Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Creed for Manhood...Happy 19th birthday Poem for our son, Matt








Regard none beneath your caring
But shoulder to shoulder trod
Son, be careful and be daring
For the kingdom of our God

Let love be your faultless weapon
Be not aimless in life’s quest
Run your race with grace-abandon
Seek the good and leave the rest

Learn the value of an hour
Earn the esteem you desire
Be the role model you look for
Be the man that you admire

Guard your heart from impure hunger
Always do the best you can
Love and gratitude works wonders
In the spirit of a man

Let the health of labor please you
Love your neighbor as yourself
Keep the Handbook from God near you
Not dust-covered on a shelf

When life riles you, look to Jesus
Pray often and trust His word
He, our help for human weakness
He, our true hope undeterred

Ah, He is always beside you
Wise and kind, forever-Friend
In each struggle, let Him guide you
He is faithful to the end

© Janet Martin

(they've come to expect it: a mom-poem in their birthday card:)

 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
            Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov.1:7

Monday, May 1, 2017

What Happiness a Baby Brings...



…and so they grow
Grandson Brantley will be 4 mos. in a few days.
He loves to come and hang out at grandma's house with mommy, 
as they did today to while smile away a rain-dreary afternoon.
(but NO smiles for the camera:)



 (Brantley greeting daddy just home from work)

Praying God’s guidance and blessing
to young parents everywhere
in their new greatest mission;
parenthood!



What happiness a baby brings
The crown-jewel of common kings
Where lilied light of laughter rings
The song-bells of the heart
With love of loves and joy of joys
As weeny girls and teeny boys
Heaven’s magnum opus deploys
To earth, its purest art

God smiles into our hungry arms,
A miracle of dearest charms
Wonder, both young and old disarms
With mutual delight
Then all we want to do is kiss
And cuddle newborn baby-ness
Because nothing compares to this;
…a baby to hold tight

What sacred task a baby brings
God entrusts us with angel-wings
That soon entangle in heart-strings
As they learn how to fly
While we learn how to hold-let-go
And teach the love of ‘yes’ and ‘no’
And my, how fast sweet baby grows
Hush-hush and rock-a-bye

© Janet Martin



The Poem...

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “The (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem.

Yesterday disappeared without a chance to 'play' the final prompt but it's never too late to poem:)

The poem of April reserves its right to be written again and again



I suppose life would go on with one less verse or two
As we employ the hand with fixed demand of Duty’s ‘do
And I suppose we never really miss what is not penned
But still, life would lose half its bliss without this; poem-friend

Could we be quite as happy without lilt and lay of rhyme?
It weds to heart what eye beholds where beauty’s belfries chime
And what pray tell, would snare the swell of seasons as they flare
Without ink-pictures gleaned from spigots hung on yawning air?

And how else would we cradle in a smile the little boy
After that infant isle of freedom’s innocence and joy
The new born babe, so brief a babe but in a poem’s keep
…the thrill remains of mother as she rocks them while they sleep

The poem-violet blooms year-round, with poem-vim, the Past
From vaults of verse returns to resurrect its frozen cast
Then, we do not forget to dance, romance of Yester-year
Will wrap its arms around us as lost ballrooms reappear

The poem is a little girl with golden curl, bare feet
A color-splash where rain-song-gray washes window-framed street
A pumpkin-piled wheelbarrow or a wild-flower bouquet
A world of wish and whisper gathered in a triolet

The poem is a paradox of fact and fantasy
Where God ordained an inkwell primed with perfect poetry
Thereby it is, the tickle of pen can stir the soul
To happiness again where it seemed it had found a hole

The fountain of youth is in truth, a Thing of poetry
The ilk that keeps it filled instills delightful buoyancy
Therefore, oh sweet and oft forgotten soldier of the tome
I raise a humble verse of praise in honor of The Poem

© Janet Martin

A wonderful poem about poems here

Therefore It Is No Longer I

What a day yesterday was...filled with reminders of God's faithfulness and love as we listened to God's Word, story of radical forgiveness, (click link for touching proof of the power of Christ in us) We witnessed the baptism of two young men, heard of God's faithfulness lived out through willing people serving the needy among this world's poorest in things, yet rich in hope...
the hope we all have through Jesus! 
Let's live out our love for Him, who and where ever we are!
We serve the King of Kings and Lord of lords!




What power, what humility, on sanctioned tree became
The hope for all humanity through suffered pain and shame
What love became the Scapegoat for soul’s awful destiny
With dying breath, death could no longer claim the victory
What tender mercy spans the rift; all mankind may receive
The faithful fullness of salvation’s gift, if we believe
Therefore it is no longer I, for what have I to boast
Save life through death of Jesus Christ who gave His utter Most

What holy purpose ordains common tide of dust to dust
Where triumph is the promise after death achieves its Must
What wonder leaves mouths gaping yet the heart humbled with praise
Oh, Hallelujah, what a Saviour suffered in our place
Where salvation, bought with the pierce of nail and thorn and sword
Unmerited and free provides man’s undeserved reward
Therefore it is no longer I, for what have I to claim
Save hope of Heaven, when I die through Jesus’ sacred Name

What joy and gladness girds us even as sorrow’s tears bleed
The Lord does not forsake us in darkest hours of need
What strength enfolds our weakness; what a friend to all is He
The perfect King of kings who became Lamb for you and me
And left his glory-land to stand silent while sinners cursed
And smote and spat upon the Author of the Universe
Therefore it is no longer I but Christ that lives in me,
Until this faith becomes the sight of Him eternally

© Janet Martin

  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gal.2:20