Mercy's Perpetual Providence

‘If I could turn back time’, she said

‘I’d return to that place’

But moments do not reimburse

Or barter with their grace

Mercy’s perpetual providence

Moments; brief yet benign

And only in our looking back

Do we see their design

How miniscule the offering seems

In tick-tock allotment

How easily Time spills its reams

Without acknowledgement

But oh, the tempo of that tide

When gathered in the past

Returns oft to remind us how

Moments slip by so fast

‘If I could turn back time’, she said

‘I’d return to that place’

Oh, treasure carefully the Now

Ere new moments give chase

© Janet Martin

My daughter lost a friend she knew briefly and oh, so dearly! They counseled together at camp for 3 weeks and kept in touch through letters. Yesterday this girl’s life of up-hill moments ended tragically and far too soon!

In her Facebook tribute to Jess, Melissa used the words, ‘if I could turn back Time and return to that place’…

This poem spoke to me today...

Sometime

May Riley Smith (1842?–1927)

SOMETIME, when all life’s lessons have been learned,
And sun and stars forevermore have set,
The things which our weak judgments here have spurned,
The things o’er which we grieved with lashes wet,
Will flash before us, out of life’s dark night,
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue;
And we shall see how all God’s plans are right,
And how what seems reproof was love most true.
And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh,
God’s plans go on as best for you and me;
How, when we called, he heeded not our cry,
Because his wisdom to the end could see.
And e’en as prudent parents disallow
Too much of sweet to craving babyhood,
So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now
Life’s sweetest things, because it seemeth good.
And if sometimes, commingled with life’s wine,
We find the wormwood, and rebel and shrink,
Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine
Pours out this potion for our lips to drink.
And if some friend we love is lying low,
Where human kisses cannot reach his face,
Oh, do not blame the loving Father so,
But wear your sorrow with obedient grace!
And you shall shortly know that lengthened breath
Is not the sweetest gift God sends his friend,
And that, sometimes, the sable pall of death
Conceals the fairest bloom his love can send.
If we could push ajar the gates of life,
And stand within, and all God’s workings see,
We could interpret all this doubt and strife,
And for each mystery could find a key.
But not to-day. Then be content, poor heart!
God’s plans like lilies pure and white unfold.
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart,
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.
And if, through patient toil, we reach the land
Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,
When we shall clearly know and understand,
I think that we will say, “God knew the best!”

Summer Madrigal

When streams in silver ribbon tease

The meadows flush with clover bloom

As winter’s fireside fantasies

Embellish nature’s living-room

When dawn melts gold into each rill

And dusk leans long against earth’s loam

Cajoled by lark and whippoorwill

And mother’s calling children home

Then we are all princes and lords

As summer spills its sanguine hoards

When sea-song rolls across bare feet

Where gulls waft high on hazy blues

And winds grow lazy in the heat

Rippling on milkweed avenues

When golden-rod sprouts plumes of green

And earth is giddy 'neath its crown

Then surely summer is a queen

And we the stragglers on her gown

As daisy rivers drift awry

Where ditches lure the roving eye

When lovers stroll exotic lanes

Behind the barn beneath the moon

Or pictures pulse within our veins

Begging to spill in ink-fraught swoon

On easels formed of sun-swept hill

Where palettes pour their rainbow yield

In petal-poem madrigal

Of flowers flowing through a field

As summer flings ajar her door

There are no beggars on her shore

© Janet Martin

Since this is the last day of school before summer-break I treated myself to a long bike ride this morning...well sort-of treated because it ended up being a ride in the rain;) Still, summer swelled in top-notch form!

...To Celebrate His Glory

A Heavenly King

Does not need things

To celebrate His glory

He came to earth

In humble birth

To live Love’s greatest story

His perfect love

Desires of us

Not heaps of earthly measure

But from His throne

He knows His own

In hearts filled with His treasure

© Janet Martin

I'm so glad we do not need 'things' to celebrate the birth of Christ!

Poetics Aside Prompt:  Write a birth poem. Write a poem on the experience of giving birth or witnessing birth, or feeling reborn in anyway.

Beautiful Yesterday...

 This is the swing of my childhood...how I did love to go up in a swing, up in the air so blue...

