What Do Our Children Hear?

I told her I loved her and patted her back
Then said, “Run and play, mom’s got lunches to pack”
But she chattered away whilst I nodded and smiled
With my thoughts and attentions a hundred miles
From the blue-eyed pixie with sleepy-head hair
And her gaze fixed on me as she pulled up a chair……
While I said, ‘sweet-heart please put that away
Mommy’s in a hurry, she’s very busy today’….
…and sweet-heart sighed as she ran to play….
What do our children hear?

I looked at the report card with a thoughtful gaze
As I said, ‘how can we turn these ‘B’s in to ‘A’s?
And oh, I would snatch those words back if I could
Disappointedly he said, ‘the teacher said it’s real good’
And it didn’t really matter that I said ‘well done’
I saw what he heard as I looked at my son
And now I could think of fine words of praise
As I felt a rebuke in his sorrowful gaze
I thought, ‘son, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…’
What do our children hear?

They hear so much more than our words and our phrases
What they hear is reflected in their eyes and their faces
And what we really speak reflects in our walk
There’s so much to hear that requires no talk
God, grant me patience and God make me wise
Teach me how to see through a little child’s eyes
Teach me how to love in all they do
As You love me, let me love them too
So that in everything I say perhaps they’ll hear You…
What do our children hear?

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Some thoughts I've been mulling over for the past week.....

Lover

Yes, I love to fall into your arms
You are the master of a thousand charms
As your soft kiss breathes against my face
I melt in your passionate embrace
So long I waited, so long I have pined
To be touched by you and now I find
You are better than I dared to think
I feel myself falling over the brink
So I let go…and I fall and I fall
Yes, this is the very best part of all
For your shoulder is fresh and soft and green
You make me feel like a royal queen
For you are irresistible, charming
Your breath flows through me, reviving and warming
A heart that was tired, lonely and cold
Is once again inspired by your whispers of gold
Oh what beauty, ah what a lover
Spring, you come to me when winter is over

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Take Me Back

Take me back to the silver breeze
Back to the haven beneath the trees
Back to a beckoning horizon-line
Where its whispers stole this heart of mine
As dreams would glisten on every sea
With unseen shorelines of destiny
Take me back

Take me back to a simpler time
Where freedom was a daring climb
In the shady arches of weeping willow
Or a rest beneath on its scented pillow
As moonlight splashed its dapple grey
On grasses of a fairer day
Take me back

Ah, someday I suppose I’ll sigh
With a teardrop shining in my eye
As I recall this precious hour
Forgetting the grey, remembering the flower
And silently then perhaps I’ll say
Take me back to this good old day
Take me back

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

The Color Blue

You ask why I love the color the blue
Indulge me a moment and I will tell you
There’s the velvet navy of a midnight hush
Or the cobalt gleam of a river’s rush
There’s the sparkling azure of a summer sky
Reflected with pleasure in your tender eye
The slate-blue tones of autumn’s kiss
The clear blue moans of summer’s bliss
The gleaming turquoise of the bay
Or misty blue hills far away
The royal blue of twilight’s shroud
The endless hue above the cloud
The sapphire gaze of sweet July
The smoky haze of August sky
It glimmers in the pale moonlight
Or shimmers on a rainy night
Its pale, soft breath will stir the dawn
Its endless hearth the eagle’s throne
Its thousand shades a robe so fine
Is wrapped around this heart of mine

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Tonight was one of those ‘navy blue’ nights.
I needed to stop and absorb the sky for a few minutes,
But the cold blue air chilled me to the bone!!!!

Against My Will

I’ve tried to gather those memories
Into a distant space
And I have tried not to yearn for
The moments a life can’t replace
I focus on all of the blessings
Daily poured into my hand
As seconds then minutes and hours
Sift through my fingers like sand
I’ve tried not to picture your smile, dear
Or the eyes that melt the soul
And I’ve learned that half a heart,love
Can do the work of a whole
I’ve tried not to hear your whisper
At night when the world is still
I’ve even tried to forget you
But I remember, against my will

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Sometimes I come across a picture that begs a poem.....
Most often I try to find a picture for the poem,
every so often I see a picture that writes itself:)

This Morning.....

