Sail Then....

Sail then, oh cherished first-fruits of my womb
Sail upon life’s ocean wild and free
Too soon doth gape the dark unbidden tomb
Of duty, toil and stark reality

Youth and expectation sigh as one
Riding on the whitecaps of a dream
Dance beneath the glory of your sun
Too soon the shadow steals its distant gleam

Crashing wave and waters clear and still
Both are garments of the ocean, dear
Joy and sorrow each must have its fill…
A smile is purer tempered by a tear

Sail then, and do not fear its cost
The ocean beckons only for a chance
Before the passion of your dream is lost
On feet that have forgotten how to dance

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Janet Martin

So, what's a girl to do when she wakes up
with a line like the first line in this poem
as her first waking conscious thought.....
it must have been the
left-overs of a dream....yikes!!!
but it was just crazy enough to entice me a little:):)

the girls thought it was just......crazy:(

It's One a.m.

Lone dog is howling at the moon
Lazy breeze is blowing
Meandering brook strums a tune
Through meadows gently flowing
Trace of a lingering shower
Graces the willow limb
Ah, this is my favorite hour
It’s one a.m.

Mist from the silent harbor
Drifts through the darkened trees
Blossoms on the arbor
Float on the midnight breeze
The scent of dust and shower
Breathes a sacred hymn
Ah, this is my favorite hour
It’s one a.m.

Ribbon of soft blue velvet
Wraps your languid sigh
Muffled warmth of your heart-beat
Sings a lullaby
Faintly murmured whisper
Darling, are you asleep
Comes a soundless answer....
...Earths tremble, stars weep
It’s one a.m.

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Janet Martin

I Love It........

I love the way the blue of the skies
Brings out the deepest hue of your eyes
I love it when you act all big and tough
Underneath all the edges that seem hard and rough
I’ve seen the person you try to hide
And I know what you’re all about inside
And I love it………

I love the way I can hear silent truth
I love the man more than the boy of youth
I love the face which bears the sign
Of life experience, yours and mine
While others may see you as rough and tough
I know the real you and it is enough
And I love it……….

I know by the way you turn your head
What you’re going to say before it’s said
I like your cool and casual style
I love your slow and sexy smile
Our hands softly intertwine
I know your thoughts, you know mine
And I love it……..

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Janet Martin

Pieces

So many little pieces of you
Are becoming a part of me
I’m not sure what it is you do
But I can plainly see
That I am not the woman now
That once I used to be….

So many little pieces of you
Softly intertwine
With a kiss of gentle dew
Around my heart and mind
It seems the woman I once knew
Has somehow been left behind….

So many little pieces of you
Wrap me in a prayer
I’m no longer sure what is me or you
And I don’t really care
Because so many little pieces of you
Have become me, unawares

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Janet Martin

Second Time Around

Words can leave us dazed and warm
And sweep us off our feet
We drink the cocktail of their charm
Alluring, sparkling, sweet
But as its warmth and nuance change
We spit it on the ground
And hope we are much wiser
The second time around

Flattery in cunning style
May fool us for a moment
It may lure us for awhile
Like a fine new garment
But in time its glitter fades
Its glory turns to rust
For flattery is a foolish trade
For honesty, love and trust

I’ll take the wine of a lesser fruit
Though not as smooth or pleasing
If it is pure, unaltered truth
Its virtue will be unceasing
Oh, I’ve known flattery in my time
And one simple truth I’ve found
I am a wiser woman
The second time around

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Janet Martin

Another Day Dies

The shadow of the willow falls
Upon the charcoal grass
In purple skies a lone bird calls
Another day is past
Through an open window
I can hear a baby’s cries
Hushed softly by the music
Of a mother’s lullabies
As another day dies

The happy and the heavy heart
Are wrapped in velvet blue
As the daylight shades depart
Beyond the crimson hue
And weary limbs can rest at last
Beneath the muted skies
While evening melodies are cast
In tender, tranquil sighs
As another day dies

Like an endless, rushing stream
It tumbles o’er the brink
To join the glow of faded dreams
In fields of hazy pink
The suffering and the anguish
The smiles or bitter sighs
Both joy and sorrow languish
On this carpet of good-byes
As another day dies

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Janet Martin

Next To You

The ebb and flow of the evening sighs
The waves of the ocean blue
Seem warmer; I can almost touch the skies
When I’m here next to you
Heaven is just a breath away
I know you feel it too
Night is better than the day
When I’m here next to you

The rose-colored whispers of twilight
Surrender to a deeper hue
But I hear the song of midnight
Whispering in the dust and dew
And I love the color of heaven
In eyes of endless blue
I crave absolutely nothing
When I’m here next to you

The moon flickers on the water
Shadow on a rippled wall
The sound of our laughter
Dances on its rise and fall
The night wraps its arms around us
In a heaven made for two
A symphony surrounds us
When I’m here next to you

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Janet Martin

Treasure-chest

I seldom lift this hallowed lid
Where I have kept my treasures hid
For life does not boast many an offer
Of the kind of trophy I keep in this coffer
But here and there in a very long while
I secure the memory, of a whisper or smile
Composed of an essence beyond everyday
I grasp at its presence before it drifts away

These are the moments I’m as sure as can be
I behold a gift of rare quality
Its beauty incomparable, I am truly blessed
I handle it with care and place it in my chest

Words that are saved for special occasions
Smiles that flirt with the brink of temptation
A kind deed rendered when no one else sees
A song on a sunset or midnight breeze
A glance of wordless understanding
The brush of a fingertip, soft, undemanding
A flicker of hope in the midst of the fight
An answered prayer in the dead of night

Kind gift of beauty unexpectedly rendered
Into this vault they are softly surrendered
And every so often, every once in a while
I return to its treasure, think of you and smile

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Janet Martin