Happy New Year....

As we stand and look back today
Tell me; what do you see?
As the old year slips away
Into eternity
As echoes roll across our minds
And faces blur its screen
As this year now is left behind
In pastures ever-green
As we review with smiles and tears
Our moments one by one
And contemplate how quick the years
Seem to be here and gone
Is it with joy or sad regret
We bid this year farewell
One to remember or forget…
Come midnight’s silent knell
Who will we hold close to us?
Who will we keenly miss?
As we celebrate tonight
Will we remember this?
The One who holds in His control
Each breath and passing hour
Remains unchanged; He loves us still
And keeps us by His power…………

Janet~

Happy New Year and
May God be with you
And richly bless you in 2011~

The New Year Waits..........

It waits for us in shrouds of mist
Its bowers hid from view
The old year, sadly, fondly kissed
Now sleeps beyond the blue
And in its stead a new year gleams
On hope’s translucent spires
Upon its wings we sense new dreams
New visions and desires

The disappointed tears we’ve wept
Now sleep beneath the sod
Yesterday’s failures are swept
Into the arms of God
As lovingly He wipes away
Our folly; every trace
And gives to us a brand new day
A gift of love and grace

The old year rests in history
With myriads before
Ahead we see but mystery
A vague, yet open door
On its threshold now we stand
Between the old and new
One thing remains; God’s faithful hand
To gently guide us through

Janet Martin~

When Springtime Comes Again

The bud will soon break through the limb
Now clad in frosty white
The gray sky will be blue again
And warm, this cold stark night
The storm of words can't be retrieved
And truth can be a foe
When sweeter lies which we believed
Lie trampled in the snow.......

Spite and anger strip away
The bud, tender and pure
On the ground in sad array
Its valiant seeds endure
The echo of a softer song
Drifts to me on the breeze
But we are no longer young
How trite are memories

After winter comes the spring
The season of new life
Into its zephyr we will fling
The darkened veil of strife
A brand new bud now sleeps below
The cold and morbid grain
Waiting to bloom, beneath the snow
When springtime comes again

Janet~

Art Display.....open to public

If God should spread across the sky
For all man to behold
Each moment of our year gone by
In pictures bright and bold
And if we stood to gaze upon
This cosmic gallery
To witness all the things we’ve done
I wonder what we’d see…….

Janet~

And So It Goes....

Without a sound or parting glance
It slips beyond our grasp
No farewell kiss or long slow dance
No lingering handclasp
No ‘see you on another day’
No whispered sentiment
Quietly it slips away
Its final heartbeat spent

And all that we are left to hold
Within our feeble grip
Are countless memories untold
Before they too shall slip
An echo from the distant hill
A sigh upon the breeze
A murmur when the night is still
Of moments such as these

A picture printed in our mind
Or stored within our heart
Mere moments painting grand designs
And priceless works of art
God, teach us how to treasure, then
Each moment that we hold
And love life without measuring
For soon we shall be old

A little folding of the hands
A little bit of love
Before we leave these troubled sands
For higher courts above
A little smile upon the lip
A little bitty tear
And so it goes, as moments slip
Into another year……..

Janet~

Those 'not-so-perfect' Days......

Some day perhaps
she will look back
upon this day that was....
Someday perhaps
it will not hurt
and she will smile because
some how the grief
has passed away
and all that she will see
are tiny little paintings of
a tender memory

Janet~

Almost Tomorrow....

She sat there yesterday
beside the open trunk...
Should she look in
or walk away?
Was it equivalent to…..junk?
In spite of her hesitation
she drew a piece out,
gazed at it lovingly
held it to her heart and set it aside....
this she did
again and again
sometimes she laughed
sometimes she cried
and sometimes.....
she died....a little,
the sun fell behind the trees.
the moon rose
it was daylight again
as it fell on the snow
the wind moaned
in comfort-less song
carefully she returned
each memory
back to where it belonged
those were special times........
but they are gone
she locks the trunk
the dawn is gray......
in the end....
the past is as tangible
as the wind.....
she walks away.........
life happens today
it is almost tomorrow

Janet~

Resting Assured

When hands and hearts I dearly love
Have gone so far away
I place them in Your hands, oh God
And know they’ll be okay

Janet~

The Patience of....Paper

............oh, the shoulder of a page
You never bid me hush
Here across your patient stage
The artist wields a brush
The poet speaks in words of ink
Life's passion, joy and fear
On your shoulder, I may think
Or shed a secret tear
You never tell me to depart
You simply hear me out
You have worn my heart of hearts
Desire, love and doubt
And if perchance I should request
Another hour from you
You offer me your very best………
A patient page or two

Janet~

The Fact of the Matter Is.....

