Autumn-dreamer's Dirge

 Compared to last Monday's mad dash to get the yard, driveway, garage and rain-gutters

 cleared of leaves that fell at inevitable last

 ...this Monday feels like a soft, white sigh...(but oh, what an ocean-surge a sigh can hold:)

Gone, the green-some chatter

Of the leafy tress

Tapestry of tatters, love

Tucked beneath whiteness

Gone the gloomy bearing

Of the tree-line doffed

Naked branches wearing, love's

Whispers white and soft

Gone, dusk’s musky, mellow

Lisping lullaby

Farewell turns to hello, love

Falling from the sky

Gone, the flowered garden

Filled with colors bright

Winter’s wizened Artisan

Chooses white on white

Gone, the yawning pleasure

Of a sun-drenched chair

Vault of ice-white treasure, love

Sparkles everywhere

Gone, the tide of tatters

Strewing yards and streets

Summer’s sigh and chatter, love

Sleeps beneath white sheets

© Janet Martin

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!