Thursday, January 20, 2011

Winter's Brook......


Its laughter is cold and silent today
The sparkling ripple is frozen and gray
Her palm, a sleek, powdered wild-life highway
Winding through brush and field
Somber its avenue shrouded and still
No magic or music nature’s palace to fill
Frozen in time against its restless will
But soon her passion will yield
To the kiss of the sun and the sigh of the breeze
To the mellowing zephyrs that whisper and tease
Her laughter echoing river and seas
As she flings aside winter’s shield

Janet~

I returned to the brook while skiing today……….
But there was no chatter or greeting so gay
The chilling hand of winters grip
Had stilled the laughter on her lip…………

Paintings.....


Its pristine canvas stretches out
Before my gaze
No markings or splashes
No sad yesterdays
Marring its surface
I wonder, as I contemplate
Color and choices
Who will be in my painting today?
Someone close to me or far away?
Will the palette be pale or of deeper hue?
Will the sky be gray or perfect blue?
And whose hands will help with the design
Will it be His hand painting?
Or will it be mine?
Will this one be a keeper?
One I’ll lovingly store?
Today stretches before me….
My feet touch the floor
As the first dab of color appears…..

Janet~

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

When you're Four.....


When you are four you are a superstar
Every goal you score is the best by far
‘Cause Grandma and Grandpa told you so
They know everything, you know….
And daddy was smiling and really proud
Mommy was clapping and yelling real loud!
When you are four no dream is too big
And no task is too small
You are king of your hilltop
And ten feet tall
Someday you’re going to be just like Daddy
‘Cause you can be anything you want to be……
When you’re four you don’t compare yourself with the other guy
You’re a winner every single time you try
When you’re four you’re as sweet as sweet can be
And oh, so much bigger than when you were three
Four brings bright sun-drops on the grayest of days
Four chases all unhappy thoughts away
Because when you’re four there’s no reason to be sad
The world’s greatest heroes are mommy and dad
When you’re four you dream about being five
And every day is a good day to be alive
A week is forever and eternity
Is waiting for the bus at half-past three
Four is big enough to go to school
But small enough to just be ‘naturally cool’
When you're four the world is a lovely place
And there's nothing wrong with a dirty face
When you’re four and you’re little brother is one
You get to show him how everything’s done
Four is big but not too big to hug
Four is just right to tuck in nice and snug
I really can’t think of anything more
Beautiful; than being four

Janet~

For Michael.....one of the
sweetest four-year-old's
in the world!!!

A Little Too Little......


A little too little for snakes and ladders
Too little for puzzles too
One is too little for so many things
That ‘one-year-old’ wants to do

A little too little for throwing a ball
A little too little to catch
A little too little for playing games
Like Bingo and Uno and Match

A little too little for coloring books
A little too little to bike
A little too little for helping much
Or to do anything that he’d like

But one is just right for cleaning out drawers
And exploring every nook
One is just right for opening up doors
Or snuggling with a book

One is just right for reaching up high
And ‘discovering’ through ‘uh-oh’ and messes
One is just perfect to swing to the sky
And spoil with a thousand kisses

One is just right to cuddle and hug
Or to play games like peek-a-boo
One is just right for rock-a-bye
Oh, there’s so much that ‘one’ can do

Janet~

Yesterday I was playing ‘catch’ with
The four-year-old that I baby-sit
And one-year-old was seriously frustrated because he couldn’t
Quite maneuver that racquets we were playing with…..
Poor guy, I said to Michael…I think he thinks he’s too little for everything!!!!
I picked him up and cuddled him……
He laid his head on my shoulder……See?
One is NOT too little for everything!

Holding the Future....or....Molding the Future


He’s gonna watch you, Daddy
See what you do,
Hear what you say……
And if you’re lucky, Daddy
He’s gonna want to be
Like you someday……

Janet~

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Renewal..........