Words spoken....
Keep walking
Words written....
Keep talking

Janet:)

Lord Byron lived from 1788-1824
(author of The Dark Blue Sea)

Warm Details...........

When winter seems long…….
Too long and it has scarcely begun
With its cold blue lips drawn
Over the sun
I recall details of a warm summer day
To chase frigid shadows of winter away
I recall the little brook at the foot of the hill
Meandering, chattering, when the midnight is still
The tall reeds standing like infantry
Within its gurgling melody
The delicate fringe of a pale pink dawn
Shedding its tinge on a dew-kissed lawn
The song-bird heralding the first soft light
The last star fading out of sight
I recall the fresh breeze of a summer morn
How it would tease the fields of corn
And softly laugh against my cheek
Its kiss not for the faint or weak……
I pine for the scent of a sudden rain
Washing the earth all clean again
Childish voices drifting to me
As they loll in the shade of the maple tree
The perfume of a thousand blooms
Wafting through airy living-rooms
Windows wide-open to catch the sound
Of summer’s midnight coming down
A thousand crickets serenade
This hallowed hour, heaven-made
When winter seems long……..
Too long and it has scarcely begun
I recall the moments soaked in yellow sun…..

Janet~

Sonnet of Winter..........

The grapevine o’er the lintel
Has lost its russet glow
The pergola in the garden
Sits vacant, in the snow
The little child of summer
Sleeps soundly in its bed
Lulled by the moaning of the wind
Through stark trees overhead

The ship waits in the mooring
The sea, a frozen plain
No wave or warm wind luring
It from its port again
Across the field of daisies
A chilling sonnet blows
Where once the breeze was lazy
Now the shroud of winter glows

No tiny bud or blossom
To grace the barren limb
Upon earth’s frigid bosom
The light of day grows dim
Night draws its cobalt curtain
Before the day is through
In deeper shades it crowns the earth
Transforming white to blue

The dusty lanes of summer
The long, slow afternoon
Have fled to greener climates
Beneath a gentler moon
The sun-drenched haunt of August
A cold and silent shell
The world, a listless canvas
Where a sea of snowflakes fell

Janet~

Yesterday I donned a pair of skis, left the beaten track,
Got lost in a world of white, silence and memories……
In one hour the sky turned from a colorless grey-blue
to coral,deep pink,purple, and then a solid rich navy blue.....

Ensnared.....

Deceit will weave
with silken thread
And snare the spinner
in its web..........

Janet~

Authors....

Life is not a scribbler
From which we can tear pages
And throw them away…
We cannot toss days
From our lives
As if they never happened at all…
We cannot crumple regret
Like rejected poetry
Or the first line of a song…….
And we cannot go back
To re-write yesterday…….
Life is given
One page at a time
On which to pen
Our story……..
We all are authors

Janet~

Time......

We are powerless to halt the stream
That steals both dreamer or the dream
For Time is a river flowing into a sea
Which sweeps the shores of eternity
Time yields to no hand but One
A Scepter from a holy throne
We cannot contain this relentless tide
Which flows unrestrained to the other side

Janet~

Then a Memory.......

Some memories melt

Into the shadows of the soul

Warming the heart

In an hour that is cold

Some memories ache

…a sudden twinge

Of bittersweet

A ragged fringe

Of half-written poetry

Left undone

Because opportunity

Had come and gone

Some memories gnaw…

A continuous yearning

For a day unto which

There is no returning

Some memories heal

The lonely ache

Left by the memory

Of a sad mistake

Some memories fuel

A potent fire

Turning the wheel

Of love and desire

Some memories comfort

While some make us fret

Some remain forceful

When we’d rather forget…

Some memories light

A spark in the eye

Bringing a smile to our lips…

...some make us cry

Memory is a teacher

Sometimes kind, often cruel

Memory makes us wise

Or keeps us a fool

Some memories are gray

Some gently gleam

An undying ray

To the impossible dream

The unalterable bridge

To yesterday

A smile, tear or sigh

Then it fades away…

A ripple, a rhyme

A small wave in the sea

A moment in time…

...then a memory

Janet~

Winter Serenity......