Though moments may sweep

Temporal pleasure away

I keep my beautiful

Yesterday

Time cannot take

This treasure from me

Kept in the locket

Of memory

Tides ebb and flow

And nothing can stay

But the joy of a

Beautiful yesterday

Today is an offering

Caught in time's decay

Tomorrow it will be

Our yesterday

Lord, teach us to cherish

This moment-sway

Creating a new beautiful

Yesterday

© Janet Martin

Vision

If we would catch one fleeting glimpse of Him

Nothing but the shadow of His glory and His might

We would bend harder to the humble task at hand

And seek more earnestly His given command

We would loathe the wrong and love the right

If we would catch but one fleeting glimpse of Him

If we would see Him walking across the field

With the Reaper’s sickle in His out-stretched reach

We would bow, forsaking all fickle earthly ties

Trembling beneath the gaze of loving, holy eyes

We would run to seek His law to teach

If we would see Him walking across the field

If we would see the table in Heaven’s Banquet Hall

We would not desire the secret crumbs we crave

But eat the Bread and drink the Cup of His suffering

Knowing that all earthly loss is heaven’s rejoicing

And we would not fear a cold and lonely grave

If we could see the table in Heaven’s Banquet Hall

If we, for one brief twinkle of the eye

Could behold but a fleeting glimpse of Him

The measure of this world could never begin to hold

Anything more desirable than Him in silver or gold

Its lure would instantaneously grow feeble and dim

If we could behold but one fleeting glimpse of Him

© Janet Martin

  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil. 

Eccles. 12:13-14

Living Moment to Moment...

                                                ~As drops fill a sea so moments fill a life~

Poetic Bloomings gives us permission to borrow someoneelse's line in Hey, That's my line'

*Taken from Walt J. Wojtanik's Living Day-to-Day synchronicity poem

*Within every waking moment,
the gift of life is heaven sent.*

So if we learn to cherish moments

We will learn to be content

We cannot see the trickle

Of Time’s elemental force

But we can feel its whispers tracing

Our temporal discourse

Within every waking moment*

Trembles possibility

Gift of life, oh fleeting morsel

Full of opportunity

We cannot preserve its tenure

Tick by tock its measure slips

As we touch and taste the treasure

Flowing from Time’s gracious lips

Within every waking moment,
the gift of life is heaven sent.*

Oh God, I vow to cherish it

The gift of life that you have lent

© Janet Martin

Madrigal of Life

The evening melds its long blue bars of dusk across the land

The sweltering orb of middle-day resigns

Pale moon, half-circle whisper on an oceanic strand

Breathes grace into the gasp of our designs

While monumental miracles hold galaxies in place

Reminding us of Oracles beyond this temporal space

Our triumph and our failure on life’s battlefields are strewn

Yet, in the end what little still we know

As twilight slips its coral robe across the azure noon

And midnight snuffs eve’s silk and satin glow

Still, grace in immortal supply

Fills every space twixt earth and sky
 

Seasons expand and overflow draining to fathoms past

A folding over ever-folding climb

And just as twilight cannot halt the long blue shadows cast

So too, no one can pause one gasp of Time

But simply marvel that such grace

Should suffer for the human race

As long as time remains the kings of things will rise and fall

The rich and poor alike return to dust

The wind across the grave will moan one common madrigal

Above the termination of our lust

And only what we’ve stored beyond earth’s thorn and thistle bowl

Will endure through eternity while ceaseless ages roll

© Janet Martin

Wealthy...

Is any wealth richer or grander than this?