This morning we didn’t see
The blue ocean of mist
Or the pale gold sun
As it softly kissed
And rolled its shroud
Out over the bay
In a silver cloud
O’er foam and fray
We didn’t see the gull
Wafted on a breeze
Or the push and pull
Of the tide on the seas…..

But through the window
Perhaps we heard
A subtle whisper
As softening realms stirred
With a dewy sigh
On soundless wings
From a waking sky
Whilst daylight brings
Its urgent request
To rise; for tis certain
That day is upon us…..
We smile...and draw the curtain

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Not That Strong Yet

I loved your toes, your wee baby toes
I still remember your button nose
The way your fingers would cling to mine
As I saw the light of heaven shine
I loved the smell of you, fresh from God’s arms
I loved the feel of you, precious and warm
I love all the memories I’ll never forget
Aw, baby slow down, don’t grow up on me yet

I love the memory of your first day of school
You cried and I cried like a sentimental fool
Now you can’t wait for your high-school prom
And I realize I’m still a sentimental old mom
Say, when did you grow taller than me?
How can you really be turning eighteen?
I’m trying to be strong as dreams dance in your head
But I’m not letting go, I’m not that strong yet

I love the way you tell me things
I nod and smile as you spread your wings
Like a mother bird I urge you to fly
But behind my words I just want to cry
I loved your toes, your wee baby toes
Baby, I still love your button nose
We’re still making memories I’ll never forget
But I’m not letting go, I’m not that strong yet

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

My Journey

My journey is not like yours
Nor yours like mine
I have never walked a mile
In your Birkenstocks
Nor have you ever tried
Walking in my heels
But love endures
Not only in the sunshine
Or when heaven smiles
But as grass turns to rocks
And the tears we’ve cried
Flow in rivers of steel
Love endures
Your journey and mine
Have somehow intertwined
And I won’t judge you
If you don’t judge me too
I’ve never carried your load
Or wept your tears
I have not travelled your road
Or lived your years
But love endures
It keeps me from judging you
Or you condemning me
Simply by what the
Naked eye can see
My journey and yours
So different yet the same
The only thing we really own
In this world is our name
….and the Love that endures

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

The Least of These.....

Mommy, would you like a drink?
She held a glass of water
As I gazed into the face
Of my precious daughter
Turquoise eyes and cheek so fair
Lips that smiled and golden hair
But dearer still than this, I think
Was her love which brought the drink

I wondered as I took the cup
How many glasses I held up
As I went about my way
Did I ever pause to say
‘Excuse me would you like a ‘drink’?
Or did I even stop to think
About another travelers load
As I met him on life’s road?

Lord, give me eyes to see the need
Of others here; let not my greed
Consume and blind me to the hand
Which reaches out for help to stand
But let me reach to lift them up
Offering to them a ‘cup’
Lord, in everything I do
Let me do it unto You

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

For inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these
You have done it unto Me. Matt.25:40

If hearts can melt then mine did tonight.
I looked up to see my daughter holding out a
drink.....she thought I looked hot and thirsty!
Yes, I believe there are angels among us....

Security Blanket

Wrap me Lord, in the warmth of Your goodness
Cover me with Your amazing grace
Hold me close while the battle rages
Draw me into the light of Your face
Carry me Lord, when my feet grow weary
Let Your forgiveness wash over me
When the road is long and the sky is dreary
Your blessed assurance abides with me
Strengthen me Lord, if my own strength falters
Lift me up as on eagle’s wings
Hear me Lord as I bow at Your altar
Yielding to You my everything

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

I was going to post this one on my frontporchpoetry blog
when suddenly I seemed prompted to put it on this porch:)

It's Nice.....

It’s nice to have a hand to hold
When the world is cruel and cold
It’s nice to know the warmth we feel
Is something simple, yet so real
I’m thankful for your love so true
It’s nice to be in love with you

Seasons come and seasons go
Some with sun and some with snow
But through it all one thing remains
The hand I hold has stayed the same
It’s nice to feel your gentle fingers
And the tender thrill that lingers

It’s nice to have a hand to touch
When no one else cares very much
You and I are two yet one
Never really all alone
It’s nice to know when we’re apart
Love wraps its fingers ‘round our heart

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Why......

Why can I think of a million things
To tell you, when you’re not with me
But as soon as I see you I’m tongue-tied
And I stumble over my own feet
You look so very beautiful
I want to tell you so
But my words come out in a jumble
So that I don’t even know
What in the world I am trying to say…
But you say you like me anyway….Why?