It was such a night tonight
Crisp, serene and still
The moonlight tossed her cloak of white
On every slope and hill
Each barren limb, was clearly sketched
Upon the pristine snow
The world, a charcoal drawing etched
Within the moonlight’s glow

It was such a night tonight
A tender lullaby
Trickled from the dazzling height
Of silver-vaulted sky
The wanderer cannot hide away
Beneath this bolder moon
As all the frozen willows sway
To winter’s frigid tune

It was such a night tonight
How mute the dashing stream
As bluer fingers halt its flight
And stills the laughing dream
Upon a table made of snow
Translucent shadows fall
Where not so very long ago
We tread its emerald shawl

It was such a night tonight
When trifling poetry
Cannot capture it just right
Winter serenity
It was such a night tonight
Somnolent and still
And yet, this vagrant guest must write
Against her very will

Janet~

Yes, I know…
This is a spin-off from the one on front-porch….
The first eight lines rolled off my pen…then I paused…
There were too many avenues to choose from
This is one of them…….

Those Thoughts of You........

Those thoughts of you..........
they tune my soul
in shades of blue
They rise and fall
a cadence in
the dead of night
a murmur
as the deep turns light
Banner of a softer day
wishes, prayers.....
Love, joy, dismay
In my heart-beat
Faithful, true
Are those tender
thoughts of you..........

Janet~

Merry Christmas to All!!!
Jesus IS the reason we celebrate!!

Almost Gone....

Oh, I see it tonight
In the candlelight
Another year growing dim
As the faint echo of
Living and love
Dances upon its flame
The flickering glow
Falls upon the snow
A slate once pure and clean
Now trampled and marred
And as sadly scarred
As the year that had previously been
I see in its light
A smile of delight
For sweet days I will not forget
But in this flickering year
I see the tear
Of sorrow and regret
Sorrow for the one
Who was suddenly gone
And we do not understand
As with tear in our eye
We keep asking ‘why’?
We sure do miss you, friend
The tear of regret
Is for battles met
But clearly not yet won
As I see in the light
Of a candle tonight
Another year almost gone
I see in its gleam
The wisp of a dream
Fall like a leaf to the sea
I see hope, I see love
Streaming from above
For the year that is yet to be
I see it tonight
In the candle-light
I hear it in the winds that moan
A whisper, a sigh
The blink of an eye
And another year, almost gone

Janet Martin

Of Things I Miss.....

Darkness settles, a loneness prevails
The rising and falling of silence impales
itself within my thoughts of you
and just as soundless as the dew
I feel its kiss upon my cheek.........
Of things I miss, I cannot speak

Janet~

For Better or Worse....

They vanish…..
Without a flicker or trace
They put stars in our eyes
And tears on our face
Invisible fingers….
Molding and shaping
Healing or tearing
Leaving wounds
Hidden, gaping
Their presence lingers…..
Building up, tearing down
The source of our laughter
The hurt in our frown
As countless as sands
On a forsaken shore
Mightier than hands
They whisper, they pour
They are the echo
That breathes in the air
Both foul and wise
They are cruel or a prayer
But to touch them
Is like reaching for the wind
A moment to speak them
Forever entwined
In the fabric of us
A blessing, a curse
They are words
Simply words
For better or worse

Janet Martin~

Sad Song.....

Darling, the night is sleeping
Upon a purple sea
The memories I'm keeping
Are ruthless company
For in their tender comfort
An agonizing grip
Ignites a sudden longing
For the things that I let slip

Darling, the wind is sighing
Across a silent night
The embers slowly dying
Bestow a mournful light
Within its solemn glowing
The light of passion dies
The sorrow of it showing
Like blue sparks in my eyes

Darling, the fields of summer
Have lost their ever-green
I see the midnight shimmer
Upon a frosty sheen
Darling, the night is sleeping
How still the hallowed flame
The memories I'm keeping
Are whispering your name

The Sky is Blue......

The air has a touch of softness tonight
All I can hear is the long drawn-out sigh
Of mist and moon-light.......

Drifting to me from the vast edge of the earth
In an eternal note of sadness
Enfolding the universe.......

With melancholy song....
It's tremulous murmur washing over me
No, the night is not long......

For soon it is summer, tomorrow
Stretching before me in a sea of dreams
And forgotten sorrow......

