Inquisitive.....

What lies beneath your brawny skin?
What rushes through your soul?
What stirs your heart so deep within
My dear, what makes you whole?
What are your thoughts you never tell?
What is your deepest fear?
Darling, by now you know me well
Oh, won’t you tell me dear?
The mystery, the restless gleam
Tell me from whence they come
Are they the traces of a dream
That never found a home
And in that distant far-off gaze
And in that half-breathed sigh
And in that sorrow on your face
The shadow in your eye
Is there a dream you cannot name?
A song you’ve never sung?
An ember that has lost its flame
When you were still so young?
Is there a hunger still unfed
A yearning still to fly
Is there a life that waits un-lived?
As hours hasten by?
What lies beneath your soft warm sigh?
Or in your silent musing
Who do you see with half-shut eye?
What comfort are you choosing?
I’d like to think that I would know
If you should choose to tell
I know you know I love you so
For you know me too well

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Janet Martin

Faded Rose

Tenderly I gaze upon
Its petals limp and faded
Once a vibrant, ruby bloom
It’s withered now and jaded
Where has all her beauty gone?
The glory of her splendor
The petal where the dew-drop shone
When love was new and tender
Beneath the sun and wind and rain
She offered all her beauty
Withstood the tests of grief and pain
To love beyond all duty
But now she folds her petals wan
To rest where new life grows
And tenderly I gaze upon
The sad and faded rose

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Janet Martin

Solitude

You tip-toed across my mind today
In your soft and subtle style
I posed a well-versed soliloquy
I think I saw you smile
Then before I could touch your hand
Or beckon you to stay
You disappeared into the sand
Without a word to say
The waves lap on the timeless shore
The tides still ebb and flow
But I can’t see you anymore
My dear, I miss you so

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Janet Martin

March of Time

Tonight, before my eyes half-shut
Twixt day and twilight shade
Across the glimmering field of time
There marched a strange parade
As echoes of a laughing child
And voices from my past
Drifted from the grey-blue cloud
In lengthened shadows cast

Where mother calls ‘it’s time for bed’
And children cry ‘oh, no’
And father kindly clears his throat
But we knew it meant ‘go’
And I could hear the night-birds call
As day to rest is laid
When suddenly I feel I’m in
This black and white parade

I hear the echo in my voice
As I say ‘time for bed’
And children still reply ‘oh no’
While mother nods her head
In the dusk the night-bird calls
And history is made
While I am caught a mother-child
Within this strange parade

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Janet Martin

The Bearer of Love

The bearer of good news knows the joy of its thrill
The bearer of sorrow knows tears
But the bearer of love knows the depth of them both
In its highs and lows through the years
For love is the bearer of sunshine’s sweet kiss
The laughter of blooms in the spring
But in its good measure I would be remiss
Not to speak of the pain it can bring
For the deeper the comfort and pleasure of love
The deeper the anguish it holds
The deeper the root the deeper the tug
As its leaves turn from green to gold

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Janet Martin

Anonymous......

I saw in the bloom of a half-kissed day
The flicker of you drifting ‘cross my way
I felt you shiver in the cool of the air
The brush of your hand in my morning prayer
I turned to touch you in the mist of grey
But you had softly slipped away

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Janet Martin

I Love You Because.......

I love you because I yearn for the aching
The thought of you puts in my chest
I love you because in the chances I’m taking
I’ve tasted the best of the best
I love you because when I’m famished and lonely
You fulfill my desire
I love you because, my dear you’re the only
One who can truly inspire

I love you because in the glimmer of midnight
When the entire world is asleep
I can re-live and I can delight
In all of the memories we keep
I love you because in my sadness and sorrow
I feel your comforting touch
And I can go on and face my tomorrow
Because I love you so much

I love you because, as the trees drop their garments
And another year passes by
It will be filled with our special moments
Each whisper, each touch and each sigh
I love you because you have made my life sweeter
Than I ever dreamed it could be
I love you my darling forever and ever
Simply because you love me

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Janet Martin

Awakening......

Many have stirred the heart of this girl
Many have heard her laughter
Many a memory like priceless pearl
Hangs from the dim-lit rafter
Many have danced in retrospect
Across the brimming pages
As she fondly recollects
A thousand silent stages

Many have held her quavering hand
And softly urged her forward
While many others helped her stand
When life’s wind pushed her backward
And many have touched in some dear way
A mile upon her journey
Painting on her canvas grey
Another tender memory


Many a smile has graced her lips
And many a prayer has lifted
Beyond the blue moon as it dips
Beneath the shadows drifted
For many have touched the heart of this girl
But only you, my darling
Drew back the curtain to a world
Where I awoke, a woman

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Janet Martin