Why do my fingers turn into thumbs?
My dancing, a clumsy stumble
I’m sure that I read somewhere
That God gives grace to the humble
Well, I’m not graceful, as you can see
Though I’ve tasted my share of humility
All I really want to do is love you
But all the things I really want to say
Are lodged somewhere deep down inside me
Yet you’re so kind and love me anyway…Why?

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Hold Back The Minutes

A long time ago on a thousand stages

I’ve been envisioning, dreading this day

I’ve filled and tossed a thousand more pages

As I contemplated what I’d like to say

But now grand words fail me as I start to cry

And I don’t know how I can tell you good-bye

Time is a merciless clock that keeps ticking

Urging us on in a ceaseless parade

Yet I would not give back one single moment

As I recall all the memories we’ve made

Forgive me, my dear, for the tear in my eye

But I do not know how to tell you good-bye

I’ll hold you close in this hour of parting

There are no words for a moment as this

If I should perchance feel the tears starting

It’s only because of the good times I’ll miss

Hold back the minutes, I’ll try not to cry

For I do not know how to tell you good-bye

All Rights Reserved

Janet Martin

Now I Lay Me.....

Now I lay me down my sorrows on this carpet ‘neath the moon
Night is far too grand a stage on which to play a morbid tune
There is nothing I can do today to undo what is done
So I’ll simply drink the potion poured from heavens velvet throne
While the willow and the clover and the brook beneath the pine
Hum a melody of mercy strummed by nature’s hand so fine
And the breezes laugh beside me running fingers through my hair
As the whisper of God’s glory breathes upon the misty air

Now I lay me down my worries, all my failure and regret
On a bed of dust and daisies where a thousand suns have set
For I cannot bear to dance tonight with sorrow on my brow
As the arms of mercy hold me tight and whisper to me now
And I rest my head upon the shoulder of His tender love
Wrapping me, as night grows colder in a blanket from above
Where I close my eyes and listen to a peaceful serenade
On a floor where dewdrops glisten in a ball-room heaven made

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Stained-glass Windows

I see a thousand colors gleaming
In a pattern well designed
As I see the sunset streaming
Through the windows in my mind
It’s a landscape flush with memories
Like a long, silent highway
Stretching far into the distance
Past my present fields of grey……..

It’s a meadow in the valley
And I see you standing there
Silhouette against the colors
Of my window in the air
I reach out to touch your shoulder
But the window will not break
I can only hold you closer
In a fond reverent heart-ache

Oh, you heartless stained glass windows
Tears will never wash you clean
Searching in the muted shadows
For a day that once had been
And there is no curtain broad enough
To draw across this pain
As you grace the dark horizon line
I close my eyes in vain….

For these grandest stained-glass windows
Like the great and yawning sky
Are the walls in a cathedral
Sprawled across my memory
Where time renders richest color
Pouring through each tinted pane
In the grandest stained-glass window
That my eyes have ever seen

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

There's something about running
under heaven's stained-glass windows...
when everything is still
...that is so hard to beat!

Mr. Moody April

I must confess your moodiness
Is sometimes hard to take
Your ups and downs, your smiles and frowns
Warm sun and cold snowflake
Yesterday you came to play
With chatter sweet and yellow
Today your gold is pale and cold
You temperamental fellow

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Musing.....

In silent muse I sit with you
As shades of dusk are creeping
With purple hues the twilight view
Is dimmed ‘neath heavens keeping
And whilst a sigh slips from the sky
In low and somber breezes
It stirs my mind, this sullen wind
It taunts, torments and teases

I’ve never heard you say a word
In musings solemn hour
But we have seen the muted green
And watched the slumbering flower
The kiss of dew from velvet blue
Has been both warm and chilling
And we have shared a wordless prayer
Been strong and weak and willing

The misty hues and silver-blues
Have wrapped a shawl around us
You and I beneath a sky
Where night-time drops around us
Here we sit as stars are lit
A thousand miles apart
And yet I see you here with me
And feel you in my heart

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Sail Then....