The waves draw back a breath or two
Then fling across us in naked mirth
And now the sky is blue..........

So I Love You.....

I love you.....
as one might love the moody blue- gray
of an autumn sky
or the hint of sorrow
in a loved ones eye.....

I love you......
as one cherishes the affliction
of an aching soul
or the hunger which keeps
one from being whole

I love you....
as one loves raw beauty
before the tweaking and finesse
I love you in the silence
of a moon-kissed caress

I love you.....
like dark waves crashing
on the rocks below
Hauntingly beautiful and sobering
So I love you

Janet~

Lost at Sea.....

The night washed in around them
like a dark and restless sea
and there was no rhyme or reason
to its shades of misery
but it took more than an ocean
to erase a memory
and the night washed in around them
like an angry, storm-tossed lea
oh, the night washed in around them
vexed with kisses lost at sea

Janet~

Potent.....

The intensity of a memory
Is a potent and powerful thing
Like a wave on the sea
It rolls over me
Sudden and unsuspecting
Its misery and its ecstasy
Are a kind and cruel blend
Inducing a sigh and a tear in my eye
for a story without an end......

Janet~

She Listens.....

She listens to him breathing
that little piece of her
sleeps without a worry
in the arms of sweet slumber..........
She listens to him breathing
and cannot help but sigh
yesterday a baby
tomorrow he will fly.........
She listens to him breathing
then reaches for his hand
yesterday her baby
tomorrow still her man

Janet~

It Is Well.....

In moments of darker musings
Beneath a somber sky
Where thought embraces wordless groans
Too deep to dim the eye
I yearn for gracious slumber
To pluck the hurt away
But still the night is somber
Its slate is cold and gray

Then, in the pensive midnight
This cavern mute and cold
The would-be tomb of every dream
To tell me I am old
The echo of a whispered word
Breaks through this solemn spell
As by its memory I’m stirred
And hope weeps, it is well

Janet~

Awesome......

I cannot be given back the day
That carelessly I threw away
But I've been given in its place
An awesome, brand-new day of grace..............

Janet~

The Long-moon Night.....

It will not last forever
The dark and bitter hour
The cold and muddy river
With bank bereft of flower
The cruel disappointment
That pierces to the core
Will soon be tossed into its tide
And gone forevermore

It will not last forever
The chill upon the grass
Though now with tears we shiver
And yearn for this to pass
Soon comes the fairer morning
Where warmer breezes sigh
When this dark night will simply be
A glimmer in our eye

It will not last forever
The darkness or the light
Ties closely knit will sever
The green field turns to white
It will not last forever
The long-moon night will die
Leaving but a glimmer
Of wisdom in our eye

Janet Martin~

Why I Write....

Oh I cannot tell you quite
Why it is that I must write
But one thing has occurred to me
Within my hours of reverie....
Paper is a patient and
long-suffering listener.

Janet~

My Christmas Prayer...

For those out on the cold, dark streets
Bereft of warm home-fires
For those who have no food to eat
Or any shoes to wear
For all the children of the world
Without a mother’s care
Oh, God touch every boy and girl
In this, my Christmas prayer

I pray for those who’ve never heard
The Message born that night
For hearts that have not yet been stirred
Convicted of their plight
For those to whom so much is given
And yet they do not share
Oh, touch them, gracious God in Heaven
In this, my Christmas prayer

For those who know the narrow way
And know that it is hard
I pray their footsteps will not stray
When they are weak and tired
I pray for those who give though yet
They have nothing to spare
Bless them, oh my loving God
In this, my Christmas prayer

I pray our hope for Christmas rests
Not in the rushing throngs
But in the message shepherds heard
And in those angel-songs
Peace on earth, good-will to men
Shine on us everywhere
Renew in us your joy again
In this, my Christmas prayer

Janet Martin~

To him who is able to keep you from falling
And to present you before his glorious presence
Without fault and with great joy…..
To the only God, our Savior
Be glory, majesty, power and authority
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Before all ages both now and forevermore!!!

Jude 24-25

This is the One we celebrate!!!!!
Hallelujah!

May the joy of the Lord
Richly bless you,
Not only at Christmas
But all year through!!!

Master-piece Morning....

