November Is The Poet's Bliss...

The poet's bliss is November...

Sentimental hues arouse...

Warmth from autumn’s waning embers...

Wafting from nigh-barren boughs...

Where the brittle corn rows shimmer

Weighed with final harvest-boon...

Where the revived pastures glimmer

Green as green as middle-June...

Where the heavy heavens splinter

With inklings of snowflake song...

Where the emptiness of gardens...

Lines canning shelves, row on row...

The poet's bliss is November

Sentimental hues arouse

Warmth from autumn’s waning embers

Wafting from nigh-barren boughs

Where the brittle corn rows shimmer

Weighed with final harvest-boon

Where the revived pastures glimmer

Green as green as middle-June

Where the heavy heavens splinter

With inklings of snowflake song

And the kiss of Old Man Winter

Starts to flirt with old and young

Where the emptiness of gardens

Lines canning shelves, row on row

And the chores that summer pardons

Are tackled with gusto now

The poet’s bliss is November

Something in its brooding bent

Fills the poet with the splendor

Of a heart, humbly content

© Janet Martin

The poet’s bliss is November

Something in its brooding bent

Fills the poet with the splendor

Of a heart, humbly content...

Psalm 69:30

I will praise God’s name in song

and exalt Him with thanksgiving.

Celebration-Declaration or Celebration of Life

 PAD Challenge day 1: For today’s prompt, write a declaration poem. 

(I clicked on the Writer's Digest Chapbook Challenge every morning

but simply could not carve out the freedom to join...

Trying a few of the challenges here this morning!

BTW, everyone is welcome to join in the poeming fun

 at Writer's Digest poem-a-day challenge all through November!)

Yesterday morning a friend dropped by with some

homemade soup she made with some kale I had given her

the week before!

Such a sweet surprise seemed perfect for sharing so

I packed up an impromptu picnic lunch and visited my mother-in-law!

I told her our lunch was a group-effort/blessing...

Pears from my sister Lucy, soup from my friend Elaine

and Apple Bread baked by my daughter Victoria!

We had a most precious afternoon so

completely unplanned!

So today I call a celebration-declaration

for all un-expectation waiting to turn to joy!

I call a celebration-declaration for Today

A kind determination of joy-expectation when

We purpose to be kinder, and humbly thankful; to pray

And thank God for the mercy's that He renews once again

To thank Him for blessings that we too oft under-esteem 

Loved ones within arms reach; those never out of reach of prayer

To praise Him for His goodness no matter how bad things seem

To know that He is able, as we cast on Him our care 

To look a little closer at what we call Commonplace

And then to realize it is not common after all

But rather, celebration-worthy measures of God's grace

Each task a sacred mission as we heed love's creature-call 

...and suddenly sweet wonder steals our breath with gratitude

For favors humbly noted, that we overlooked before

A celebration-declaration for Regard renewed

As we reply with prayer, especially for countries at war

 💔😢🙏

Janet Martin~

I also received a very special love-created thank-you card from Elaine...

Let's make today our thank-you card to God!

Preciously Aware...

 Happy November!

Today's is my mom's birthday!

Our annual daughter and daughter-in-law's tea-party

is planned for next week because today she is celebrating with her sisters!

A very precious awareness of Each Other growing dearer

with each passing year!

A reminder for each of us to be preciously aware of Each Other! 

Time’s wheel of hopes and dreams and cares and prayers spins round and round

The hill where morrow’s stairway gleams at daybreak runs aground

And if we are not careful, we could miss what is today

While gazing at a stair full of mist-vendors far away

For, what is on display, both groaned and grinned, soon disappears

Like autumn leaves, chased by the wind, to pathless yesteryears

The physique of a wish is always just beyond our reach

And often we fail to critique the longings we beseech

Fixating on one point because it seems, to raptured sighs

To be want-worthy, while its flaws are lost in starry eyes

Until wisdom esteems that sage advice from days of yore

‘Not all is as it seems, then be careful what you wish for’

As time goes by, I want for less, yet covet more, a heart

Of humbler thankfulness for what God’s kind mercies impart

I want to be determined, in love’s hold and letting go

To keep one ear tuned to a wind that always steals the show

Then not to mourn the past or fret at what ‘yet’ holds at bay

But to be preciously aware of what Time grants today

© Janet Martin

James 4:15

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

With All That God Makes Possible...

 10 years ago it snowed at the end of October!

Happy final golden weekend of October, 2023

In autumn poetry tugs at the heart at every turn

awakening in us the same awe as it did in poets of old...

Psalm 8

 O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

You have set Your glory

above the heavens.

2From the mouths of children and infants

You have ordained praiseb

on account of Your adversaries,

to silence the enemy and avenger.

3When I behold Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place—

4what is man that You are mindful of him,

or the son of man that You care for him?

5You made him a little lower than the angels;c

You crowned him with glory and honor.