Sail then, oh cherished first-fruits of my womb
Sail upon life’s ocean wild and free
Too soon doth gape the dark unbidden tomb
Of duty, toil and stark reality

Youth and expectation sigh as one
Riding on the whitecaps of a dream
Dance beneath the glory of your sun
Too soon the shadow steals its distant gleam

Crashing wave and waters clear and still
Both are garments of the ocean, dear
Joy and sorrow each must have its fill…
A smile is purer tempered by a tear

Sail then, and do not fear its cost
The ocean beckons only for a chance
Before the passion of your dream is lost
On feet that have forgotten how to dance

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

So, what's a girl to do when she wakes up
with a line like the first line in this poem
as her first waking conscious thought.....
it must have been the
left-overs of a dream....yikes!!!
but it was just crazy enough to entice me a little:):)

the girls thought it was just......crazy:(

It's One a.m.

Lone dog is howling at the moon
Lazy breeze is blowing
Meandering brook strums a tune
Through meadows gently flowing
Trace of a lingering shower
Graces the willow limb
Ah, this is my favorite hour
It’s one a.m.

Mist from the silent harbor
Drifts through the darkened trees
Blossoms on the arbor
Float on the midnight breeze
The scent of dust and shower
Breathes a sacred hymn
Ah, this is my favorite hour
It’s one a.m.

Ribbon of soft blue velvet
Wraps your languid sigh
Muffled warmth of your heart-beat
Sings a lullaby
Faintly murmured whisper
Darling, are you asleep
Comes a soundless answer....
...Earths tremble, stars weep
It’s one a.m.

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

I Love It........

I love the way the blue of the skies
Brings out the deepest hue of your eyes
I love it when you act all big and tough
Underneath all the edges that seem hard and rough
I’ve seen the person you try to hide
And I know what you’re all about inside
And I love it………

I love the way I can hear silent truth
I love the man more than the boy of youth
I love the face which bears the sign
Of life experience, yours and mine
While others may see you as rough and tough
I know the real you and it is enough
And I love it……….

I know by the way you turn your head
What you’re going to say before it’s said
I like your cool and casual style
I love your slow and sexy smile
Our hands softly intertwine
I know your thoughts, you know mine
And I love it……..

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Pieces

So many little pieces of you
Are becoming a part of me
I’m not sure what it is you do
But I can plainly see
That I am not the woman now
That once I used to be….

So many little pieces of you
Softly intertwine
With a kiss of gentle dew
Around my heart and mind
It seems the woman I once knew
Has somehow been left behind….

So many little pieces of you
Wrap me in a prayer
I’m no longer sure what is me or you
And I don’t really care
Because so many little pieces of you
Have become me, unawares

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Second Time Around

Words can leave us dazed and warm
And sweep us off our feet
We drink the cocktail of their charm
Alluring, sparkling, sweet
But as its warmth and nuance change
We spit it on the ground
And hope we are much wiser
The second time around

Flattery in cunning style
May fool us for a moment
It may lure us for awhile
Like a fine new garment
But in time its glitter fades
Its glory turns to rust
For flattery is a foolish trade
For honesty, love and trust

I’ll take the wine of a lesser fruit
Though not as smooth or pleasing
If it is pure, unaltered truth
Its virtue will be unceasing
Oh, I’ve known flattery in my time
And one simple truth I’ve found
I am a wiser woman
The second time around

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Another Day Dies

The shadow of the willow falls
Upon the charcoal grass
In purple skies a lone bird calls
Another day is past
Through an open window
I can hear a baby’s cries
Hushed softly by the music
Of a mother’s lullabies
As another day dies

The happy and the heavy heart
Are wrapped in velvet blue
As the daylight shades depart
Beyond the crimson hue
And weary limbs can rest at last
Beneath the muted skies
While evening melodies are cast
In tender, tranquil sighs
As another day dies

Like an endless, rushing stream
It tumbles o’er the brink
To join the glow of faded dreams
In fields of hazy pink
The suffering and the anguish
The smiles or bitter sighs
Both joy and sorrow languish
On this carpet of good-byes
As another day dies

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Next To You

The ebb and flow of the evening sighs
The waves of the ocean blue
Seem warmer; I can almost touch the skies
When I’m here next to you
Heaven is just a breath away
I know you feel it too
Night is better than the day
When I’m here next to you

The rose-colored whispers of twilight
Surrender to a deeper hue
But I hear the song of midnight
Whispering in the dust and dew
And I love the color of heaven
In eyes of endless blue
I crave absolutely nothing
When I’m here next to you