He lifted the sun above the edge of the world
A handful of pink and amber and gold
Flinging its light across the sky
Across the snow-clad fir and pine
Transforming blue fields of an hour ago
With an iridescent, coral glow

Masterpiece morning, a breathless calm
Descends on a landscape robed in last night’s storm
Just as in life each storm will not stay
But in the glad morning will pass away
Masterpiece morning melts across the land
As I see a touch of the Master’s hand……

Janet~

....weeping may endure for a night
but joy comes in the morning. Ps.30:5

Restless....

I should be happy, as I gaze at the dawn
Melting in a gold haze across the lawn
I should be happy, this sea of gold
Should make me forget the bitter cold
But my mind is restless with thoughts of dew
Green July mornings or midnight blue
My mind is restless with the memory of rain
Its scent as it washes a warm, dusty lane
My mind is restless with the sound of a breeze
Sifting through the willow-trees
Oh, my mind is restless with the song of the moon
Drifting across a soft night in June
And my mind is restless with a shade of true blue
With the echo of summer, sunshine……..and you


J~

Song About Life

Time moves on, the old man dies
Love is born, a baby cries
Hallelujah, hallelujah
The apple falls from Adam’s hand
Sin's curse is sown throughout the land
But God above, He has a plan
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Here comes the sun, here comes the bride
The young girl dreams, all starry-eyed
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Youth looks at the bride and sighs
Middle age just wipes her eyes
And looks at dreams like butterflies
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Time moves on, the river runs
Love lives and dies ‘neath many suns
Hallelujah, hallelujah
They all said he died too young
He was only eighty-one
But loved ones all die way too soon
Hallelujah, hallelujah

All that is born must someday die
Love that is young will laugh and cry
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Eden will return again
Oh, the serpent will not win
‘Cause God above, He had a plan
HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH,
HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH

Janet~

Love at Christmas....

It sings in every snowflake

That tumbles from the sky

It hums across the sparkling earth

And laughs in children’s eyes

It bursts in festive flavors

And melts upon the tongue

Oh, this is love at Christmas time

Alive in old and young

The warm, sweet scent of ginger

Still lingers in the air

Excited little fingers

Place cherries on with care

As every little cookie

Is garnished with a ‘kiss’

Oh, this is love at Christmas time

No season quite like this

So put away the worried frown

Light up the Christmas trees

The snow is softly falling down

Like tender memories

Too soon this too shall pass away

Oh, hold your loved ones near

For this is love at Christmas time

The best time of the year

Janet~

Second snow-day……cancellations etc.

It was time to concentrate on the

Tasty side of Christmas……..

Victoria and I made shortbread:) m-m-m-m

It'll take some extra crunches tonight;)

The Lover of Night....

The lover of night cannot waste it sleeping
For then who would see where the lone breeze is weeping
Or as earth reaches up and the heavens bend low
And two become one in a silver-blue glow
Who would see stars on the ocean’s crest?
Or Venus, a stellar eye in the west
If the whole world would sleep then no one could tell
Of the dark, trembling leaf as another star fell
Ivory faces on smooth, satin pillows
Can not hear the whisper of moonlight in the willows
Or tell you the color of one a.m.
The deep shade of velvet at midnight’s hem
The lover of night is roused by the sigh
Of an amber-kissed cloudlet drifting by
Through un-curtained window she drinks in the tune
Of spring, summer, autumn and winter-white moon
The lover of night has known the caress
The subtle delight of complete quietness
Entwined in her heartbeat, yet soft on the air
The music of midnight serenades her there
The lover of night is a tormented breed
For it never can quite satisfy her need

Janet~

Grief......

Some grieve with whiskey
And some drown in tears
Some grieve for moments
And others for years
Some grieve in silence
And some grieve in prayer
Some grieve without
A hand to hold anywhere
Some grieve within
And others show all
Some with a pen
As ink teardrops fall

Janet~

Winter's Night or Such is Life......

Your altar is not made of stone
But of a starry sky
And moonlight captivates the throne
Where all our daydreams lie
I wander on your muted turf
Quiet and wistfully
For suddenly it seems the earth
Is a vast silver sea
As on its crest I sail alone
Across the wave of time
Beyond the troubles I have known
To where the bluebells climb
For just a few short months ago
We sat upon this wall
And gazed at garden paths below
And heard the waterfall
But now, besides the winds that blow
There is no sound at all
The crickets left three months ago
The song-bird ceased to call
As to a fairer shore she flew
Until the beck of spring
I look to where the roses grew
There is no whispering
Of little breezes as they laugh
Within its scented bloom
They scampered down the garden path
Before the night of gloom
And russet teardrops deck the soil
Beneath the thorny stem
Somnolent image of our toil
And what becomes of men
Ah night, a labyrinth of thought
Within your quietness
Vain pretense is all for naught
And utter foolishness
The reeds that blew are stiff and dead
The winds no longer smile
And every bloom has bowed her head
On some dark, garden isle
And such is life, the dawn of death
A journey to the night
Where we will draw our final breath
And take that final flight

Janet~

Nothing New.....

