Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Poetry


Poetry is not a word
Or a line or a rhyme
It is a thought, a passion stirred
With whisper of finger-tips
And lips,
Saying nothing in particular
And everything
At the same time
Poetry is murmured by breezes
And crashing of the sea
Poetry is a caged thought set free
In nothing more than the hint of a smile
Or the glimmer of regret
Shining in your eye
Over reaching an age of knowing
Too much, and yet
Nothing at all
Poetry weeps in the rain as it falls
And seeps through the darkness
Like a somber cloak
Yet my heart breaks loose
By a thought you spoke
With nothing more
Than the wisp of a sigh
In your glance
As you passed by…

J~

Life's Dance


Even life’s best moments
Will eventually be
For all of our holding
But a memory

Moments of sorrow
Must have their day
But if there’s a tomorrow
It too passes away

I hold you to me
Knowing full well
Tis but a prelude
To farewell



J~

Familiarity


Tis not an unfamiliar thing
The dusk-blue twilight knitting
The horizon to the sky
In art of heav’n’s befitting

Tis not an unfamiliar thing
The half-breath that I take
As I sense you slipping
From me as I wake

Tis not an unfamiliar thing
As sunlight paints the day
To hear you softly whispering
Before you slip away

J~

Monday, June 13, 2011

On Some Days


On some days a pen feels heavy in my hand
And there are no words to write
As life deals out endless demand
Wearying me in its fight

On some days words intimidate
Such a small but mighty tool
They encourage and convict
Exposing wise men…and the fool

On some days all my poetry
Takes on the thought and form of you
And I would never set it free
It is meant for only two

J~

What Happened?


Remember those days when, as shadows would fall
And twilight dimmed the sky overhead
All up the streets our mothers would call
‘Time to come in for bed’
Remember the sound of childish dismay
Bidding our playmates goodnight
Because morning was an eternity away
Brimming with dreams and delight

Remember when children would skip or climb trees
Or gather for a game of ‘ball’
Sisters would tattle and brothers would tease
And you could hear mothers call
‘Come in, come in, it’s getting late
Tomorrow will come too soon’
But still we would play as long as we dared
Until the threat of a wooden spoon

Remember those days of tag and bare feet
Of playing out-doors all day
The pond to chase away August heat
And while sunny hours away
Remember the good old days of yore
Before screens abducted young eyes
Silencing the slamming of the old screen door
But opening a door to demise...

...remember when mothers and daddies would pause
On the porch at the end of a day
Reluctant to go inside because
They were watching their children play
No cell phones or blackberries or 'twittering'
Or messages to return
I wonder what are we teaching our children
As they observe... and learn

Janet~

It’s up to us as parents to keep those
‘good old days’ alive, isn’t it?

Remember when our parents would have to order us
to come inside…not to go outside, PLEASE…

Forces


We cannot force love
Anymore than we can force
The magnolia from the bud
Or the ending of life’s wars
So we cannot force love

We cannot force the waves
To lie placid on the bay
Or draw from winter’s graves
The blooms of yesterday
And we cannot force love

We cannot pull to us
Or obediently take hold
Of a heart simply because
We must do as we are told
For we cannot force love

But love’s mighty force
Is unstoppable
And in its kind discourse
Anything is possible
In the force of love

Janet~

Echo


Can you bear its sad allure?
Does it make you want to cry?
It’s an agony so pure
I won’t brush it from my eye

Like the weeping of a breeze
In a mournful lullaby
As it stirs the slumbering trees
Small beneath the hollow sky

Does it wash across your soul?
Does it make you want to cry?
As you hear it’s echo roll
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye

J~

Saturday, June 11, 2011

To Mommy from Heaven


No wind-swept kisses on my cheek
No apple blossoms clinging to my hair
No first words for me to speak
Oh mommy, did you never really care?
No summer picnics at the park
Or watching as the rain comes pouring down
No bedtime kisses after dark
Or buying me a satin wedding gown

Did you really never love me?
Was I simply a symbol of your shame?
Did you really never love me, mom?
Was I the fruit of hatred's evil game?

No sitting at the brink of dusk
To watch the sun slip soundlessly away
No daisy-chains or buttercups
No imaginary games for us to play
No birthday cards or sticky smiles
As I tasted my first birthday cake
No looking deep into my eyes
And loving me until your heart could break

Did you really never love me mom?
Did you think you'd be rid of all your blame?
Did you really never love me mom?
You never even gave to me a name

Now there is sunshine on my face
A halo on my pretty golden curls
I'm in such a lovely place
A Heaven full of little boys and girls
It’s a home of joy and love
Overflowing with a thousand charms
Sometimes I wish that you were here
To see me in my loving Father's arms

Did you really never love me mom?
Or was it just not greater than your fear?
Did you really never love me mom?
Can't help but wish sometimes that you were here

Janet~

Hello...




The light disappears and suddenly the sky is far way
Hello my dear, I’ve begun to expect you at this time of day
You know as well as I do that the telephone
Is sometimes the only way we can be alone

The lamp casts an amber-orange glow on the street
Did you have a good day love, are you ready to sleep?
Well, I’ve had some worse but its better now
Just hearing your voice does that to me somehow

The trees fall away into the dark of the sky
What’s that you say? Do I miss you tonight?
I don’t need to tell you because I know that you know
I stare through my window at the amber-orange glow…

J~