The moon flickers on the water
Shadow on a rippled wall
The sound of our laughter
Dances on its rise and fall
The night wraps its arms around us
In a heaven made for two
A symphony surrounds us
When I’m here next to you

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Treasure-chest

I seldom lift this hallowed lid
Where I have kept my treasures hid
For life does not boast many an offer
Of the kind of trophy I keep in this coffer
But here and there in a very long while
I secure the memory, of a whisper or smile
Composed of an essence beyond everyday
I grasp at its presence before it drifts away

These are the moments I’m as sure as can be
I behold a gift of rare quality
Its beauty incomparable, I am truly blessed
I handle it with care and place it in my chest

Words that are saved for special occasions
Smiles that flirt with the brink of temptation
A kind deed rendered when no one else sees
A song on a sunset or midnight breeze
A glance of wordless understanding
The brush of a fingertip, soft, undemanding
A flicker of hope in the midst of the fight
An answered prayer in the dead of night

Kind gift of beauty unexpectedly rendered
Into this vault they are softly surrendered
And every so often, every once in a while
I return to its treasure, think of you and smile

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

The Locket

So, who is the one
In that locket ‘round my neck
Is there a picture at all…?
Or simply a mental keep-sake
A vault full of memory
Of joys and sorrows
The warmth of a heart-beat
The hope of tomorrows….
For no one knows
What still might be
So I smile a little
At your curiosity
While life may scowl, still
I smile
And chase away the chill
Of an early fall
Or a lingering winter
As I pause to twist around my finger
A whisper, a sigh, a faded echo
In my locket, preserved forever
A face of today or one I have sought
But can no longer return to
And perhaps would not
Even if I could
As the waves of time
Roll, ebb, flow,
And melt at my feet
Like whispers of snow

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

A little......

As I pour my early morning cup of coffee
As kiss of dawn breathes softly on the sky
And tears of yesterday are just a memory
A sentimental twinkle in my eye
As the days like stiff and solemn soldiers
March in staid alignment o’er the hill
Suddenly I feel a whole lot older
But time keeps ticking on against my will…….
…and I miss you……a little


The flowers of youth have dropped their radiant petals
As wild and tender passion bows its head
Adorning memory’s shelf like rusty medals
Faded glory in an autumn bed
And as I wander through its hallowed places
Hazy sanctuary in my mind
I yearn to touch the vaguest lingering traces
Of the days that years have left behind….
….and I miss you…..a little……

I cannot stop my ears against the echo
Of moaning wind o’er distant lonesome hill
I’m drawn across the field into its shadow
Where I’m a prisoner of my own free will
Bind me with a chain of springtime daisies
Try me with your laughter wild and free
Sentence me to life within your arms dear
No chance of pardon from this misery…
….for I miss you…a little….more

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

April Wind

Tonight her voice is low and cold

She moans outside my door

Her breath that flows with flecks of gold

Has found another shore

Tonight she sings a sullen tune

With chilling arms of white

She garbs the sun-bathed hills of noon

In melancholy light

Tonight her breeze of mellow tones

Turns icy as she speaks

She lashes out against the stones

Which grace the winding creeks

She sweeps into the hollow cave

And mocks the naked willow

She blows across the lonely grave

And broods above my pillow

Tonight I do not fight her chill

Her low perpetual moan

Tonight I’ll dance with her until

My feet are cold as stone

Tonight, though I would choose a song

Of warm dew-laden sighs

I know it won’t be very long

Before her music dies

Tonight she laughs with eyes half-shut

Yet I am not encumbered

She flaunts her frosty garments but

I know her days are numbered

April wind, I’ve learned a truth

As I observe your candor

You are fleeting as my youth

Wasted breaths of grandeur

All Rights Reserved

Janet Martin

I have to confess,

her chill and her snow

are a little hard to take

compared to the warmth

of a week ago!!!!

Some Memories.....