So perhaps then you think this is something new
And no one has ever felt quite like you
You love him; he loves you, incomparable bliss
Surely no one has ever felt quite like this
Well my dear girl, though I’m quite happy for you
Let me just reassure you, this is nothing new

Young love, the sparkle of life in your eye
Young love, perhaps a mother’s envy
And yet there’s a gleam that can never replace
The sparkle that glows on a young love’s face
For the fervor of love that is tried and true
Is still dearer by far, also nothing new

A broken heart hurts the self-same way
As it did in the very most ancient of day
Betrayal, regret and the sound of good-bye
Did then and will still bring a tear to the eye
Be it joy or grief that comes to me or you
The truth of it is, it is nothing new

Ships sail, birds fly, youth dreams, and aged die
We wish, we pray and somehow life just slips away
We fail, we succeed, we hope, we need
And every now and then a dream comes true
Yet this as well is nothing new

Janet~

The thing that hath been,
It is that which shall be;
And that which is done
Is that which shall be done;
And there is no new thing under the sun. Eccles. 1:9

Where the Footprints Go....

She wonders, if they all appeared
On the fresh fallen snow
What a dizzying maze t’would be
As ‘round and round they go
And if somebody followed them
Oh, would it be okay
With out any need for shame
Where all her footprints lay

At first they are so tiny
Little patterns in the snow
Following the bigger feet
And where those footprints go
Over hills of time they tread
And suddenly she sees
Instead of following she leads
Those footprints, trusting, wee

She cannot see how far they go
Or where these steps will end
But there is one thing she knows
Soon someone else will stand
Within the footprints she has left
Like tracks upon the snow
Little feet will follow them
Where all the footprints go

Janet~

Distracted............

I was going to be in a hurry today
But I got distracted along the way……….
For Someone had brushed the landscape clean
With a crystal hush and a dazzling sheen
Until everything ordinary, brown or gray
Became each their own master-piece in the most spectacular way
And the little brook, just beneath the hill
To the casual on-looker appeared silent and still
But I heard it chuckle and beckon to me
Whispering softly on its way to the sea
The limb that yesterday was cold and dull
Grinned for it knew it was beautiful
The touch of a higher heavenly hand
Can make even a twig or a sprig appear grand
And as I gazed at perfect blue up above
I breathed a prayer for each dear one that I love
Even the wind was silent and still
Too lovely the morn to bring tiding of ill
Yes, I was going to be in a hurry but then
Somebody gently said, why don’t you slow down?

Janet Martin

It really was a pretty morning if you’re
Into this kind of thing………
You know, COLD and WHITE and perfectly peaceful

Slide-show....

I stepped back….he knew it wasn’t cool to cry
And tomorrow he’d go to school with every boy’s envy
A black eye…….
I wanted to hold him like I used to do
And just let him cry if wanted to
But twelve years old and surrounded by ten of the same
Means mother’s words must hold him…… or at least until we’re home

I gazed at him…….my little boy-man
And without premonition a slide-show began
Playing in my mind…….
Hey mom, look at me, hey mom, watch this
Mom, tuck me in, don’t forget my kiss
Grubby little hugs and chubby little hands
Looking for bugs and tasting the sand
Growing bigger, but not to big to hold
Trying to do the things he’s been told
Though boys will be boys and sometimes they forget………
And after all, they are not men yet
So when did we begin to stand eye to eye?
Oh we all know that big boys and mothers don’t cry……
At least not in PUBLIC……
Oh God, only You can
See how much I love this little man
Please don’t let him see this tear in my eye
‘cause we know that mothers and big boys don’t cry………….

Janet~

Yesterday as we waited for the doctor to look at Matt's
eye, after a little mis-hap at school
suddenly I fought back tears........
as I recalled a little guy of yester-years:):)

Matt is fine and sporting a very black eye!!!
He keeps asking me how long I think it will last:):)

The Best Part.....