6You made him ruler of the works of Your hands;

You have placed everything under his feet:d

7all sheep and oxen,

and even the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

If at all possible, allow yourself to pause from pressing care

To rest beneath the golden bough slowly but surely growing bare...

Look at the birds and breathe a prayer of thankfulness to He who tends

The creatures of land, sea and air with mercy’s gracious dividends...

If at all possible, delight in simple sight-and-sound of Leaf

Indulge desire’s appetite with wonders, momentous and brief...

If at all possible, allow yourself to pause from pressing care

To rest beneath the golden bough slowly but surely growing bare

Take time to hum a humble hymn of hope, happiness, peace and love

To take note of the gifts that brim from autumn’s dimming treasure trove

Look at the birds and breathe a prayer of thankfulness to He who tends

The creatures of land, sea and air with mercy’s gracious dividends

Now and then commit to ignore the rigid edict of tick-tock

Enjoy falls fading hues before they strew the yard and street and walk

If at all possible, delight in simple sight-and-sound of Leaf

Indulge desire’s appetite with wonders, momentous and brief

Enjoy the view, autumn-dawn pure; of no two days ever the same

Drawing us to our Farewell Tour back to the Hand from whence we came

Explore moments shucked from a sheaf that spills its grief in russet snow

As soft, the earth is tucked beneath a counterpane of Afterglow

If at all possible, allow Autumn’s glory to steal your breath

Before the gold and scarlet bough bears the stark evidence of death

Oh Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your great name in all the earth

From age to age, You light the wick that kindles worship's awestruck birth

For no mortal can grasp Your ways and thoughts, but should wholly contend 

With all that You make possible, to praise and praise You without end 

© Janet Martin

Explore moments shucked from a sheaf that spills its grief in russet snow

As soft, the earth is tucked beneath a counterpane of Afterglow...

If at all possible, allow Autumn’s glory to steal your breath...

Before the gold and scarlet bough bears the stark evidence of death...

Living Love-song

Three lively youngsters are arriving shortly so their mom and dad

can have a little reprieve to celebrate 10 years of marriage.

Plans for a weekend getaway, due to life's unexpected curves,

were altered to a day-getaway!

p-s-s-st!! Due to cool, rainy weather I see another intense

memory-game on the horizon ...

..with two little players who

have no qualms about sneaking a peek if necessary😂💕

Here is a little hymn/prayer to the Keeper of our days,

who, through all of life's ups and downs

reminds us over and over 'Fear not'.

To the Keeper of our days may we live/lift a hymn of praise

May our meditations be pleasing, oh God, unto Thee

May our labors great and small magnify Thee, Lord of all

Thou who dost behold the heart of we who see, but in part

Guard our thought and guide our feet until face to face, we meet

Until dust reclaims it due and trust beholds all things new

May our utter longing be to live a love-song for Thee

© Janet Martin

 

🙏 as we pray for so many torn from their

earthly homes...

A Living Prayer

Today's Treasure Hunt

Today's poem was inspired in part by today's post from The Homespun Wife.

She shares her artful, encouragement-treasures on Facebook etc.

Though circumstances vary every day is always new

The crosses that we carry, as we trust, God sees us through

He, the Maker of the earth and sky presents a big buffet

That authors wonder’s ‘my-oh-my’ many sweet times a day...

So let’s be kindly, humbly, gently grateful, ...

The cold water got his attention!!!😅😅💖

'better get my lost shoe' thought Tot

Let’s look a little slower, awed by autumn’s color-flood...

As today’s moments tumble through touch-taste-sight-smell and sound

Let’s turn it to a treasure hunt for favors that abound

Lest haste produces blindness and ingratitude’s increase

Or fear becomes a thief that robs us of hope, joy and peace

Or Want becomes a thought-consuming, self-indulgent creed/greed

As we trample kind mercies in a success-bent stampede

Let’s look a little slower, awed by autumn’s color-flood

And mourn and pray for those, where leaf-song wafts to pools of blood

Let’s reach a helping hand and meet life with love's tender touch

Let’s need each other rather than steal-kill-destroy and such

Let’s savor the full flavors of feasts on a smorgasbord

Of unmerited favors that we never could afford

Moment-momentum slips, drips, spirals, like leaf-poetry

And not a one returns to re-taste-touch-hear-sniff-or see

So let’s be kindly, humbly, gently grateful, for who knows

Who will be next to pass through time’s eternal curtain-close

Let’s pause to be utterly awed by God, right now and here

And thank Him for His perfect love able to cast out fear

Though circumstances vary every day is always new

The crosses that we carry, as we trust, God sees us through

He, the Maker of the earth and sky presents a big buffet

That authors wonder’s ‘my-oh-my’ many sweet times a day

To counter life’s unlovely with a hymn of grateful laud

As today’s treasure-hunt reveals the faithfulness of God

© Janet Martin

1 John 4:18-19

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, 

because fear involves torment. 

But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

19We lovee because He first loved us.

With very agonizing news-clips from Israel this

chapter was especially powerful today... 

because our hearts are heavy with concern and grief!

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.