Hello, Darling-est of Blessing

Hello, darling-est of Blessing

Beauty dressed in common clothes

Commodore of toil and testing

While time’s doorway spills in rose

Or in gray quilt, heavy-laden

With Unknown and all its dues

Hello, darling-est of heaven

Lent to we who use, abuse

Sundry hues of blue-gold goodness

What is man that Thou dost bless

And re-bless us with time’s 'Should-ness'

Mercy wearing morning’s dress

Hello, hearth of hope, fresh-fired

Lowered to the likes of we

Who leave much to be desired

In love’s true humility

Where the mouth is often willing

But the rest is often not

Hello, everybody’s darling

Patient bearer of our ought

Filling hearts with worship’s off’ring

What is man that Thou shouldst bless

And re-bless us with Time’s darling

Mercy’s sacred happiness

© Janet Martin

Psalm 8

 

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
² Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?^[c]

⁵ You have made them^[d] a little lower than the angels^[e]
    and crowned them^[f] with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their^[g] feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

In Case This Is It!

 In case today is our final farewell...

how are we/did we do?

Suddenly splitting wood (and cleaning around the woodstove)

and starting a fire seems like a sacred chore😉

I just re-evaluated my good-byes this morning...

 (I've done better but I've also done worse)

to # 1, "Drive safe. I'll be praying for you! 

(he's back in school for part 2 of an apprentice-ship program)

to #2...highschool-girl. A prayer together and 'have a good day'

to #3 hubby/breadwinner a quick kiss see ya' and 'have a good week'!

(among other conversations too 30-year marriage-like to bother you with the details-wink-lol!)

This poem was inspired by something in one of those door-way conversations...

In case this is the last time

We jump out of bed

Butter bread

Pour coffee, 

or bow our head to pray

Or pick a tie

Or wave good-bye

Or watch the rosy sky 

wake up the day

In case this is the last time

They see our face

Feel our embrace

Hear our voice, 

did we scowl or laugh?

Did we take love’s chance

While time still grants

Its song and dance 

to make life a beautiful autograph

In case this is it

No more stubbing toe, o-h-h-h!

Or second cuppa joe,

Or splitting wood, 

Or dream or plan

Did we do our best

So richly blessed

To make the most

With what we have while we still can

© Janet Martin

Oh! you wanted to know what that doorway conversation was?!😊😉

Well, it was something like

"I almost have more than I can carry!" says he

to which I replied mischievously on purpose, 'more than you can carry!!! SO richly blessed!'

Though I knew he meant before he said 'a good wife would put on her boots and help her man'

(even if I thought it appeared he was managing just fine!)

(even if I just took them off after loading up the garbage and he didn't say anything😐)
(even if I think I'm entitled to a gi-r-r-l-growl now and then!)

even if...whatever the excuse!

... as he drove away I thought, h-m-m!

 if that was our last good-bye I would wish I had put my boots back on and 'helped' him

"In Marriage; it is the little things that are the big things."

When we got the above quote in a wedding card I didn't 'get' it like I do now!

Calls for a re-run of this song!

But The Passing Through...

PAD Challenge 17: For today’s prompt, write a broken poem. 

Because we are prone to groaning 'whys'

where brokenness abounds

it is vital we fix our eyes

On the Healer of wounds

For He bore on our behalf

More than man understands

And wears love's sacred autograph

on out-stretched, nail-scarred hands

(for this is but the Passing Through

Before death's chilling seal

Transports us with that last gasp to 

all Heaven waits to heal)

...ah, who then can dare to afford

the everlasting cost

Of disregarding Christ the Lord

to be counted among the lost!

 

Then we of grin-groan-grit nuance

Of love’s laughter and tears

Of hope’s Immortal pursuance

While moments meld to years

‘Neath sky wide heath of dawn to dusk

Where seed of deed bears fruit

And scatters in its wake the husk

Of touch and taste’s pursuit

Where not one can undo the done

Or wipe spent seasons clean

Or force Belief or rain or sun

Or turn the fallow green

Then we of wonder, whim and wit

And ways common to man

Should entrust dust-formed grin-groan-grit

To Hope’s Incarnate Plan

…and not forget what seems so wrong

Or of small consequence

Or too impossible or long

Or without recompense

Is but part of The Passing Through

Before the Curtain Call

That will unveil Love’s Author who

Bore witness to it all

Who needs not to interrogate

(too late then to appeal)

As He makes known His own, the wait

Worth all one glimpse will heal

And banish from the mortal mind

Each agonizing ‘why’

Where hurt and hope is left behind

In the sweet by and by

© Janet Martin

Braving The Elements...

Chapbook Challenge poem-a-day prompt 16: write a brave poem

With a house full of snow-happy youngsters it's impossible not to feel a little 'inner-child revived

I read a quote the other day; 

If you choose to hate the snow you will still have the same amount of snow...just far less joy! 

So, though I would not chose Winter to begin in early to mid-November

I determine to brave its beauty with joy!

Babies gaze in sheer amazement

Mittened-mufflered children shout

Reviving in older ‘Brave-sters’

What winter is all about

Happiness is snow-stars falling

Push and dig and pull and plow

Braving happiness, my darling

Always happens here and now

Wake once more thine wide-eyed wonder

Seasons slip through skin with ease

Wear thine hoary crown with tender

Reverence for memories

Carry no tomorrow-sorrow

But acquaint thy weathered joy

(Through the bravery we borrow)

With thy inner girl or boy

For this blur of howling hunger

Weans us from earth’s seasoned prow

Not with hopes of growing younger

But with humble here and now

© Janet Martin