Vegetable Soup

Wash, peel, chop, slice
Measure, feel, pour, dice
This is my dance
Choreographed for me
Suiting my hands
Color and harmony
Of the purest kind
A gentle ballet
For the eye and the mind
Carrots orange, turnips yellow
Savory, warm, aroma mellow
Potatoes, cabbage, peppers, beans
White, purple, reds, greens
Here is nourishment for the soul
Season, cook, place into bowl
Supper time, rally the troops
M-m-m-m good, love served as vegetable soup

Janet~

I love making soup.
There is a pure kind of therapy
In chopping, dicing, slicing….
And preparing a good, wholesome supper.

Other People's 'Ordinaries'

She sighs as she talks about her crazy week
At the office on the sixth floor
Where her window faces the harbor-front
And she's got her name on the door
She keeps saying she would quit if she could
I stare with envy at her perfect manicure
My nails bear the marks of dish-water and splitting wood
The brief-case she carries and the bag on her shoulder
Amplifies my domesticity; I suddenly feel much older
As I picture her day through the eyes of romance
I know I would not trade if given the chance
Yet, I can’t help but wonder how it would be
To be in by seven and done at three
To sport name-brand bags instead of tea-towels on my arm
But she looks at me as if my life were a charm
Sandwiches, I could make them in my sleep
I’ve grown quite accustomed to my laundry heap
Every morning at eight-o-clock
I wave as the bus pulls away from the walk
Wondering how old my youngest child will be
Before she’s ‘too old’ to wave to me
'House-wife'she says, visualizing a painting in the shade
A life of cookies and lemonade
And maybe it is, here and there
A smile, a kiss, a tear and a prayer
Her polished appearance makes me seem quite dull
She says she's decided to enroll
In a couple new classes and maybe then
She can work her way out of the craziness she's in
My mental check-list of what needs to be done
I suddenly decide is not worth mentioning
With a click of her heels she hurries away……
‘I have no idea how she feels’ I hear myself say…..
H-m-m-m… I think I’ll go outside, hike to the woods for a while
The housework can wait……I hum……I smile

Janet~

Why do we tend to perceive other people’s ‘ordinaries’
With a degree of something akin to romance………
Enjoy the ‘ordinary’ you’re in
Kick up your feet AND DANCE!!!!

The Dream...........

I pushed my dreams aside……..
There were babies to hold
And tears to be dried
There were cheeks to kiss
And beds to make
Dust bunnies to catch
And cookies to bake
There were toys to pick up
And clothes to mend
Suppers to cook
And gardens to tend
Children to bathe
And stories to read
Messes to clean up
And bread dough to knead
And now and then a little gleam
As I recall a fading dream….

……..I pushed my dreams aside
There were bills to pay
Someone needed a ride
There was hockey and homework
And basket-ball too
Music recitals
And shopping to do
There were hands to hold
And fears to calm
Floors to sweep
The cookies are gone
Dishes to wash
Laundry to fold
Oh Lord, how fast
I’m growing old
And in my eyes the soft tears gleam
As I realize I’m living the dream

Janet~

Nothing New.....

So perhaps then you think this is something new
And no one has ever felt quite like you
You love him; he loves you, incomparable bliss
Surely no one has ever felt quite like this
Well my dear girl, though I’m quite happy for you
Let me just reassure you, this is nothing new

Young love, the sparkle of life in your eye
Young love, perhaps a mother’s envy
And yet there’s a gleam that can never replace
The sparkle that glows on a young love’s face
For the fervor of love that is tried and true
Is still dearer by far, also nothing new

A broken heart hurts the self-same way
As it did in the very most ancient of day
Betrayal, regret and the sound of good-bye
Did then and will still bring a tear to the eye
Be it joy or grief that comes to me or you
The truth of it is, it is nothing new

Ships sail, birds fly, youth dreams, and aged die
We wish, we pray and somehow life just slips away
We fail, we succeed, we hope, we need
And every now and then a dream comes true
Yet this as well is nothing new

Janet~

The thing that hath been,
It is that which shall be;
And that which is done
Is that which shall be done;
And there is no new thing under the sun. Eccles. 1:9

It Must Be Christmas....

Children’s laughter fills the air
Hearts beat lighter as we hear
Baby hugs his teddy bear
Oh it must be Christmas
Candle glow and firelight
Decorations twinkling bright
What a perfect silent night
Oh it must be Christmas……again

Snowflakes dancing to the earth
Heralding a Savior’s birth
Baby Jesus songs are heard
Oh, it must be Christmas
Memories of seasons past
Glow upon the fire-place
Reflecting in our eyes and face
Oh, it must be Christmas again

Candy-canes and ginger-bread
Poinsettia blooming, brilliant red
Tuck away that silent dread
Oh, it must be Christmas
Bells and stars and little trees
Cookie cutter memories
Melt like shortbread, one more please
Oh, it must be Christmas again

Hearts beat lighter for awhile
Hope shines brighter in each smile
As we meet our inner child
Oh, it must be Christmas
Season of remembering
Birth of Jesus, baby King
Come and join us as we sing
Oh it must be Christmas….again

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Janet Martin

We were decorating the tree the other night
when suddenly one of my daughters asked me
Mom, are you happy or sad?
'Well', I replied, 'I guess a little of both.
I just cannot believe that it is Christmas ....again.
I honestly feel like we just did this and it
reminds me again of how fast little moments
melt into years and lifetimes!!!

Cold Coffee.....

All that she asks for right now
Is just a corner of the sky
A little kiss upon her brow
From the breeze as it flits by
All she asks for is a book
A cup of coffee within reach
Perhaps the babble of a brook
Too much to wish for a whole beach
All she needs is one wee hour
Where vain duty is subdued
A little whisper from a flower
Oh, evasive solitude
Where did you go?
Oh yes, she knows……..
A little piece flew from this world
The day they told her ‘it’s a girl’
The little kiss upon her brow
Is given by her children now
The cup of coffee within reach
Grew cold; for Charlie found a leech
Her books have princes, trucks and trains
Instead of lovers and villains
The babble is from baby dear
The hours just somehow disappear……
Solitude is for all those others
Who have not yet become…..
Fathers and mothers

Janet~

Pleasure......

There are so many little things
To stir my heart with pleasure
But in this life where time has wings
I love the hour of leisure
Life seeks to enslave us to
Our cares and endless duty
Sometimes we need an our or two
To drink in this life’s beauty

Before the night-wind sings her tune
Before the lonesome dove
Will solemnly and sadly croon
Her farewell song of love
Before the purple shadows climb
Across the twilight hours
Can we take a little time
To drift among the flowers?

The flowers of ten-thousand hues
Raining like crimson snow
Upon the silent avenues
Of summer’s faded glow
There are so many little things
Designed to bring us pleasure
But I desire the joy life brings
Within the hour of leisure

I could speak quite endlessly
Of nature’s boundless glory
It stirs the fire of life in me
And eases grief and worry
A brand new canvas every day
A painting I can treasure
Oh do not let life slip away
Without an hour of leisure

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Janet Martin

We all have our own version of what brings us pleasure.....
but one of my daughters enjoys the songs of nature
much like I.......we have had great times together!!!

Things I Have Observed

It’s not in the consuming
But the hunger
That keeps us alive
It’s not in failure
But in admitting defeat
That we lose our drive
It’s not in arriving
But in the quest
That brings delight
It’s not in perfection
But simply giving our best
That brings sleep at night

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Janet Martin

Epitome of Joy for a Twelve Year Old Boy

Forget the bat and baseball
Drop the glove
There are a few things dearer
For a boy to love
There’s music in the distance
To give his spine a chill
Lo, sleek awesome beauty
A red Ferrari comes over the hill

(A scene witnessed by ‘mom’
A few minutes ago)

Contradictions.....

I didn’t know lonely could hurt so good
Or feel so soothingly bad
I didn’t know that loving you would
Be the best pain I’ve ever had
And I didn’t know that stars fall from the sky
And land in the glow of a loved ones eye
No I didn’t know loving could hurt me so good
And make me feel happily sad

I didn’t know empty arms could over flow
With an unbearable ache
Or that happiness can grow and grow
But cause a heart to break
And I didn’t know silence could be so loud
Or loneliness greatest in a crowd
No I didn’t know loving could hurt me so
Yet heal each secret ache

I didn’t know lonely until I met you
Or did we really meet?
I didn’t know the joy of bitter brew
Until I tasted sweet
And I didn’t know that misery
Can be such beautiful company
Nor did I know that missing you
Would make my life complete

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Janet Martin

Vacation

I need a little vacation
A little time to play
And I don’t need an explanation
I’m going to play hooky today

The garden is a haven
I love the scent of soil
But I am tired of slavin’
In all it’s endless toil

I need a little breather
A little one on one
I love today’s kind of weather
In the grand old sun

Oh, I need a little vacation
Dust and dirty dishes
May be a house-wife’s heaven
But they can’t satisfy my wishes

I’ll be back in an hour
Or… make it two or three
The sun has mysterious power
When I’m in her company

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Janet Martin

Acknowledgement....