The soft breath of dawn on night’s dark abyss

The wind as it chases through steeples of grass

Or dances on ball-rooms of sea-tempered glass

Wild-apple jewels on scraggy-cut limb

The timbre of reverence in twilight’s soft hymn

As far on the skyline each tree is a tower

Etched in precision like a delicate flower

The bird in the bower, the pale, new-moon wraith

The innocent wonder of a child’s perfect faith

The bumblebee hovering o’er delicate bloom

Drunken with nectar from spring’s heady plume

The patchwork of shadows, warm memories to hold

The sway of the willow-tree feathered in gold

The bronze-burnished blush in the waning of day

The impromptu hush as the wind drops away

Then let miser’s covet the fruit of the purse

Money and the love of it is but a curse

Genuine riches leap from vaults at hand

Sapphire-blue heavens over silver-white sand

Ruby-red rose and emerald green hill

The echo of love when the hour is still

For true wealth is found in a moment’s essence

Its treasure is free to both pauper and prince

© Janet Martin

Gathered Wealth

Gather your treasure

Do not wait till the morrow

To tally the measure

Of laughter and sorrow

Gather your treasure

Not in dollars and cents

But in the grand pleasure

Of simple events

Toss to the breezes

Your gathered despair

The darling wind teases

The soft morning air

 Gather your treasure
For time's temporal  strand
Dissolves in a moment
Like waves on the sand

Then gather the treasure

Of sapphire and gold

The sun on the water

The sea in its hold

The gaze of a loved one

The sparkle of joy

Dancing in freedom

Of wee girls and boys

Gather your treasure

Not in earthen parts

But kept in the measure

Of love’s thankful heart

© Janet Martin

Earth's Treasure-chest

The pearl of noon’s raindrop bedazzling the grass

The diamond of dew on frothed meadows of glass

A halo of gold in dawn’s warm, gleaming crown

Soft amethyst fold in still evening’s night-gown

The silver of mist as it drapes on earth’s slope

The sapphire bliss of July’s calliope

The jade and the onyx of fir tree and pine

The ruby that spills from the bud on the vine

The garnet of lips, kissing and smiling

The moonstone of cloud-ships and lilies beguiling

The opal of rainbow, the topaz of your gaze

The emerald flow of  fresh, summer-sweet days...

...I may be a beggar, yet rich as a king

As I behold treasures of nature's fair things

© Janet Martin

Abiding Treasure

The beauty of a word remains

Long after youth’s ephemeral dance

Or its passive and pleasant glance

The beauty of a word remains

Speak to me that treasure then

Far better it than transient fray

For when I am old and gray

I will smile with pleasure, then

Some strive for fame and fortune’s gold

Dross does not leave the spirit stirred

But oh, the splendor of a word

Is such a wondrous thing to hold

The beauty of a word remains

Long after youth’s ephemeral gasp

It will soothe our wanton clasp

The beauty of a word remains

J~

Death

When we exhale our final breath

Where will we waken in our death?

Young or old, rich or poor

All must pass through the same door

***

If God should open up our eyes

Revealing where our treasure lies

Would we find gems that cannot rust?

Or simply trophies made of dust

***

We pass this way but once

Unalterable truths remain

Grace is free; and we will never

Pass this way again

© Janet Martin

We have a plot of grave-stones next to our property ...

Wow, I wonder at the life stories buried there. It is from the era of the Civil War and a decade or two after.
Did you notice how young they are?
Death is no respecter of persons~

Hidden Master-piece

you dipped your pen into the skies
and stole the tint from midnight eyes
transferring with deft, silent skill
the torment of your poet’s quill
to guarded palettes of the heart
where I, recipient of your art
resign myself to fettered years
as I behold your blue ink tears

time has no swift design on you
you paint the surface of the moon
in un-named shades of misery
while merry-wishers wave in glee
my paper smile is worn and thin
the thought of you as raw-edged tin
but poetry preserves, endears
the permanence of blue ink tears

someday this sea of buried art
like crumpled oceans in my heart
will lie beneath the earth with me
in un-penned vaults of poetry
untainted by mortal’s vile tongue
who dare to paint sapphire with dung
I’ll hold for all eternal years
a masterpiece of blue ink tears

J~

Sweet Little Girl

Let me hold your hand a little longer
Lose myself in your sweet smile
Little hands make mothers stronger
Smiles brighten a weary mile

Far too quickly you are stolen
From the carefree childhood mead
Far too quickly dreams are calling
Eagerly their voice you heed

Sweet little girl, you are my sunshine
And your giggles are my song
You’re a treasure, briefly mine
Before life carries you along

Sweet little girl, a breath of heaven
Sent to grace the earth below
What a privilege I’ve been given
Just to love and watch you grow

