Thursday, February 2, 2012

Dark, Strong and Beautiful

 Ivan Shishkin


They are dark and strong and beautiful
If you look closely you will see
Jagged lines etched into the bark
The hand of time must have its way

I need to be there, now more than ever
Inhaling the scent of ivory spring and aqua-velva
The rush of the wind has not changed its song
Longing and need as keen now as then

The headiness of youth lies in the musky underbrush
But I prefer the passion of maturity and experience
A sapling cannot be impatient and youth cannot have it all
A branch snaps beneath our feet; your arms encircle me

They are dark and strong and beautiful
If I look closely I will see
The jagged lines etched into your bark
Time stops; it cannot always have its way

Janet~

Margo Roby's Prompt; A place

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Dark Winter Night


Not one star ventures out tonight
To grace its black lapel
The silence is a mantle; white
Its breath a low, drawn knell

The moon retreats to chambers veiled
Or closes its lone eye
No silhouette of pine impaled
Against the heavy sky

Birch skeletons flaunt ivory arms
Boldly against the deep
But there are none to see her charms
The whole world lies asleep

Tonight the Muse has lost her spark
She has no words to say
Methinks perhaps it is too dark
And she has lost her way

Janet~

Beyond this Battle


Hold our hands, we cannot see
Beyond the steps we take
God, be our steadfast surety
For You make no mistake
And oh, we are so prone to stray
As pastures beckon, come
Be our Captain through the fray
Guide this battalion home

The unknown is a gaping void
Of misery and fear
Hope would swiftly be destroyed
Without Your Presence near
But as we feel Your tender touch
Sustaining faithfully
We do not need to fear so much
The things we cannot see

The fight is not forever Lord
The hour is at hand
When we will leave our temporal swords
In plough-shares made of sand
Oh God, it seems we see You etched
Against the setting sun
Into the trenches, arms out-stretched,
We hear You calling come

…and so we press toward Your arms
The battle is not done
This world with all its empty charms
Is but the stepping-stone
A plot of dirt on which we stand
Reaching in humble trust
To hold Your gracious out-stretched hand
Your glory to our dust…

The victory banner waves on high
Beyond this tear-stained plight
Hold our hands and be our Guide
Within the thickest fight
Through enemy lines we will forge
The battle is not long
Hold our hands and lead us, Lord
Oh, keep your warriors strong


 Janet Martin

I saw the movie War Horse last night.
The final scene touched me immensely...
A picture of  weary, wounded warriors coming home.







A Moody Morning Photo Collage...

Moody Sky Haiku


Cantankerous sky
Mouth open wide, full sun smile
Returns to sealed lips

Janet~

I’m cleaning windows and trying to decide if it’s a  ‘hang out my laundry’ day...
The sun appears, to disappear.


After-dawn Haiku


The sky slipped upward
Lifting her bronze morning gown
Naked dirt fields weep

Janet

Morning Haiku

The sky fell at dawn
Metallic, molten fabric
On a frozen field

Janet~

Poemlets on Life...


We cannot drink from Time’s clear-water streams
Or build magic bridges to get to our dreams
We can tilt back our heads catching moments that slip
From the sky to the tree, from the tree to our lips
Tasting each drop as it melts on our tongue
Seeds for the dreamer or notes for a song

***

Life is a garment of pockets it seems
Some filled with promise and others with dreams
If sorrow has spilled from life’s pocket today
We know that joy is one seam-width away

Janet~