I no longer try to forget
My sorrow or my regret
For somehow the older I get
I begin to see
It’s not in the moments of gladness
But in my hours of sadness
The Teacher of love and goodness
Is teaching me

I’ll take those moments of sorrow
Who knows, maybe tomorrow
Someone may need to borrow
A little sympathy
And because of my tumbles
When life teaches and humbles
I can relate as another stumbles
By what life has taught me

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Janet Martin

July Bliss

I’m not smiling or laughing………..
Yet I am blissfully content
It is July, the heaven of summer
‘Simply being’ each moment is spent

Have you felt the quivering ripple?
Of her soft alluring kiss
Radiating every heart-beat
In pure extravagant bliss

Suddenly there is no ordinary
As you open up your eyes
To seize her rampant passion
Flowing from the skies

I dare not breathe too deeply
Yet still I must inhale
The purple of her slumber
Enhanced by moonlight pale

It manifests within me
A visceral sensation
Of joy sublime, unearthly
Pinnacle of elation

So drink in each moment of pleasure
Oh, how sweet it is
As summer’s sigh unravels
In July, the hour of bliss

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Janet Martin

Summer's Tears

What comfort I find in summer’s tears
Falling from a window of countless years
I love her sunshine but now and again
I need the kiss of a warm summer rain

The wind-tossed maples laugh, as I
Reaching for the weeping sky
What sweet music to my ear
In the rhythm of summer’s tear

Tempo soft, now more intense
Pouring from her vast expanse
In dotted eighth notes,effortlessly
Passing through every barrier in me

And then…..a hallowed solitude
The tears have passed, earth lies subdued
As I hear the great Director say
Tears will come, and then pass away

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Janet Martin



Her face turned from tears to laughter in mere minutes......

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER...or Tomorrow

When she bows her reluctant head
And relinquishes her charm
When I see with joy and dread
The maples auburn arm
And autumn sighs within my ear
While I must shed a silent tear
To know her mantle has been cast
And another summer’s passed
When azure blue is a dusty hue
As the grapes that cling to the vine
I will see you again but until then
I must enjoy the summer sunshine!!!!

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Janet Martin

Summer Sunrise

You are always out of reach
Rising like a burnished peach
Glimmering and amber-glazed
Once again I stand amazed……

…..As in the silence of the dawn
Here I am to look upon
The work of heaven’s outstretched hand
In lemon splashes on the sand

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Janet Martin

There's Something About Your Picture.....

Tonight as I look at your picture
I am both happy and sad
For I feel an aching echo
As I think of the good times we had
And I smile in spite of my sorrow
I cannot laugh now or cry
What do I call these two mingled?
The grief and the joy in my eye…..
And who knew a little old picture
Could evoke such a powerful pain
The pleasure of re-living a memory
And wishing I could see you again
Oh, there’s something about your picture
It always does that to me
But to return to the day it was taken
Is an impossibility


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Janet Martin

Oblivion.....

In tattered fragments moonlight splays
In puddles on the grass
The smell of jasmine on the breeze
Taunts us as we pass
The sultry sky with turquoise sigh
Wraps her garb of splendor
On rain-drenched field and wooded hill
And heart-beat warm and tender

In the bliss of summer’s kiss
Shattered hopes are mended
Sorrow’s dread it’s tear has shed
And her dark night has ended
The strumming chords of astral lords
Herald a new horizon
Beneath a sky where you and I
Revel in sweet oblivion

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Janet Martin

Royalty......

Oh my darling, I guess you know
There are not too many places I’ve been
But in spite of this fact, of one thing I can boast
I’ve been made to feel like a queen
My palace is humble, yes, this is true
Perhaps rough and tumble with a cob-web or two
But here I am happy and here I have seen
What it is like to feel like a queen……

No flowing garments of satin and silk
I wear no tiara or crown
No wine on my tray, but there’s coffee or milk
Carried proudly by a princess half-grown
No team of white horses to heed my command
No chauffeur or carriage, no ball-room so grand
But I’ve danced a slow-dance or two in blue jeans
With reckless abandon unfitting for queens

Here in this palace we laugh and we cry
Secure as the world turns colder
Come here my darling; let me look in your eye
Let me rest my head on your shoulder
You are my crown, my jewel, my treasure
My prince, my love, my greatest pleasure
For here in your arms I know that I’ve seen
What it is like to feel like a queen

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Janet Martin