Janet~

Tonight Victoria and I enjoyed a very special night
out together, just the two of us...
well with approx. 50 other mothers and daughters:))
It was a great evening with the focus being
simply that we are all special creations of God.
While the message was somewhat directed to these girls (ages 10-14:)
I'm sure it was also very much intended as gentle reminders for us moms. We are all special in God's eyes!
Parents, here are a few activities we did tonight that you may like to try with your own sons and daughters.
1. Make a list of things you would like to do together this summer, just the two of you. You should each have at least ten things. (child and parents each creates a list)
2. Write 10 compliments about each other for each other.
3. Draw an outline of a person and pretend its you and write what you like about the way God made you!
4. write up a 'no name calling' pledge and sign it. (You 'Klutz' IS name calling:)
Name calling in any shape or form is hurtful!

After the activities there was FOOD!

I have resolved to do these activities with EACH one of my children.

Thank-you For Loving Me Song

It’s easy to take our love for-granted
And miss the treasure that we hold each day
Darling, I need you to understand it
I love you even when I cannot find the words to say……..

Thank-you for loving me, darling
Thank-you for not saying no
It’s not always easy to keep holding on
When so many seem to be letting go
Thank-you for standing beside me
Even when we’re miles apart
I feel your love deep inside me
With every beat of my heart

It’s easy to be casual or calloused
And I know it isn’t right
To be blinded to the love all around us
And I’m going to love you through new eyes tonight

Thank-you for loving me darling,
Through every high and each low
Thank-you for being a shoulder
To lean on through life’s ebb and flow
Thank-you for keeping the faith dear
When love is a hard, bitter fight
Thank-you for the love of a lifetime
Oh, let me love you through new eyes tonight

Yes, it’s easy to take our love for-granted
And trample on a treasure of the soul
Darling, I need you to understand it
You’re the part of me that keeps me whole

Janet~

Treasure...........

We cared once for things as these…………
The mighty ships, the wood of trees
Skyscrapers, bridges, the tower and plane
The high and the lowly, the quest for gain
We sought for answers, and meager delights
We worshipped; but One knows where we set those sights
We cared about beauty; the youthful and bold
Before cheeks were pallid and eyelids cold………..

Once, we strolled the golden sands
Controlled by duty and demands
Of great import these rulers then
We dreamed; revered the goals of men
Once, life held the master key
To hope and opportunity
We cared so much for much it seems
Yet all is naught as twilight gleams

We sought once for things called things
Believed in happiness of kings
If we could hoard of things, enough
And be the lord of all our stuff………..
How paltry now its measure lies
As we gaze upward at the skies
How futile, this brief earthly quest
If we believe earth holds life’s best

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin


What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,
Yet forfeit his own soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36-37

Every Night

We pray together every night
And then she hugs me.....
.....long and tight
And as I bend to tuck her in
She beckons as she hugs again.....
I wish you'd stay right here with me
Cause you're so cozy, don't you see?
There's room for three to snuggle here
...you and me and my big bear
I dubiously eye the other nine bears
who have taken up residence in bed with her
And she insists my reply is ALWAYS the same....
'I think it would get a little squishy' I say
Ah, what would we do without little girls?
Surely they are the angels of this world

~Janet~

Dirt????

So this is it
After the waiting, the tilling the seeding
After the hoeing and weeding….and weeding
After the harvest…and the EATING!!!!
This is it………
At the end of the day
At the end of our life
At the end of our play
Our labor and strife
At the end of our pleasure
At the end of our hurt
Will our gathered treasure
Be more than dirt?

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth......
...but store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven....
...for where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also. Matt.6:19-20

Collections....

I like to collect things
Little things preferred
I store them in a secret vault
Each time my heart is stirred
The little twinkle in your eye
As you softly reflect
The little half-breath of a sigh
Are some things that I collect

The little whisper in my ear
The little ‘I love you’
The little baby’s tender kiss
Make my collection too
Little dandelion bouquet
Little children’s laughter
Little poem on my birthday
Are treasured ever-after

Little foot-prints in the sand
Little tears of sorrow
And the warmth of little hands
Such strength from them I borrow
Yes, I like to collect things
Little things preferred
For I find in the little things
The heart most deeply stirred

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin