The Impact of 'This'

 I quote this verse often 'cause it's a good one...

'This' is the day the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Ps.118:24

Soon dawn’s peach gauze will fall away

Then it will be a new today

And how we choose to use This bit

Will be the lifelong sum of it

Its hollow sky is full of hours

Its moments die like petal-show’rs

Ah, soon the bloom and leaf of spring

Lies beneath autumn’s folded wing

Harvest hymn and heart-lullabies

Gather within our human sighs

Wind-song whimpers long, languidly

Where summer’s green sheen used to be

Our comfort zones are full of ‘ifs’

Dawn’s virgin tones, a gracious gift

Its battle-ground before us laid

In This new day the Lord has made

God, forgive us when we forget

The fragility of life’s ‘yet’

And let us ever keep in mind

How soft each ‘This’ is left behind

© Janet Martin

All In A Day's 'Play'

What are wrinkles?  he asks searching my face for an answer with his toy detective-glass

While his baby sister deposits her cucumber slice down the front of my shirt

And I struggle to find words and cucumber

What is steam? he questions as I ask him to 'close the fridge because the steam means we are losing

cold air', so he does and the steam disappears, and I never knew how hard it was to describe in 3 year old smallness, words I never give a second thought and he really wants to know, what is steam?

What is this bird’s name?  he wonders and when I say Bluebird he wants to know its ‘real’ name because anyone can see it’s a bluebird and he knows I’ve never told him that the other birds are red bird, yellow bird, brown bird etc…

Jacket, diaper, drink and shoes

Picnic basket, peek-a-boo

Books and trucks and dollies too

Blocks and missing socks

Help me, push me, hold me, tug

Please and fank-you, look, a bug!

Nighty-night and wakey-hug

Worlds unrushed by clocks

Inside, outside, upside down

Pat-a-cake, and sing a song

Garden-helper, happy-brown

Dreamer-dappled yard

Fairy tales and pirate ships

Messes, crumbs and sticky drips

Laughter tickling hearts and lips

Innocence unmarred

Learn to listen, learn to share

I can't find my teddy-bear

Sing and jump and run, no care

But one, is it lunch? 

Lie beneath the sky so blue

Pick a flower-bunch or two

'I love you', 'I love you too'

 ...fresh tugged carrot-crunch

God is great, KD is good

Thank God for our yummy food

Tummy full and diaper too

Piggy games with toes

Crayon colors, count the jars

Nursery rhymes and dinky cars

Pick up toys and play-doh stars

Kiss that crinkled nose

Trip around the world, oh my

On a magic quilt we fly

Rock-a-bye and hush, don’t cry

Wings the while away

Wipe and tuck, zip, button, tie

Bubbles bobbing to the sky

Apple snack and why, why, why

All in a day’s ‘play’

© Janet Martin

 Well, we're off to do some more 'playing';-)

Picnics and mittens, he is learning, has its challenges:)

All, Thanks to Poetry

One of my beautiful poet-friends has a birthday today. 

Happy Birthday Sasha.
 

Your live-for-the-love-of-it Happy-ness has often made my day!

I'm ever grateful that we met in the wide world of cyber-space all because of poetry!

 Another common interest we share is gardening...

From inkwells held in earth and sky

The poets glean their art

Thought-pictures for the inner eye

To hang upon the heart

What friendship poetry inspires

There is no far or near

Upon the hearth where poem-fires

Kindle both smile and tear

My dear, the ancient poet yet

Ignites insight and goals

Because on paper stage they let

The scenes that stirred their souls

All kith and kin alike are we

Which meet among these tomes

A world apart, yet family

Because of love of poems

Ah, you are there and I am here

How blessed we are to be

Part of a world of soulmates, dear

All, thanks to poetry

© Janet Martin

Keep Praying...For Diane (and all the rest of us too)

All I say is keep praying…

These were her words to us as we reminded her that we are thinking of her as she heads to yet another chemo treatment… and the journey is hard and long and riddled with discouragement.

Can you pray too?
(her hubby is Steve)

Keep praying though we cannot see

Its full harvest from bended knee

Or understand the thought of He

Who hears each humble-hearted plea

Keep praying; ours is not to know

But trust the Love whereby we go

And lay before his grace our needs

Then faithful Father intercedes

Keep praying, oh, and do not quit

Hope, healing, help, depends on it

We, earthy vessels can rely

On He who wrestles with our ‘why’

Keep praying; for since Adam's clan

Prayer spans the gulf twixt God and man

Where mustard-seed-sized faith can move

Mountains, according to God’s love

Keep praying; it is not in vain

Nor for man’s smallness to explain

The will of He who hears each call

And replies with His Best of All

Keep praying that our prayers would raise

Another foot-soldier who prays

Where moiling mobs seethe with despair

In a world lacking faith for prayer

© Janet Martin

Not for lack of time,
but for lack of faith
we do not pray
enough!

Don't know what to utter?

Don't know what to say?

Don't worry or stutter

just be still

...and pray 

But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 

Matt.6:6 

  

The promises of God are for the children of God.

The promise of Salvation is to all who call on Him and believe. 

(from the above message)

...below, another of my favorite prayer-hymns. The words are awesome!