The Tides of 'Almost Spring'

The tides of spring

They weep and sing

In oceans from the sky

To glassy ponds

And stricken fronds

She lays her garments by

And on the girth

Of somber earth

She hints with softened lips   

Of under-tones

In violet moans

And emerald finger-tips

The darkened slope

Stripped of its robe

Is begging for her kiss

The umber tide

Of dull hill-side

Unclenches its cold fist

The woodland stark

Against the dark

Is budding with desire

And in the tomb

Of autumn’s bloom

Smolders a hidden fire

The tides of spring

They weep and sing

In love-songs warm and tender

Winter defies

But in his eyes

Are whispers of surrender

© Janet Martin

A warm rain has dissolved the snow!

Tonight a cold wind rebels...

Contemplating Faith

We speak of faith

This ‘thing’ not seen

In which we put our trust

Upon a Rock

Of hope we lean

To reach beyond this dust

Oh, what is faith?

How can we know

Until it has been tried

If it exists,

If it is real

Or just our misled pride?

We speak of faith

A precious hope

The anchor of our soul

But will it be enough to cope

When life’s vile tempests roll?

And will this substance

We hope for

This evidence not seen

Carry us to heaven’s door

When this earth’s shore grows dim?

We speak of faith

We cannot show

The doubter any proof

Of certainties

Of why’s or how’s

As we cling to its truth

And this is faith

To trust and know

In every step we take

That He who has

Ordained it so

He makes no mistake

© Janet Martin

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb. 11:1

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

St. Thomas Aquinas~

Lunar Hypnotism

A captive audience

Universal

Falls beneath your subtle spell

You sing your tune

In every language

To earth, wide-eyed and vulnerable

A maiden

Ever youthful

Casting your bewitching glance

To steal the hearts of poet's

In your soft, mesmeric trance

 © Janet

She looked so lonely as she stared through our window at dinner last eve...so I took her picture.

Poet's United Prompt

My Prayer for you

May God give you courage

May He keep you strong

May His Presence fill you

When pain steals your song

May His whisper within you

Be your power and might

And gently sustain you

When you cannot fight

May His goodness and mercy

Guide you through the vale

And comfort you always

For His love will not fail

© Janet

I'm off to visit my sister-in-law who has had many years of hospital visits

and suffering due to an accident where her body was severely broken after

being hit by a drunk driver. She is one of the most beautiful people I am blessed to know.

In spite of daily reasons not to, still she has forgiven him and lives with joy.

If you read this, and if you feel led to, would you pray a special prayer for Karen and her family?

God bless~

Contemplating Words

If I had to write I would quit

Though I must write

It is not the same thing

I have not yet decided whether my Muse

Is Beauty or the Beast

With words we bless and curse

The mess we make with words

Is wiped up…with words

The epitome of longing has no words

Words are not enough

when it comes to you

Let’s enjoy the silence

Together

Alone

Silence is golden

…but only if nurtured by words

Flattery is nothing but tainted noise.

My best words I am saving

For you

But they have not been invented

Yet

Kind words are winter’s roses

J~

Genesis of Seduction~

This week’s featured poetry form is a bit of a challenge. It is called GENESIS. It has been devised by Walt Wojtanik, and takes its name from the musical group by the same name. The form consists of three (the last configuration of the group had three members) six-lined stanzas each with the rhyme scheme A-B-A-C-A-B (“ABACAB’ was one of the group’s big hits). There is no syllable count or any set meter.

Purple petals spread across the emerald grass

Their fragrance wafting on springs virgin breeze

I fall prey to their suggestions as they pass

To be seduced by violets is a glorious thing

I must find my slippers made of glass

For I am surely a princess in moments as these

It is no anemic and casual glance

You toss to me from across the room

We touch each other in an invisible dance

To be seduced by a lover’s eyes is a guiltless fling

Is it the heart or the eye that stirs the bud of romance?

Beneath love’s tender gaze, timid lilies bloom

In twists and swirls, you taunt and tease

With legends of spilled ink

You breathe across vast centuries

To be seduced by poetry is the pinnacle of ecstasy

Arousing keen awareness of my meager capabilities

I open my mouth to your lips, and I drink and I drink

© Janet Martin

prompted by Walt at Poetic Bloomings

This Tie that Binds...A Marriage Poem

This tie that binds

Man cannot see

Nor cut its strands asunder

What God has joined

Will ever be

Until one passes yonder

The sacred promise

Two hearts make

In love’s most holy union

Will form a cord

Man cannot break

By any measure human

Two on earth

Say ‘I take thee’

As hallowed vows are spoken

Two on earth

And God makes three

A cord not quickly broken

This tie that binds

Oh, what great peace

To know man cannot sever

But death, will be

Its sad release

As love lives on forever

This tie that binds

Our grief, our joy

Its tenure will not falter

Though storms refine

But not destroy

The vow made at loves alter

This tie that binds

Man cannot see

Not part its strands asunder

What God has joined

Will ever be

His holy, sacred wonder

© Janet Martin

 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. 

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Eccles. 12:4

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mark 10:9

Echoes...

We tell them

And tell them

And tell them again

It seems that we speak it in vain

Yet someday perhaps

When they hear themselves then

They will hear our voices echo again…

‘Put your shoes in the closet

Put your plate in the sink

Don’t leave your coat on the chair

Shut the door; if you dropped it

Then please pick it up

At least pretend that you care

Don’t wipe your hands

On the front of your shirt

Don’t wipe your mouth on your sleeve

If I am sweeping, don’t walk through my dirt

And when you ask for something ‘say please’

If I am talking please don’t interrupt

If I’m on the phone, likewise

If I’m on the next floor, don’t yell, walk up

And no, please do not roll your eyes

If you leave the room, then please turn out the light

If you use the washroom, please flush

If you brush your teeth, please rinse out the sink

And PLEASE, put away your toothbrush

Don’t talk with your mouth full

And if there’s folded laundry

In your bedrooms please put it away

Don’t forget your homework

And don’t forget Jesus

No, don’t you forget how to pray

Pull up those covers

Don’t let the bed-bugs bite

May sweet dreams keep you all the night through

Goodnight my dear precious

Yes, I’ll leave on the night-light

Goodnight, good-night, I love you’

Janet~