Through Tears

Through tears we laugh

Through tears we weep

Oh, language of heart’s deepest deep

Through tears we groan

Through tears we praise

Oh, language of Thought’s wordless ways

Through tears we hope

Through tears we trust

Oh, language of time’s mortal dust

Through tears we mourn

Or celebrate

Oh, language of human estate

Through tears we suffer

And rejoice

Oh, language of world-kindred voice

Through tears we love

Through tears we pray

Until God wipes our tears away

© Janet Martin

 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev. 21:4

Truth-teller

 

It is such a secret place, the land of tears. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince 

You are no liar

Though oft we aspire

To veil your

Vulnerability

With prattle of speech

Or laughter, we reach

To quell your

Silver sea

Still, your language speaks

Upon our cheeks

Its common voice

Runs clear

Without a word

Love’s aching hurt

Is uttered in

A tear

© Janet Martin

 Tears are words the heart can't express. ~Author Unknown

 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Ps. 126:5

Small and Mighty...

 PAD Challenge day 26: write a water poem

You didn’t say a word

As I spilled wrath’s disgrace

But the rebuke that roused my shame

Was written on your face

My foolhardy revolt

For all its brash veneer

Was silenced by the reprimand

Of one wee, bitty tear

© Janet Martin

Tears in a Bottle

We never cry alone

Above this fretting sphere

Above this maddened din of strife

Someone beholds each tear

Within the mocking dark

Where demons of regret

Would rob us of strength to press on

One remains faithful yet

The anguish that we clench

Does not escape His will

He plants His comfort in despair

And whispers, peace, be still

From far off we have seen

Though not as yet received

But you have promised, not by sight

By faith we have believed

We never cry alone

Each teardrop that we weep

Falls where the One who loves us so

Cradles them in His keep

© Janet Martin

 

 Psalm 56:8
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Do you ever feel like you pray and shed tears over the same pleas, again and again and again, yet do not receive? 

 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. Ps.39:12

 

 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Heb. 11:13

Of Flesh and Blood Compassion (edited re-post)

...when flesh and blood lies bleeding

futile thoughts against the sky

as farewell prayers, gasping and pleading

weep out life's final good-bye

...when freedom’s price is blood-bought

with a brother, daughter, son

our grief is universal

and our teardrops flow as one

...when freedom’s charge is gathered

again…again… again

we see, not their race or color

but simply women, men

With flesh and blood compassion

we implore to God above

to comfort those who deeply sorrow

for the ones they dearly love

When freedom’s price is blood-bought

charted ramparts disappear

for in death we all are kindred

and our sorrow is a tear

© Janet Martin

Moans~

The wind moans blue beneath my door

It tugs the leaf from tree to grass

It draws the sea across the shore

And strains against rain-pelted glass

Thus, I can never really tell

Was it a tear or rain that fell?

Thought moans, a tempest in my mind

It clenches sorrows in my heart

Then surges, like the autumn wind

Across the twilight’s dim rampart

Thus, I can never really tell

Was it a tear or dusk that fell?

The quiet moans a lullaby

It trembles in leafy rain-song

A tune of moments slipping by

Of whispered hours here, then gone

Thus I can never really tell,

Was it a tear, or time that fell?

© Janet Martin

The Heart's Expression

The heart’s expression

Is most often uttered

Not by fluently ordered script

But by the shimmer

Of love and sorrow

In a tear that tenderly slipped

© J~

Flesh and Blood Compassion

When flesh and blood lies bleeding

Farewell thoughts against the sky

Away, away from loved ones

They weep out their last good-bye

When freedom’s price is blood-bought

With a brother, daughter, son

Our grief is universal

And our teardrops flow as one

When freedom’s charge is gathered

Again…again… again

We see, not nation or color

But simply women, men

With flesh and blood compassion

We plead out to God above

To comfort those who sorrow

For the ones they dearly love

When freedom’s price is blood-bought

Charted ramparts disappear

For in death we all are kindred

And our sorrow is a tear

© Janet Martin

Written in memory of four French soldiers killed yesterday in Afghanistan

My tears and prayers are for civilian victims as well.

Hello Megan. First, sorry for my english, I'm French. I often come to your blog because I like so much your tags and stationery (thank you so much for sharing them with us), and tonight I happened to see that post for Memorial Day. Yesterday, 4 french soldiers died in Afghanistan (I hope your poem is also for other countries fighting for freedom and not only the US). My brother, who is in the military, will be there in a few weeks, so thank you for that post. Thank you for sharing this also.
Louise

Thank you for sharing with us all ~ and impacting lives around the world...

They Say...

They tell me that I should not choose
This word in poetry
It’s over-done and over-used…
…but it’s a part of me…

…in victory or in defeat
In sorrow or in love
It is the fruit of bitter-sweetest
Stirrings from above

‘They’ say that we must find new ways
In which to verbalize
Love’s ultimate expression
Flowing from our eyes

Oh, I dare not use the word
For it’s been used to much
But what else proves that we’ve been stirred
And utter-mostly touched

The wise, the fool, the old or young
Without a purposed choice
Share this universal tongue
Of passion’s purest voice

Words are only things we say
Syllables we hear
I’ve felt the earth beneath me sway
In the silence of… a tear

To me, above all other words
I have yet to hear
One spoken more profoundly
Than the utterance of a tear

Janet Martin

This is merely my response to experts who say they do not want to hear the word ‘tear’
in a poem for at least a hundred years…but if I read stunning poetry…well, it moves me to…TEARS!!!
Here’s to tears and tears and more tears! Cheers!

...is there not poetry bleeding profusely from every single photo above?

Those Words

I hated what I was saying
Before it was fully spoken
I knew by your wounded expression
Your little heart was broken
But I could not reach to retrieve them
Those words, harshly uttered in haste
All I could do was kiss them
With sorrow, as they ran down your face

Janet~

'children' come in all sizes and ages':)

Words hastily spoken
Leave hearts quickly broken~
J~

Do you see a man who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for him. Prov. 29:20

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold
in settings of silver. Prov. 25:11

Life's Beautiful Crown....

If laughter is the golden haze
The crowning joy of softer days
Then each tear must a gem
Gleaming in life’s diadem

Within the lonesome hour or cruel
We bear love’s most tender jewel
And happiness is sweet and dear
If on our crown we wear a tear

Janet~

Satisfied.........

I draw You to me
With nothing but air
Oh God, you come to me
In a thought and a prayer
And here in the whisper
Of wishes I've cried
You make me happy
And satisfied
Better to touch You
In my teardrops that fall
Than to dance through life
And never need You at all

Janet~

And Blood-streams Ache......

As the rough fibers of his jacket
Burn their farewell into her cheek
She cannot see beyond the moment
Or hear the words they speak
But feels the reddened torrents
Drip in quivers from the sky
Landing in impending silence
Good-bye,
Good-bye
Good-bye

Janet~

Joy

In every life
Teardrops must fall
But joy is the halo
That crowns them all

Janet~