So maybe the landscape is not verdant green
And the sky is a little gray
Happiness lies not in what may be seen
Or things acquired along the way
Happiness lies in the hands we hold
The best part of every day

I’ll never be rich, but that is not my goal
Little is much in love
Wealth cannot bring contentment to a soul
Or music to the stars above
The best part of life is seen in the glow
Of eyes that say ‘you are enough’

We will never have all we may wish for, tis true
But they can not snatch what lives in the heart
No one can steal my love for you
Touch its ending or where it may start
Then to know I am loved in the same way too
Is most surely life’s very best part

Janet~

Commonplace Book

These were no ordinary events which she wrote there
Like notes of a harpsichord, faint and dear
Written on parchment where only she can look
At the love-stained pages in her commonplace book

For the most uncommon of things she preserved in clear ink
A rare shade of blue, the unfathomable brink
Of discovery on the edge of a long-lost brook
Painted vividly in her commonplace book

Words, spoken only once but forever remembered
Sigh of a loved one, these she surrendered
To pages where only she ever cares to look
At moments deemed noteworthy for her commonplace book

Here she writes in its truest form
Poetry; void of disguise or charm
Rendering them shamelessly where none can look
But God; at the poems in her commonplace book

Here she recalls the shades of good-bye
The music of love, the tear in her eye
Preserved eternally in a silent nook
Cherished forever in her commonplace book

Janet~

Almost Heaven..............

They traveled and regaled us with tales
Of mountains and castles and seas they've sailed
The inns were splendid, the vistas grand
The ocean green on silver sand

...we ate apples on a moon-bathed fell
it was almost heaven, but we didn't tell

Janet~

But If Only They Knew......

They ask me from time to time
If I love them as well
As I did when they were still
So very small
When I would hold them in my lap
And teach their little hands to clap
And I would clap as they would walk
And laugh as they learned how to talk
Yes, I sure did love them when they were small
…….but if only they knew
They would not ask at all

He asks me now and then out of the blue
If I still love him
As I did when love was new
And we were young
But how do I tell of a deeper thrill
By something as small as a shadow that fell
Across his face as he sat in his chair
And we say nothing at all in the soft evening air
Yes, it sure was special, that young love I recall
…..but if only he knew
He would not ask me at all

Does he wonder sometimes if I remember the day
Of the azure sky
Or the unexpected way
We passed each other by……
And all that is left is the echo of a sigh
The wish and the dream and the tear in our eye
For a day perhaps never meant to be
But was for a moment……reality
And I remember, tenderly, as the shadows fall
………but if only he knew
He would never wonder at all

Janet~

Tyrant...

Ruthless tyrant
Stripping to shreds
My last dash of hope
That it’s not winter yet
You laugh in triumph
As you unleash
A shower of diamonds
Across the earth……..

……..I, a true-blue summer heart
Gaze at your dazzling shawl
And concede, cautiously, that perhaps
You’re no tyrant ….after all

Janet~

I try desperately to look at it
Through the eyes of a poet…..
‘it’ being the white stuff they call SNOW!
We made a snowman……
And snow-angels……
‘we’ being myself and the little boys
I baby-sit and I watched the one-year-old
As his blue eyes lit up in excitement.
The laughter of the four-year-old
Sparkled across a pure, dazzling expanse and
I found a little bit of poetry in the arms
Of my favorite tree………….

This Person.......

Who is this person?
This creature of habit…
Habits that drive others crazy
But I find endearing
Or used to….perhaps?
Who is this person?
Who laughs and smiles
And has the occasional growl
When she is weary
Or when I drive her crazy
Who is she, this one
Who comforts me?
My lovely friend
Even when I don’t see
Her; still she remains
Tenderly, dearly, at my side
Who is this woman?
Once she was my bride
Gazing at me…
….in love, starry-eyed
We’ve come a long way
Together, she and I
As she became mother
And we began to divide
The hours and days
That once belonged to
She and I…..
Who is this person
This half of my life
I've grown so accustomed to.....
Ah yes, she is my wife

Janet~

Star-struck........