Soon the harsh and cold blue landscape
will recede beyond the horizon-line
and warmer memories will escape
to stir these thoughts of mine.......

Soon the limb on the stark and barren tree
will begin to show signs of renewal and green
and all those long hours of melancholy silence
will be the tear of what once had been.......

Soon moment folding over subtle moment
forms a day, a week, a year
soon, but not too soon, the torment
of 'forever' will disappear..........

and soon all that will remain of it
in the seasons slipping by
is the height and length and breath of it
in a blue and azure sky............

Mixed Blessings



It takes the unlovely to see the lovely
To appreciate spring it takes winter’s cold
It takes the tear to cherish a smile
And loss to see what we hold....

Tis not the bloom which drops the seeds
It takes the dry and withered hull
To give there must be one who needs
And death; to live life to the full

Janet~

Monday, January 17, 2011

Unforgotten Things....


Now and then the twilight steals
An hour from the dreamers calm
Entranced by sudden phantom reels
Playing out across its palm
Suddenly the landscape rings
With songs of unforgotten things……..

….and there beneath the willow tree
And the locusts serenade
We gathered in camaraderie
Sipping ice-cold lemonade
And dreaming dreams befitting kings
Molding unforgotten things

Upon the cold and frosty air
I hear the soft and gentle tone
Of a mother’s voice in prayer
When her day of toil was done
And the night wind softly sings
Of dear and unforgotten things

I view in silent reverie
Each scene that passes one by one
Through portals of my memory
Here for a breath and then it’s gone
Until perhaps a moment brings
The sigh of unforgotten things

Janet~

When I Am Old.....


When I am old, said daughter
When I am old like you
Let me tell you, mother
What I am going to do….
I’m going to build bigger
Fly farther
Dream broader
And smarter….
I’m going to travel the whole world o’er
I’m going to LIVE!!! And explore…

Mother looked at daughter and tilted her head
After a moment she smiled and said
My dear, here is what I wish for you
I wish your wishes may come true
And you may dream bigger and build taller
Daughter, once I was much smaller
I had big dreams and aspirations too……
when I was young….
like you
But then I grew
.....and I had you
and all my dreams came true...
I built bigger,
Flew farther
When I became.....
a mother

Janet~

Over a Cup of Tea.....


This is no ordinary event
When we share a cup of tea
This is the portrait entitled ‘content’
And moments that form history
For over a cup of our favourite blend
Be it chai or simple earl gray
Are the priceless moments shared with a friend
Over a cup of tea

Here we can share the moments of life
Between each comforting sip
We share our victories, our sorrow and strife
As some wee flowered chalice we grip
Moments flavored with lemon or mint
Chamomile or wild berry
Become rare memories heaven-sent
Over a cup of tea

Over a cup of tea we delve
Into matters of the soul
Sharing little pieces of ourselves
Yet, in it becoming whole
We speak of our children, our hopes and our fears
Dreams of what yet may be
Flavoring the moments with smiles and tears
Over a cup of tea

Over a cup of tea we restore
Our faith in fumbling mankind
Many like us have come before
And many will follow behind
Yet with every challenge that life may send
I pray there will always be
The moments we may share with a friend
Over a cup of tea

Janet~

Hi Lucy……
It was easier to rhyme ‘friend’ than sister…..
All I could come up with for ‘sister’
Was ‘mister’ and kissed her’…..
And THAT would have taken this poem on an entirely different course!!!!
And after all ……
A sister is most surely the dearest friend on earth!!
Love and prayers,
Thank-you for the tea last night,
It was special.

Retrospect......


Lay down your timbrel, violin, flute
Blow out the candle tonight
There is no music when the spirit is mute
No flickering whispers of light

But here in a cradle of mournful desire
I savor a tear and a sigh
There is no warmth in a loveless fire
No dream in the down-cast eye

We yearn for the freedom and tenderness
Of love's unbridled laughter
But here in the cell of retrospect
Silence weeps from each rafter

Janet~