
“Untitled”
Atop the hill in an ocean of green,
The solemn oak stands alone,
Beneath the same sky as many forests,
Basking in the same sun as it begins to set.
Yet this tree is solitary in its place.
This tree knows only of itself and loneliness;
But this tree stands strong.
Winds shall not topple it.
Rain it just drinks.
This tree is unwavering in its stance.
I stand as this tree does.
Though I stand beneath the same sky as many,
I am on my own.
I bleed and cry, laugh and sing, as others do,
But I, in my solitude, stand alone and strong.
__________________________________________________________________
WAHM: With All My Heart
Lord, thank you for this glorious day and the many gifts and
happinesses of which I am the grateful recipient.
I greet this day with an attitude of pure love, passionate joy,
humble acceptance, and overwhelming gratitude for everything
I have been given in your name, especially for the abundance
of time, space, and energy with which to seek first
the kingdom of heaven and be the servant of your will…
Noah (GHS Senior Journal, on the way to UGA)
Watch me as I disappear, leaving soon, within the year.
I’m pushing away from my mountain town;
I won’t let anyone pull me down.
Watch me as I conquer the top.
When I get there, I won’t stop.
I’ll reach through the clouds, who knows how far?
Until my mind becomes a star.
Straight ahead, my heart’s on fire.
My Athenian quest—will never tire.
Over canyons, forests, across raging streams,
Through books and words, I’ll chase my dreams.
__________________________________________________________________
YMETM: You Mean Everything to Me!
“YMETM, BABY,” was Noah’s favorite affirmative end to a conversation
on the phone or when taking off in his trusty little, white compact car.
He always used acronyms as emotional touchstones
he wanted to put into your hand, your pocket, and your heart.
We think he meant something like: “You and I?
We’re on the same team. I got your back.”
The True Gentleman
By: John Walter Wayland
The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will
and an acute sense of propriety and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies;
who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty,
the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity;
who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another;
who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power,
or boast of his own possessions or achievements;
who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy;
whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings
of others rather than his own; and who appears well in any company;
a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.
“Untitled”
Out in the country, mid-afternoon,
Open road, not a soul in sight,
Seeing all I can before the rising of the moon,
Flowers begin to close, feeling the chill of night.
An immense freedom lurks out here.
If I stay too long, my spirit may not return.
Out here visions become so clear;
Thoughts of returning, my only concern.
All connections cut, knots undone,
(I feel wanted in His loneliness).
Just the I am, the wind, and the sun,
Contentment on my head is blessed.
Such a moment puts my soul at rest.
Photo by: Daniel Rosado
_______________________________________________________________
IDBIQ: I Die Before I Quit
The Warrior Ethos
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
Life is a journey, but for a journey to truly get somewhere there must be a direction.
Without direction, it’s just walking around.
For some, walking might be a purpose;
but is a purpose a purpose if it is not recognized as such?
It is our purpose and beliefs which guide us,
our character which allows us to make decisions, the correct decisions.
Noah’s High School Senior Poem 1999
Warmth upon my face; it is golden morning.
Out of deep slumber I unfold without warning.
Open my eyes to the sweet gift I’ve been granted;
Another day of breath I shall not take for granted.
With vigor I rise, beating conquest in my eyes;
Mine for the taking, all that’s beneath the skies.
A hint of a smile tickles as I draw my sword.
Onward I stride without uttering a word.
For talk, however beautiful, is empty and cheap.
It is strength and blithe action that rewards will reap.
As the night falls, to my partners I raise my glass,
A toast to the precious day I lived as my last.
Before I retire, I fall on my knees to pray,
With gratitude for all that I’ve received today.
That I may rise and live and breathe my honor once more,
Using every minute to its fullest until there are no more.
BAYONET! (Noah’s Company)
_____________________________________________________________
CARPE DIEM: Seize the Day.
It’s not an acronym, but Noah said it so often it might as well have been.
Who knows what future days may hold?
Why look ahead when the future is now?
Grasp this moment and the next like gold!
Don’t wait for wind; make some of your own -
Unfurl your sail!
Life is a beautiful gift and I have been truly blessed.
Each moment is an opportunity.
I am God’s greatest miracle. God has me covered in each situation.