Silver pebbles on a vaulted shore
You gleam as clearly as in days of yore
Unaltered by the sands of time
I gaze upon your starry clime
Immeasurable depth, unfathomable sphere
Dazzling sash across each year

Though sudden cloud may heave or sigh
And draw its shroud across your eye
Though sun may rise and dim your light
There you are when it is night
Lambent wonder, celestial Muse
Unconquered splendor; your avenues

Above a landscape silver-brushed
Above the ocean, gleaming, hushed
On fields where once men fought and died
On crosses standing side by side
Timeless beacons on a shore
Where none can tread your jeweled floor

What is man compared to thee?
Orbit to infinity
We may flaunt our greatest boast…….
One grain of sand upon your coast
What is man compared to thee?
A tiny ripple on a sea

Janet Martin

Something...........

My arms run over with sorrow,
My mind runs over with joy
I've seen the hope for tomorrow
In the eyes of a wee girl or boy
I cannot name all my blessings
Or the things that make me glad
But oh, why the sudden wrenching
Over the thing I never had...........

I cannot dare to hunger
As I draw my loved ones near
Their love makes me stronger
Then why the sudden tear?
Why, in a tender moment
Do I hear it, haunting and sad?
A melody of torment
Over that which I never had..........

It drifts on the horizon
Across a turquoise sea
Notes of grief and passion
In aching harmony
I've had much more than I deserve
In this I'm humbly glad
Heaven holds in grand reserve
The thing I never had


Janet~

If life were perfect....
who would desire heaven?

All Because......

He’s tired most of the time, it seems
He slowly let go of those boyhood dreams
He’s busy now with demands and things
All because he fell in love with a woman
His golf clubs are hooks in the old tool shed
He swings a little girl from his knee instead
Another mouth joins them to be fed
All because he fell in love with a woman

Who knew heaven on earth would be
An old stone house and a willow tree
Or that weariness could be so sweet
All because he fell in love with a woman
So what if there are more bills than money
You can’t buy love or a darling honey
Even in the rain it’s a little sunny
All because he fell in love with a woman

There’s no such thing as a fool-proof plan
Car-wrecks and dental bills, a worn-out van
And yet, he is sure he’s a most blessed man
All because he fell in love with a woman
One day at a time is all he can bear
He lives on love, a pay-check and prayer
But you won’t find a happier man anywhere
All because he fell in love with a woman

No Picasso on his study walls
Crayola artwork decks fridges and halls
With a family portrait; the best of them all
Because he fell in love with a woman
He doesn’t miss those faded dreams
In his eyes a deeper contentment gleams
Heaven is pleasure in every day things
All because he fell in love with a woman


All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Moment.....

One little moment
Does it really matter?
This tiny, insignificant thing
A tick of the clock
A breath in the air
One note in a song that we sing

But the tick becomes minutes
And minutes, then hours
A soft breath becomes two, then three
Each breath a heartbeat
That becomes a lifetime
Before eternity

The note that hovers
For a second or two
Forms a grand symphony
A moment, a moment
It slips from our view
One strand in our life’s tapestry

One little moment
May seem on its own
Tiny, worthless and trite
But moment by moment
Priceless measure
That softly becomes a life

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Moments matter!!

It Must Be Christmas....

Children’s laughter fills the air
Hearts beat lighter as we hear
Baby hugs his teddy bear
Oh it must be Christmas
Candle glow and firelight
Decorations twinkling bright
What a perfect silent night
Oh it must be Christmas……again

Snowflakes dancing to the earth
Heralding a Savior’s birth
Baby Jesus songs are heard
Oh, it must be Christmas
Memories of seasons past
Glow upon the fire-place
Reflecting in our eyes and face
Oh, it must be Christmas again

Candy-canes and ginger-bread
Poinsettia blooming, brilliant red
Tuck away that silent dread
Oh, it must be Christmas
Bells and stars and little trees
Cookie cutter memories
Melt like shortbread, one more please
Oh, it must be Christmas again

Hearts beat lighter for awhile
Hope shines brighter in each smile
As we meet our inner child
Oh, it must be Christmas
Season of remembering
Birth of Jesus, baby King
Come and join us as we sing
Oh it must be Christmas….again

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

We were decorating the tree the other night
when suddenly one of my daughters asked me
Mom, are you happy or sad?
'Well', I replied, 'I guess a little of both.
I just cannot believe that it is Christmas ....again.
I honestly feel like we just did this and it
reminds me again of how fast little moments
melt into years and lifetimes!!!

Of Memory...

More powerful than a hurricane
Or storm upon the sea
Is the passion and the pain
Of memory..........
The wind may rage
The rain may pound
Memory plagues
Without a sound

Janet~