Arabesque Allure

Boldly you stare

Silver, like air

And lure me with

Beguiling grin

Ghostly you gloat

And like a fur coat

You beg me to slip in

To you, and do

Those things you ask

But this is not

Some plebeian task

That you dangle

You preen the bait

Sweet spangles

Tempting me to taste

And yield

But I embrace

The gift of grace

And hold it high

My sword and shield

For it protects me

From your charm

And guides me gently

On His arm

Leading me in

Each step I take

For you

Bad, sad habit

Are hard to break

© Janet Martin

Sometimes I still am tempted to stay up half the night 

and write, 

but it is a habit I have tried to break 

so I can be a nicer person during the day!;))

Tonight words whisper in my head

But I will…oh I will…

Go to bed.

Tug-of-war Time

 The duel twixt sunshine-sweetness and surly storm-cloud begins...

Sun-whisper softly grins

Where winds mutter, blue-cold  

And so this tug-of- war begins

Twixt gray and azure-gold

Subtle, its overtures

Of ruby-jeweled limb

Of rivers trickling through the snow

In muted meadow-hymn

The chill of winter-boast

Wavers, sensing the thrill

Of zephyrs tumbling from yon cloud

And rolling down the hill

But then in brutish scowl

He hails his motley fleet

Employing them to spill their worth

On woods and field and street

Across earth’s frigid cusp

His snowy squadrons seethe

But they cannot deter the touch

Of spring nudging beneath

…and soon the blustering

Of shiver-laden jeers

Uncurls its lip; a drop, a drip

And winter disappears

© Janet Martin

Eternal Riches

By word and deed

We plant life’s seed

And render to earth’s portal

The tattered lot

Of scattered thought

And offerings fully mortal

But in this blip

Of trip and slip

And moment-scope of living

We touch the sod

With things of God

In humble, gracious giving

Both word and deed

Fail and succeed

Often confusing reason

But if we live

Simply to give

How full the harvest season

© Janet Martin 

How often we seem to err
In the course of daily living
But one thing is certain and sure
We can never do wrong by giving

Windowsill Maidens

…and there they were

Like robust children

On a rainy summer day

Noses pressed up to the window

Asking, ‘May we go out to play?’

Rosy smiles,

Eager ambivalence

Heaven-splendor lent to earth

Laughing to despondent passers

With exuberance and mirth

What of silver

Splatters falling?

What of landscapes glistening white?

They can hear their mother calling

From a garden out of sight

So, there they wait

Blithe, buxom beauties

In the winter sun they dream

Red geraniums in the window

Where icicles fringes gleam

© Janet Martin

There they were, inside the window at the local gas station! My 'beauties' are looking pretty anemic compared to these...Time for some Miracle-grow, I think!

Of Fleeting Melodies

Sheer, phantom oceans surge

Sweeping a blood-red coast

Where joy and grief converge

To shape love’s uttermost

Our nearest, dearest thought

Spills ragged, without skill

And all that we are not

Humbles our stubborn will

I hold you close to me

But even in my clasp

Love’s raw and raging sea

Ushers you from my grasp

…as life’s relentless art

With cool indifference

Shapes and re-shapes the heart

In love’s relinquishments

God, let me never waste

One breath in drudgery

But freely, fully taste

It's fleeting melody

© Janet Martin

Our God IS Sovereign

This is our God

Sovereign and sure

And none exceeds His power

By His promise

We will endure

In life’s most trying hour

This is our God

Immortal King

Father and Son and Spirit

Sustain-er in our

Suffering

He kindly helps us bear it

This is our God

Lion and Lamb

Offering and Vindicator

Man of sorrows

The I AM

Heaven and earth’s Creator

This is our God

He parts the seas

No army over-throws Him

Deliverer

Of mysteries

And none can fully know Him

This is our God

Faithful, the One

This life is but a vapor

Before we bow

Before His throne

To dwell with Him forever

© Janet Martin

Yesterday afternoon we saw face to face the couple we prayed for .They shared the details of their flight from raw and real danger. They are safely at home, waiting on the Lord. Pray they can keep good courage as they face sudden new unknowns. As they shared they constantly reiterated that in spite of everything, no matter what happened and happens, God is Sovereign and to Him be the glory.

Last night we watched the first episode of The Bible and again God’s sovereignty impacted my heart. This is I AM, the Same yesterday, today and forever. The God of Abraham and Isaac is the God of you and I. hallelujah! This is our God!

Prelude to Spring-song

Beneath the mute and mirthless shield

Of March-bedraggled cover

Tarries the bliss of daisy field

Of Queen Ann’s lace and clover

Beneath this staid and cheerless scrim

Of hollow quiet ringing

Trembles the touch that probes the limb

Into bloom-petal singing

Beneath the silent, snow-clenched scope

Of winter’s weary gumption

Quivers a season of new hope

And spring-song’s glad redemption

Soon this white space will bear the grace

Of emerald-golden sashes

As winter renders its embrace

To silver spring-song splashes

© Janet Martin

Something Softly Stealing...

The east is bathed in primal hints

Of something softly stealing

Across the ocean’s onyx glint

And midnight’s mystic ceiling

The past consumes each moment spent

The fount of future flowing

From vaults of mercy heaven-lent

To mortal touch bestowing

As on the brim where earth and sky

Meld in gold correlation

Midnight has laid its garment by

In morning celebration

Footsteps fatigued at dusk’s descent

Hearts heavy with care’s measure

Embrace life’s fervor once again

As mercy spills its pleasure

© Janet Martin

When I got up this morning the east was embellished with a gold and pink metallic sash, quickly dissolved in blue-gray wash so I used a photo from the archives.