Humbly Thankful (a love poem)

Hubby's 'Happy 54th Birthday' today!

Happy Birthday Jim!

...and because I know you prefer short, SHORT poems, 

here is a short one for you...

For all the miles you've 'run'

For all the shoveled 'poo'

This is a great big "thank-you hon" 

And a great big "I love you" 

(for all the times I didn't say thank-you)

 Thank-you for the millions of miles you've driven (and scooped)

to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and shoes on our feet!

Here's another short-ish poem for us...

We celebrate our 30th anniversary on Sunday 

so in case I'm not back til next week this poem is a little tribute to thirty years of us!

Life sometimes leaves us wishing for things we could use more of

But I am humbly thankful for more-than-I-deserve love

Where just-between-the-two-of-us would leave many a lapse

But by kind love and help from God He fills in all the gaps

As through the ups and downs of love and life and try, try, try

The older that we get the more love seems to satisfy

Then come what may from day to day, one thing we know is sure

God’s love entwined with yours and mine makes our love secure

I could spice up this poem hon, with words like ‘sweetie-pie’

But you know me too well so I’ll just wink, (and you know why)

© Janet Martin

 One of 'our songs'💟

These Ties That Bind (are not unkind)

Marriage; it always feels so 'doable' (and it is!!)

when sitting in to witness two lives becoming one,

when we are re-impressed and re-reminded of its 'beauties and duties'

 Whether one has been married one year or in our case almost thirty, 

there's always something we can apply to our own versions of 'wedded bliss',

because sometimes hug and kiss hits rumble-strips and we need to slow down and re-evaluate

what and how we are doing at 'love is not self-seeking'

then recommitting to...

Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.  

Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. 

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  

Love never fails. 

1 Cor.13:4-8  

Yesterday we celebrated two beautiful lives becoming one!

God bless you, Jamie and Becca 

( Enjoying beautiful post-wedding blooms today, gifted to us by the Mother of the bride)

Two words “I do”

And what was two

Is melded into one

What God has joined

Til death does part

Can never be undone

These ties that bind

Are not unkind

Love’s vows, promised for life

Take ‘he’ and ‘she’

And make it ‘we’

Forever, husband-wife

A miracle

None can annul

God seals what He ordains

With sacred pledge

Two lives are wed

As long as life remains

Oh, happy day

Then come what may

Love bears, believes, endures

With solemn word

God ties the cord

That love’s “I do” secures

From this day forth

For better-worse

Through living’s high and low

Love’s ties that bind

Will not unwind

Until God wills it so

© Janet Martin

Assure Me With More Than Kisses

The best way to prove how much we love those we love best 

is to love the best we can, 

everyone else! 

Assure me with more than kisses

And pet names

Or, ‘I love ya’ so’

It might sound cold

My darling

But I need more to know…

Assure me with more than hugs, oh

They are nice

And they warm the heart

But I need more than

Hug and kiss

To cheer when we’re apart

Assure me with more than roses

Love needs proof,

Like a second mile

Like a prayer

Between you and God

Reflected in your smile

Assure me with gentle gesture

To everyone

That you meet

Compassion

Does not choose its lovers

It washes everyone’s feet

Don’t worship me with whispers

Or handle me

With kid-gloves

Unless we are

Quite clear, my dear

On the order of our loves

I hate to sound greedy or thankless

But love is

A dominant thirst

Requiring

Reciprocation to

Someone who loved us first

Assure me with words of wisdom

And canons

Kind and true

Darling, tis a modest language

That utters

‘I love you’

Assure me with more than kisses

Though they are precious,

I admit

But love needs

More than kisses

To prove the full of it

© Janet Martin

Love's Vows (a Wedding Poem)

We attended our nephew's wedding on Saturday. 

A wedding is always a good time to be reminded and reflect on vows we made on our own wedding day,
however recently or not we vowed them...

God bless, guard and keep the sacredness of marriage true and strong!

Once you were strangers and far, far apart

Now and forever love binds heart to heart

Shoulder to shoulder, through life’s worst or best

Love’s vows unbroken will triumph each test

Nothing on earth can undo what is done

Solemn the vows that meld two into one

Tethered forever to weather what waits

Love’s vows unite two hearts into soulmates

Cherish with honor these words that you say

Defend the promises you make today

Always remember in life’s push and pull

Love’s vows once spoken, nothing can annul

God bless with happiness, these ties that bind

Keeping, through His love, this love true and kind

For, from this day forward, while God grants your life

Love’s vows have sealed you as husband and wife

© Janet Martin

Beating the Odds

PAD Challenge day 27: For today’s prompt, write a falling apart poem. 

(My challenge this month is keeping up with its poetic challenges:) 

Let’s fall apart together

The weather is November gray

And none of us can tether

The hand that will have its way

Time is a master of moments

Author of fugitive art

Let’s beat its odd estrangements

And fall apart, heart to heart

We have two choices, darling

Musing on lost yesterdays

Or dancing with arms open

To the music that still plays

© Janet Martin