Of Birthdays, Ballads and Bittersweet

 Tea-party treat leftovers; a few friends and I celebrated my sister's birthday this morning...and we are all middle-age, bitter-sweetly blessed!

I grew up in a family of ten kids so we generally did not receive birthday presents.  The puppy with pink flowers (in above pic) I did receive on one birthday, an unexpected surprise and cherished completely. The boy and goose ornament was another such surprise from my mother for 'being a good helper'. 

Nostalgic bits of childhood and parenthood lace tea-time conversation and remind us to be grateful for life's beautiful, ephemeral Now.

Happy Birthday, sis!...and all the rest of you out there celebrating today. J~

We do not always have the time or chance to dance too long

This sport of happy birthdays is a bittersweet love song

Its ballroom decorated with Her echoing of years

How soon another stanza spills its tune, then disappears

In Time we all must face the prospects mouthed by middle-age

Although within us youth objects Time turns Her steady page

And sets the stage for life-lessons which hours will enforce

While we thank God for blessings plucked from its common discourse

Our rooms cannot be guarded ‘gainst Time’s monochromic tock

Where flesh and blood are ever at the mercy of its clock

This little Now we hold soon molds Her heart-string souvenir

Hung soft upon a lintel of something that we call Year

Ah, flattery of fantasy fades as all flowers do

This heritage of middle-age will soon be over too

Time is a troubadour of Bittersweet and brave romance

So wrap your heart and soul around Her ballad Now…and dance

© Janet Martin