Thankful Hunger

I gleaned marigold seeds...because the neighbor was coming to plow the garden 

(another garden-year officially in the books)

 When I plant these seeds next spring, 

Lord willing, I will have a winter of Grandmother-hood behind me;-)

Sometimes I find myself

Looking at you

Through eyes of reluctant seeing

My little girl,

How swift Time drew

You to its constant fleeing

A clock gives no thought

To tick and tock

Or its Quick of imminent taking

Sometimes I find myself

Looking at you

As if suddenly I am waking

…to a world

Of foreign realities

Though time never estranges

My love for you;

I am introduced to

Its physical exchanges

Where womanhood

Becomes you, oh,

Yet, I cannot help but hunger

In spite of my

Thankful and utter joy,

For days when we were younger

© Janet Martin

Maybe its looking after other mother's children,

Maybe its watching Matt and Victoria leave every morning,

Maybe its Melissa's phone-calls from TO,letting me know what's new, what-should-I-do? etc.

Maybe its listening to Emily's excitement of becoming a mother (in approx. 10 weeks, Lord Willing)

but sometimes Something jolts the air with thankful hunger...

Next To Me...

Day is hushed

Its vista brushed

With velvet rush

Of ebony

Oh darling, why

When the night-winds sigh

Do I wish you

Were next to me?

It is not far

To where you are

Dark cannot bar

Thought’s entity

I press a prayer

To midnight’s air

And feel here

Right next to me

© Janet Martin

Commiting to 'I Do'

Today's Poetic Blooming form challenge is the Quintain Cascade.

 Read more about this form here.

You make me say and do some things I thought I never would

The naughty and the nice become you more than most, ‘tis true

That day when I first met you my intentions were so good

How much you’ve taught me while I thought that I was teaching you

I want to be your student, love, all of my lifetime through

You lavish me with kisses and the innocence of words

And darling, you stir me in ways like nobody else could

You are the smallest, biggest blessing in the whole wide world

My, my, when I first held you I knew love was pure and good

You make me say and do some things I thought I never would

You teach me how to linger longer while throngs thunder by

I’ve fallen quite in love with living, all because of you

And often when the day would be gray with life’s weary sigh

You startle me with laughter like nobody else can do

The naughty and the nice become you more than most, ‘tis true

Sometimes I fail you; but you are oblivious to ‘can’t’

There is no quitting, even when love is misunderstood

You put your arms around me in the middle of a rant

And hold nothing against me even though I know you could

The day when I first met you my intentions were so good

You are not cumbered with the care of what others might say

And time is of no matter; ‘will you help me find my shoe?’

‘Will you read me a story?’ Where, oh where, along the way,

Do we become too rushed to lie beneath time’s sky-high blue?

How much you’ve taught me while I thought that I was teaching you

Master, mistress of your domain, love’s biggest, smallest charge

God knows I’m quite unfit to commit to the likes of you

Yet, since we’ve met you’ve taught me to love and live, free and large

Though I am middle-age and you are only half-past two

I want to be your student, love, all of my lifetime through

© Janet Martin

A Mother to Daughter Birthday Poem

From one birthday celebration to the next! 

Yesterday's memories are precious(a glimpse at a few with the little ones I babysit and family:)

...today's memories are waiting to be made.

Blessed to be a mother for 24 years!

Dear daughter,

Often I pray that God

Would be with you through the day

And you would sense his Presence

In whatever comes your way

I ask Him to protect you

And to keep you in His care

For wisdom to safeguard you

From deception’s subtle snare

I pray He grants you strength

For tasks that love and life begot

For courage to be faithful

Even when others are not

And oh, that He would bless you

And be present in your home

But sometimes I forget to thank Him

For the woman you’ve become

I forget to thank Him for

The loveliness of you

Your friendly face, your giving ways

Your heart, kind, caring and true

And I forget to thank Him for

Memories of happiness

And how you have made motherhood

A joy words can’t express

…your willingness to lend a hand

Your friendship through the years

And all the things you’ve taught me

Through love’s laughter and its tears

Dear daughter, on this special day

I pray a humble prayer

And thank God for the gift of you

And the special daughter you are

Love always,

Mom

Mother To Mother

We don’t count

Or talk about

Sacrifices that we make

Knowing not long before

Someone

Made them 

For our sake

We don’t dwell on Heart-hollows

Where days

Fill with life's fuss

Reminding us

Of someone else

Who kindly

Lived for us

We wear with humble reverence

The word

Our mothers wore

While learning

The full meaning

Of the name

She bravely bore

© Janet Martin