Some memories ride along with me
I keep them in my pocket
And some, especially dear to me
Are on a chain and locket
Some I tuck away up high
In faded years they rest
And some are in each heart-beat
Like an aching in my chest

I’m sitting at a station
But I don’t see the rain
It happens when I’m waiting
For a ride on some lost train
Is it just a train of thought?
Rhythm through the mist
Why is it that it seems I'm caught
Twixt present-day and past

If ever I should see it
A looming shadow thundering
I would buy myself a ticket
Without pondering or wondering
For I have a few memories
For which I deeply yearn
And they would be there waiting
If I could return

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

In My Mind

In my mind you’re right here with me
Drinking in the midnight dew
As we close our eyes and jump into
A lake of endless blue
On a shore of our creating
Where there is no thought of time
We could wander on for ever
Find a perfect hill to climb

In my mind we’d sit for hours
And enjoy a breathless show
Where the actors are the flowers
And the taunting winds that blow
We could talk or just say nothing
Either one would be just fine
Simply being here together
Would be paradise divine

In my mind you’re right here with me
And it seems I almost hear
All the words that you would whisper
If you could, into my ear
In my mind I smile a little
For I knew what they would be
And I guess I really know you
Just as well as you know me

All Rights Reserved

Janet Martin

Your Hands

I like your hands, such lovely hands
I like when they hold mine
As we stroll the moon-washed sands
Leaving a confused design
Of foot-prints, as they pause then flow
In random sets of two
I like to hold your hands and stroll
Beneath the moon with you

I like your hands, such gentle hands
They help to ease the load
When no one really understands
Like you, my winding road
I treasure their soft warmth
Find comfort in their grip
But darling, I fear I must confess
I still prefer…….. your lips

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Come on...I can't always end them
predictably:):):)~)

Mystery

Don’t ask me to explain my poetry
The allure is in the mystery
If I tell you
What good would it do?
And after all, you must know this well
When it comes to poets….we never tell

All Rights reserved
Janet Martin

Earth

Sometimes I lay my head on your shoulder
Blurred with dust and dew
To catch the scent of a day in my memory
A summer night in June
But somehow the curtain of purple twilight
And the moss beneath my cheek
Simply cannot muster quite
The day of which I speak

All rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Willow-song

Will there ever be a song again
As the tune that drifts to me….
The gentle sigh of a summer wind
Stirring the willow tree
Still I can hear her trembling notes
Trickle across the years
Upon the wave of time it floats
A cadence in my ears

On an evening such as this
I’d wander if I could
Back again to faded bliss
And summer in the woods
There beneath her lofty limbs
I’d pause a little while
To hear again sweet nature’s hymns
And feel the willow smile

Oh, won’t you take a trip with me
And fly on phantom wings
To lie beneath the willow tree
And listen as she sings
The shiver of enchanted sighs
A bed of rippled jade
A canopy of star-lit skies
And music heaven-made

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

You and Me

The water is calm tonight
And the sand is silky white
The stars wink in the mirrored sea
And there’s no one here but you and me

There’s sadness in the moon
Like notes of a long-lost tune
Drifting ‘cross the moaning sea
And there’s no one here but you and me

The distant northern shore
Will call my name no more
In your arms I’ll always be
When there’s no one here but you and me

My dreams of long ago
Melt in the moon-blanched glow
There’s no place else I’d rather be
When there’s no one here but you and me

All rights Reserved
Janet Martin

All Over Again

All I can see ‘gainst the western sky
Is the silhouette of you, waving good-bye
All I can hear on the sigh of the breeze
Is your last soft whisper and good-bye kiss
And just as I think I’ve come past the pain
It’s there like the first day, all over again

There’s a new moon hanging in velvet blue
I can’t seem to look, it reminds me of you
There’s the hill where we used to sit
And watch the twilight creep in bit by bit
I close my eyes but it's all in vain
You're there as I miss you all over again

All I can see ‘gainst the western sky
Is the silhouette of you, waving good-bye
And every horizon is facing west
No matter which way I turn, there it is
Tomorrow’s another day, the forecast is rain
With a chance of starting all over again

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

It's cool and rainy...
the perfect weather to
indulge in 'the blues.:):)

How Was I to Know?