I am blessed. I am adaptable. I am comfortable in all situations.
I am confident, powerful, and charismatic.
God has paved my path with gold. God has opened doors wherever I go.
Noah (College journal)
Spring buds drip from trees...
I am the wind that shakes the branches.
I am the melody on which the leaf dances.
Up through the clouds I go,
Tracing valleys and hilltops I do not know,
On my shoulder a bird will glide...
I carry secrets on my crest others did confide.
The only thing I know not to be a lie,
The wind I am and wander the Earth do I.
4th grade: Noah plays Johnny Cash in: “The Highwayman.”
“I fly a starship across the universe divide.
And when I reach the other side;
I’ll find a place to rest my spirit if I can;
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again;
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain;
But I will remain.
And I’ll be back again.”
Noah’s Iraq Bible with the pink sticky note displayed. He always worked on his faith.
Jim Wilson carried the bible with the pink sticky note over his heart on his last tour in Afghanistan.
__________________________________________________________________
ZEN, BABY! BE HERE NOW!
I recognize I am one with God; everything I need will be provided.
I accept all experience as being for the benefit of my learning and growth;
each experience is sufficient. I know each new moment leads me toward
becoming the ideal self I see within. I believe in myself.
I am empowered and self-confident. I accept serendipity in each
moment of my life. In faith, I fearlessly follow the path to my true destiny.
I let go of all my ego agendas that attempt to control my destiny.
I fly the path of life effortlessly and confidently to my true destination.
I accept that there will always be an ideal to guide me,
yet it will not make me anxious or impatient
because I know I am perfect in this present moment.
Noah (“Zen Baby”)
So brief this breath of life,
Once exhaled it is no more,
So each should be deep and substantial.
Yet for many, it is short and silent;
Unfortunate others may sneeze or cough...
matter, of what the universe is made,
and most people desire the life full of matter.
For me, I want my life to matter, so
Once the breath leaves the lungs of life,
I will be able to look back
And see that my life mattered,
That this breath wasn’t wasted.
Were my breath to end abruptly this day,
Would I have mattered or would I be trapped
by thoughts of what matter the future holds for me?
A promising future? Worth less than the paper it’s printed on!
However, a promising present holds much power;
The wise do not bank on a promising success,
For that future may not appear...
Death lies just around the bend, unpredictable
Time stopping, the finest virtue; and so
I will dance and sing at the top of my lungs,
Laughing and basking in the sun.
Like a solitary tree,
I will stand in the promising moment...
LT Ashley Henderson Huff, one of Noah’s college buddies.
She was a beanie baby warrior too. (KIA, 9/19/05) #NEVERFORGET!
___________________________________________________________________
“Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven...”
Not an acronym, but more a battle cry with Noah.
Remember Africa. Those with nothing, no food, no water, hopeless;
yet, they still smile. How could I ever not smile, not be so happy?
I am alive. I live in America. I have water whenever I need; I have food.
Education. The list goes on and on. How could I ever be down?
I know what I was put here for. To help others. I will politically and financially
use my influence to change the world. Bring happiness into others’ lives.
Make each person I see feel special. I will always capitalize on all
opportunities to positively influence others’ lives.
Worry about what I am giving and not what I am receiving.
Act locally. Every moment ask myself,
“What can I do to make this better?” Remember Africa.
The Journey
There was this pine thicket where I would go,
Only reason was to hear the wind blow.
Like the voices of ancients, it would sigh,
Tickling the pine needles as it went by.
I listened closely; secrets it would share,
As it blew through the trees and ruffled my hair.
Since my last visit, it’s been many years;
Much ground I’ve covered and conquered many fears.
With each mile I traveled, I’d feel my heart grow,
Many things I learned and from this I know:
Though great distances I roamed to find peace within,
It was always in the thicket where the journey did begin.
Noah leading his men in prayer before a mission, Ba’Quba, Iraq.
(Almost summer, 2005)
______________________________________________________________
NPNG: No Pain, No Gain!
No I. Remember always, I am actively living God’s plan for me.
Everything is happening just as God intends. Balance is the key.
I try too hard often times which throws me off balance.
Be the best I can be in each moment, accountable and balanced.
