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Thursday, March 27, 2014

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

4 comments:

  1. Ahhhh....I am right here for this:))
    Just absolutely beautiful!!
    Loved every wistful line.
    Thank you,thank you my dear, dear sis.
    Your love and support means alot to me.
    xo~ Lucy.

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  2. I really wanted this poem for your card but one simply cannot 'order' words. CRAZY how that is but I'm glad you saw it here.
    love you too:) now I better go work/run off some of this morning's treats;). I was going to ski but its storming!

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  3. I know me too...but right, it's my b day:) so maybe not.
    btw..I love the picture and card...
    and YOUR beautiful heart.
    that empty tea pot says it all:)

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  4. Thank-you for your kind words.I did forget one thing in your card. "God bless you in the coming year".

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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!