How was I to know
That a simple ‘hello’
Can be a subtle thief ……
How was I to know
That the color blue
Is ecstasy and grief
How was I to know
When you said hello
The galaxies re-arranged
And a single word
Most commonly heard
Would leave me forever changed

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Bedtime Story

The wind whispers across the sky
The clouds laugh on the breeze
There’s an enchanted lullaby
Murmuring through the trees
The palette of an artists dream
Glows in western glory
But none of this is heard or seen
When its time for a bedtime story

As a purple curtain draws across
The crimson, red and gold
As a dazzling splash of silver stars
Replaces daylight bold
Within this soft and muted blush
There is a quiet glory
A pleasant calm, a tender hush
When its time for a bedtime story

We fly beyond the present world
Far across the sea
With kings and knights, or boys and girls
In truth and fantasy
Night, pin down your purple veil
Around this hour of glory
For a mother’s arms will always fill
When it’s time for a bedtime story

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

A Very Fine Art

I wish I could reach out to touch you today
But wishes are like clouds, too far away
And I’ve become master of a very fine art
Indulging the company of a lonely heart
I’ll side-step the sorrows I’ve chosen to ignore
And dance with the echo of waves on a shore
In the breathless hush of an opaque sky
As the soft wind croons a lullaby
I’ll touch you with words I share with few
Words like ‘darling’ and ‘I love you’

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

How Can I Say Good-bye?

How do I say good-bye to you?
The boy I’ve loved his whole life through
I watched you take your first small step
Held your hand with gentle grip
I dried your tears and wiped your nose
Calmed your fears and washed your clothes
Now you hold me and say you’re fine
How do I say good-bye to this son of mine?

It’s my job to tell you everything is alright
But you’re telling me as I hold you tight
And I want to be strong enough to let you go
But I want to hold on for a lifetime or two
I hear echoes of bed-time stories and prayers
The music of little feet dashing upstairs
How can I kiss this face of tan?
A boy about to become a man

I know I am holding for the very last time
This darling precious boy of mine
For war steals innocence away
And a man will return where a boy stands today
So let me whisper in your ear
My solemn everlasting prayer
God, hold onto him as I let him go
For just as I, You love him too

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

There are certain pictures
that are simply beyond words.
I saw such a picture
this past week-end.
This is a pathetic attempt
at capturing the picture
with words:)

Straight to my Heart

When I read words I love
They go straight to my heart
A deliciously, sweet
Wrenching
Painful in the best of ways
They kindly tear me apart
I read them again
Slowly tasting them
Quenching my thirst
As I drink deeply
From its nectar
Balancing all the flavors
On my tongue
Life-giving blood
In beautifully
Arranged letters
And words
Called poetry

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Inspired minutes ago as
I read such a poem :)

Seventeen

The swing still blows upon the breeze
Her laughter rides the wind
I almost hear her begging please
Push me once, again
There’s her doll, her teddy-bear
There’s the dress she used to wear
Where’s that girl of yesterday?
Tell me, when did she fly away?

There’s the ribbon from her curls
The ruffled frocks of lace
The plunder made for little girls
Our secret hiding place
I touch each treasured memory
And wonder when she ceased to be
The little girl who once had been
Is all grown up…and seventeen

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Reality

In my hurry to get to you
I stumbled over
Wave upon wave
Of emotion
I had to get to you
No running for cover
Love is enough
An eternal ocean
But in my haste to get to you
I ignored one thing
Until I stood
Face to face
With reality
And then I knew
Without pondering
What I would do…
For love can never erase
The ‘after you’…
And, you see
For every emotion
Wild and free
None can replace
Or ever will be
Worthy of love
Without loyalty

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Stranger

A thousand times
I've spoken your name
In color
But tonight
It feels foreign
As the name of a stranger
I say it again
Slowly
Who are you?
Owner of this name
I have known you all your life
Taken you for-granted
Just like your name
A name I speak without
Really hearing it at all
A name I use to get
Your attention when I call
A name so special
That’s why I chose it
For you
Yet somehow it has become
A sequence of syllables
Void of emotion
Or hue
Simply black and white
Like tonight…..
What is in
A name…..?
Not just any name
Your name…..
I look at you
Really look at you
Study your eyes
The contours of your face
The out-line of your form
I wonder
Who are you?
You are a part of me
And yet suddenly
I feel like I
Don’t know you at all
But I do
More than you could ever know
So I whisper your name
See it hand-written
On my brain
Slowly I say it
Again and again
And thank God for giving me
You...and your name

