Friday, June 8, 2012

These Past Twenty Years...

Emily asked me the other day what I think about motherhood and can I believe I've been one for almost twenty years...It got me to thinking...

I ponder them slowly, these past twenty years
For they have been like no other
They warned me back then, how fast time disappears
…the day I became a mother

I ponder them tenderly, these past twenty years
Of fulfillment as deep as my yearning
Of mustard-seed faith to combat mammoth fears
Of teaching midst all of my learning

I ponder them deeply, these past twenty years
The paradox of love’s mystic measure
The beautiful agony of laughter and tears
The wonder of life’s painful pleasure

I ponder them thankfully, these past twenty years
So glad that God never forgot me
Gently admonished, through my own scolding and cheers
At how much my children have taught me

© Janet Martin




11 comments:

  1. The beautiful agony of laughter and tears
    The wonder of life’s painful pleasure

    Janet, you've got such a great gift, not a word wasted, each meaningful.
    Are you submitting at all? I want to see you published!

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  2. Sasha, thank-you. your comments bring tears to my eyes. No, I am not submitting or linking anywhere, hardly commenting! My 'computer-time' is so limited right now, it is taking grit and determination just to write. My daughter is working on year-end school projects and OWNS our one computer when she is home and during the day I have been 'booked'. I am trying to be patient..it will change again. Sasha, last evening I begged my daughter for the computer- a little birthday treat...yesterday was mine....I got on for a bit then the internet quit working...go figure:) Well, the little guys I baby-sit are going to be here any minute. One of them has a birthday today as well, so we are celebrating by going to the park and to McDonalds for lunch!

    Thank-you for your visit.

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  3. I wouldn't guess that you're booked with no access to the computer: I see new poetry from you all the time. But I understand your frustration :-) Try submitting though, won't it be nice to see a collection of your poems in print?

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  4. :) Where there's a will there's a way! As far as submitting...I don't really know where to begin.

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  5. p.s. Also, in case I left the wrong impression,I'm more than happy to let my daughter have the computer for homework. She is trying very hard to get the best marks she can and I am very proud of her dedication:)

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  6. I think I tweeted this to you once, but you are not too active on Twitter (wink) so here it is again:
    http://graceinspiredpress.com/submissions/
    They are open for submissions now. Why not try to submit? (Between the two blogs you certainly have fifty poems required for a complete manuscript!)

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  7. Your beautiful honest voice never fails to bring me to tears and inspire me, Janet!! Thank you so much for your authenticity and I agree, mother-hood is definitely a learning time!

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  8. What a beautiful poem of motherhood, Janet! And yes, I agree you should submit.

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  9. Sasha, I'm a TERRIBLE tweeter/facebooker!...almost nonexistent on those sites. I have no cell phone or other gadget, just the computer and if I have extra time I visit blogs before facebook. Thank-you SO much for reminding me about that site...I bookmarked it but it sort of slipped my mind to return to it. CRAZY month:) Ironically, tonight the Writer's Group I'm in really encouraged me to begin taking the next step...SUBMIT! I'll try...somewhere. I appreciate your encouragement.

    Hannah and Mary. I appreciate your thoughts and encouragement as well. Thank-you.

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  10. God has surely blessed you with words that proffer forth such wisdom and authenticity, Janet. Yes! Yes! Yes! Listen to the voices inside and outside your head. :) Get submitting...albeit a bit of a task to discover markets, but you do have the gifts, my dear, and once you get started... Did you hear the feedback from the 'Writers Unite' cast and crew?
    You are loved! Beautiful poem...

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  11. Glynis, you are a true dear...all of you! All I can promise for now is that i will look into it a little more seriously. I love all of you.

    p.s. Victoria really enjoyed it and said she would like to come again:)

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