Free! Lying on the ground, nothing on my mind, I tell you this day is one of a kind…
On any given day, I contemplate the universe and life and everything
in between… and today I vow to lead an extraordinary life.
“Untitled”
Spring 2001
One simple way to escape my melancholy,
Close my eyes, relax, and float away from the stress,
To memories of places where I’ve traveled and thrived,
When I think of such landscape, I feel more alive.
In the mountains, silver Aspen trees all around,
Blue sky, perched on rocks, jutting up through the ground,
On the edge of painted canyons, my scuffed boots walk,
With my own adventurous spirit, contented, I talk.
Standing on the vast rim, at the bottom I stare,
As a traveling wind blows miles through my hair.
The adrenaline, climbing to the top of red rocks,
Warming from the explosion of energy shocks.
Playing on these power points, fills me with love and mirth,
As though for me, God made this moment and this whole earth.
Under the setting sun, the landscape turns brilliant red,
And as the light dims, I see the first star overhead.
Nature Boy visits Big Poplar!
________________________________________________________
100%100%: Give it all you’ve got 100% of the time!
I will organize my notebooks, focus, pay attention to teachers,
pretend I am in college; study hard at night, test or not.
Stop watching TV; read: The Magic of Believing, Think Like DaVinci,
An Incomplete Education, Time Management for Dummies.
Carry a notebook with me to jot down ideas.
Get up with the alarm clock every day…
Start a tithe and don’t touch it… It’s time to grow up.
Say mantra and prayer 20x a day… work out every day…
Be compassionate… from the time I rise until I go to sleep.
At Last
Far away places pull at my mind
Whispering softly, "Make much of time,"
Reminding me that while they will last
My life too soon's a thing of the past.
Like the leaves living on a solemn oak tree
The oak will remain, but the green is set free.
Each second that passes is one less to spend
The clock will keep ticking long past my end.
Like a tumbleweed, I will ride on the wind
For the mossy rock with death does not contend.
I pull up my roots, with no word walk away
Die I shall, but not in this place and not on this day.
__________________________________________________________________
“FAITH”
Leadership is the same everywhere. You see someone who is frowning and
you put up your hand and wave; and in Iraq, you take your interpreter
over to them and let them talk to you through the interpreter;
and if you listen well, pretty soon, they’re gonna be smiling at ya.
Be a man: Live the Army values. You can only give your integrity away.
No one and nothing can take it from you.
Be a model of what it is to be professional and embody the Army values.
Be a values based officer. Fight justly. Stand up for what is right all the time.
Be cheerful in bad and good situations. Optimism will carry the day.
Hold everyone to a standard of toughness and emphasize team.
Look to the needs of my men first.
Noah’s Desert Poem
A blue sky is in my mind,
Above the desert sands.
Gently a breeze walks along,
Silence the only noise.
Serene and still, I close my eyes,
I am here, by myself,
But I am not alone.
Inside and all around,
A presence is there,
All is empty, All is still;
Yet, I am fulfilled.
I am not alone; I am strong.
________________________________________________________________
YAMS: You Are My Sunshine!
Amen (the benediction of the 13 year morning prayer)
Lord, my cup is always overflowing, it’s always overflowing,
and no matter what I am thinking, saying, doing, being,
I know I am with you. Who-ah, Baby!
I am a warrior and I will live as such.
I answer to my higher power and a higher purpose.
I cower before no one. I am courageous.
I hold honor and character above all…
I am virtuous and yet I let nothing stand in the way of victory.
I am willing to face defeat and fear.
My spirit and heart are fearless.
I am protected by God and the universe.
I hold myself to the highest standards.
I do my best in each thing I do in each moment.
I do what I can.
“Untitled”
2004
And the light shone down from the heavens
Slender rays of gold breaking through the clouds
Like gentle fingers caressing the earth.
Though in body, I’m on the ground,
My spirit is flying in the sky,
Wings spread free and alive, liberated,
So far away from the struggles below.
I am fulfilled and whole;
I am by myself, but I am not alone.
Such sweet release!
It is here that I let go.
“A Peaceful Solution”
1999
Maybe one day Peace will come and War will end.
Maybe the solution is just around the bend.
Maybe peace is not meant to be,
But if it is, it will begin with me.
WE LOVE YOU, NOAH