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

I Love Thee

I love thee
As thou hast loved me
So I love thee
As soft air stirring
Above the sea
Or thick leaves murmuring
Wistfully
As the world lies
Asleep
So I love thee
Softly, gently
Like the wooing stream
Yet warm
So much warmer
Sighing in my dream
Whilst a myriad
Of hopeless wishes
Float away
I hold Love close
Ah, who needs fame?
Softly I whisper
Your name
Buds waken
Laugh into bloom
A supple young bough
How steady your arm
And the breeze through
Midnight’s window
Blending colors
Cool and warm
Swirling, intoxicating
Gently creating
The mellow glow
Of June’s love-light
And only you and I know
Why I love thee
As thou lovest me
Tonight

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Rest of the Dream

There are so many things I wanted to tell you
Like heaven is midnight in June
And flowers are the offering of a man to his true love
Not for a cold grave stone
At my feet lay the fragments of a shattered ending
I weep at time's swift-flowing stream
God, do you hear all the prayers that I’m sending?
Where is the rest of the dream?

I walk through the garden bursting in fragrance
But it holds no pleasure for me
Here ‘neath its arbor we danced our first dance
And tasted love's ecstasy
The garden is a desert without you
The fountain has lost its gleam
As I cry to the roses and think about you
Missing the rest of the dream

God in His wisdom has taken you too soon
His garden is fairer indeed
I stand here gazing at midnight’s full moon
There is nothing here that I need
All that I need is waiting up yonder
Past this life’s ruthless stream
Silently I weep and sadly I wonder
Where is the rest of the dream?

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Dedicated to Dave and his kids

Priceless

You can’t put a price on the lone star that twinkles
In twilight's dusty blue
Or the hush of midnight in budding April
As spring-time bids winter adieu
You can’t put a price on the moon in full glory
Reigning supreme up above
You can’t put a price on one- in- the- morning
And you can’t put a price on love

There’s no way to measure the value of giving
Whether it’s little or much
I’d rather be dead than too busy living
To offer a kind, gentle touch
You can’t put a price on the laughter of children
Or a sweet brand-new baby face
These are the priceless gifts from heaven
No money could ever replace

You can’t put a price on the pleasure of friendship
Or in the pain it can hold
To love til it hurts is the rarest of blessings
That cannot be equaled in gold
You can’t put a price on the kiss of a memory
Or the sigh of a cloud far above
You can’t put a price on the song of a heart-beat
For you can’t put a price on love

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Every Now and Then

I don’t do cart-wheels anymore
I cannot go skipping down the street
As my nine-year-old dances beside me
I calm the twitch in my feet
When you’re over forty and counting
There are things you simply can’t do
And I’d hop and skip in a heart-beat
If I was a young thing like you

But every now and then
I feel like a girl again
There’s something in the wind
It does that to me
And every now and then
I still remember when
Those days now far behind
Were the best that they could be

Freedom is a word I’ve long forgotten
I am not foot-loose and fancy free
I’m a wife and mother of my children
Thankful for what God has given me
But sometimes in a momentary flicker
I’m drawn into a silent reverie
Man, these days sure came a whole lot quicker
Than I thought they would at twenty-three

But every now and then
I feel twenty-three again
When you look at me that way
It does that to me
And every now and then
As I think of where we’ve been
And where we are today
I’m happy as can be

And I almost get to believing
I’m foot-loose and fancy free

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Eternity

The ocean chuckled at my feet
I asked, “What does it feel like to hold
An eternity of turquoise in your palm?”
She looked at me with eyes translucent, sweet
And I’ll never forget the words she told
As her voice grew soft and calm

My hands hold but the merest drop
In light of eternity
If for ten-thousand years the clock would stop
But at the end you stole from me
One tiny drop of water
And this would continue until you could see
The ocean floor and its mystery
One drop every ten-thousand years would be
A day in eternity….

And if I should take as I lap at your feet
One single grain of sand
Then wait for a thousand years to return
For another in my hand
And if I should do this until every grain
In every beach across the world
Was in my palm,
And in the same measure
Return it again until every beach was restored
One grain of sand every thousand years
Until all of the sand is gone
Is simply a breath in eternity
A moment in its sun

The ocean chuckled at my feet
And then looked up at me
“As I am doing all of this,” she asked
“Pray tell, where will you be?”

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

For God so loved the world
That he gave His one and only Son,
That whosoever believes
Should not perish but have
Everlasting life! John 3:16