She'll Never Tell...

Writer's Digest Poem-a-day challenge begins! Prompt 1: For today’s prompt, write a secret poem. This poem can reveal a secret, incorporate a secret activity, or involve any other secret interpretation. Poem written in code (acrostic, anyone?) or with double meanings.

 The farm in this photo is the old home place


That once-upon-a-childhood leap
Now seems so long ago
Which dreams she kept,
which she released
No one will ever know

Life held and holds both highs and lows
Its roller-coaster thrill
unravels in its
ebbs and flows
Whispers she'll never spill

The heart is like a cavern, oh,
Filled with love's give and take
Where what we hold
And then let go
Leaves dream-lands in its wake

Blessed beyond Wishing's boldest wage
She knows want's drill full-well
But sets Her sights
beyond the page
Of poems she won't spell

Janet

Counsel for Merchants of Moments or Driver of Dreams

If we leap headlong into choice

Without weighing its gain and cost

How doleful we, in hindsight see

Oft all we have is what we lost

Self can be such a jealous god

A boss that’s never satisfied

Thus, it behooves God's tender truths

To bend these necks of stubborn pride

For in life’s quest to gain and gain

Sometime we lose sight of its Whole

How, in the end, we will contend

With He who gathers back the soul

Be careful then and prayerful too

For merchants one and all are we

This wake and sleep a solemn leap

That trades time for eternity

© Janet Martin

 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Mark 8:36

 

Dead End Day-dreams or Living The Dream

PAD Challenge Day 30: last day:(
For today’s prompt, write a dead end poem.. Take the phrase “dead end” and apply it to a noun,.

 Quote from a book pictured below...

They fill my head with visions of far fairer days to come

When I am not so busy with debt-dictated demands 

But after contemplation Methinks dreams are but the sum

Of common hope, and love the fire that fuels life's dreamlands

We never dream of loneliness or days when we are frail

And far too old to climb the hill of wild-bloom haply flung

And I have learned through tears well-earned, how dear this moment-grail

...how 'tis The Dream, not Destiny that keeps the spirit young

These are life's darling days, my dear, the dream, its serenade

We dance, not on yon cloud but on two feet if we are blessed

And I would like to dream, when day is done that we have made

A memory that we recall with tender happiness

Daydreams drive us toward an end we try to fantasize

Where shadow figurines, like strangers are kinder somehow

But circumstance alters the trance of Yonder-paradise

Thus we never secure the key to it because of Now

 

© Janet Martin

 

Dream and Dreamer-defenders

 PAD Challenge day 11: For today’s prompt, write a defensive poem.

Like traffic on a freeway full of dreams

The stream of Monday-morn commuters pour

To keep the growling wolf outside our door

Is quite a full time chore, or so it seems

Like merchants of mind math-games, hands and feet

Adhere to expectation and demand

The taskmaster of moments takes command

On sand where choice and consequence compete

Like dream-mates in the sport of live-love-learn

Of off-to-work before dark dims the day

Where wins and losses strew the age-old way

Of almost-yesterday, we take our turn

Like They did before us, we too commit

To maintain time’s affair of hold-let-go

Like blue-collar prize-fighters, oh, we know

That if we want to win we cannot quit

© Janet Martin 

What are you going to do

to defend The Dream today?

where even now the what-why-how

of it dwindles away! 

Plan a picnic,

 Plant a garden

 Paint a picture,

 Pray for trust

 As we learn

What really matters...

...the soul is not dust-to-dust

Winter Gardening

We poke around in flowerpots

And spread out glossy centerfolds

Of photo-preserved garden-plots

We stroll paths lined with marigolds

And other dream-derived prize blooms

And in the transport of a thought

We resurrect from frozen tombs

The pleasure of forget-me-not

And daffodil waiting to spill

Its halos on a green-tossed hill

Where now the white of winter blows

And blankets beds of summer’s rose

© Janet Martin

Find more inspiration here and here

Since I don't have a garden-shed some 'tools of the trade' hibernate outside;-)

Ode to a Young Dreamer (part one of a two-for-Tues.)

1. Take the phrase “Ode to a (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem.
2. Take the phrase “(blank) is for the Birds,” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem.

PAD Challenge day 17:

They wear wishes like jewelry wound about the heart

Knowing ‘the best is yet to come’ youth tears moments apart

Like early Christmas presents wrapped in hope’s gossamer gleams

These pioneers on pathways leading to a land of dreams

They do not let the ‘what if’ or ‘impossible’ deter

Them from the road ahead that will free them from where they are

Stars fall from heaven; find their way into their cheeks and eyes

Where every day is a highway to Yonder Paradise

…and love is like a firecracker, all sparkle and fizz

Their prayers poured with purpose of getting beyond what is

While they think they are wiser than their ancient mom and dad

Bound to the yoke of Duty for a loaf of daily bread

© Janet Martin

"I was going to have all kinds of fun when I live in Toronto", lamented Melissa the last time she was home. "but I don't have any free time or money..."

;-))

Upsy-daisy

We pretend we’re brave,

Wave and tell them to ‘fly’

And to reach for the rooftops

Of dream-sequined sky

We pretend we're ready

...with unsteady grin

We clap while the hour

Fills its bubble-skin

We pretend we’re excited

In spite of the fear

That swirls summer’s laughter

With winter-stark tear

  

We pretend we’re stronger

Than we really are

And lend them a shoulder

As they reach for the stars

© Janet Martin