To My Child

Once, I too was young enough
To be empty of intent, even to love
White-eyed worry never crossed my mind
Life was flurry as free as the wind
But that was a little too long ago
I’ve not always been a mother, you know

Once I did things mothers do not do
My miles were a slow train to nowhere too
I had days that seemed harsh and unfair
When mother was surely too busy too care
The dark rim of the hilltops blotted my view
Oh honey, once I was just like you

The geranium cannot grow without water
Once, long ago while I was still just a daughter
Love nurtured every leaf and bough
Given by my mother in the best way she knew how
Her words were odd and old-fashioned too
As she told me 'once I was just like you'


But now the dull pane past which long hours crept
Has given me scenes I have looked on and wept
The yard rings with praises that strum in my soul
While motherhood gazes life’s halves become whole
I brush from my cheek the kiss of life’s dew
For I cannot speak, once I was like you

Janet~

Empty-chair Reasoning......

Were you with me there?
I still see you
In the empty chair
The dull-knife pain
Endeavoring to pry
The lid from a tear
That has long been dry
But every now and then
Off the wave rouses
A new burst of pain
As I pause to stare
Beyond life’s bitter wisdom
To the empty chair
And the dull-edged knife
That offers no reasoning
Other than…..life

Janet~

And Blood-streams Ache......

As the rough fibers of his jacket
Burn their farewell into her cheek
She cannot see beyond the moment
Or hear the words they speak
But feels the reddened torrents
Drip in quivers from the sky
Landing in impending silence
Good-bye,
Good-bye
Good-bye

Janet~

While Driving my Daughter to Work.....

The burnished sprockets of a new day
Stretch from far banks purple and gray
In the half-light of dawn, the mist
Is a low-laden pillow, slumber-kissed
Our breath freezes on the air
In little mini-clouds of prayer
It is foolish to tarnish this day
With the dark shadows of yesterday
We lift them to the Higher Light
He helps us walk by faith, not sight

Janet~

It is because of the Lord's mercies
that we are not consumed, because
His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Thy faithfulness.
Lam.3:22-23

When It Is Silent.....

When it is silent
Then we look upon
The broad backs of
Wiser words
Which we ignored
In the rush of noise

When it is silent
We allow ourselves
Freedom to be honest
About our thoughts of others,
But mostly
Of ourselves

When it is silent
We stop moving,
Parting the tall reeds
We dare to dream
Pushing them with each breath
Beyond our skin

When it is silent
We either live or die
As the night flows on
Past the blooming of ourselves
To spawn
The flowers of tomorrow

Janet~

Of That Which Once Had Been......

The half-silhouette of you
Warms me tonight
I see your eye of blue
In the flickering firelight
I hear the moan of your sigh
In the glistening frost
Incandescent lullaby
Crooning to a dreamer lost
In the arms of brawny bliss
On a dance-floor, meadow-green
Yielding to each fragrant kiss
Of a summer that once had been

Janet~

Murphy's Law

Your gaze was steady
Blue-eyed and ready
The consent in your half-smile was clear
I could feel the caresses
Of a-thousand ‘yes’s’
Burning the atmosphere
Too bad you’re standing
Way up on the landing
Whilst I am a-way over here………..

Janet~

The Night of Winter..............

Daylight; softly falling
Like silvery echoes
Of children calling
From frozen meadows
In a muffled past
We trace the winding footprints
Through the long, blue shadows cast
As the moan of twilight glints
Against the moody flare
Of naked arms stretched darkly
Rigid, the wooded limb and bare
Its silhouette, sketched starkly
‘Gainst an inky canvas where
The sliver of a moon reclines
On the intricate fringes
Of the raven pines
And their whisper tinges
The bare walls of the sky
In an icy splinter
The tear becoming a sigh
For the night of winter
Is a drawn-out lullaby

Janet~

Tender Splendor

I know you meant it kindly, sir
The night that you came to me
The moon was calm
The wind was warm
Its magic blowing through me
Your hand was tender on my arm
Your voice; true poetry
I know you meant it kindly sir
The night you came to me

I know you meant each word you spoke
So free, so kind and gentle
But life had happened long ago
A firm and well-worn mantle
The moon was low
And in its glow
I glimpsed a teardrop gleaming
I wish you had come long ago
When I was young and dreaming

I know you meant each word you said
No dearer ever spoken
I'll wrap them 'round my heart instead
A timeless, precious token
Then, on some night
In pale moonlight
When all the world is sleeping
Their tenderness will hold me tight
In sentimental keeping

Janet~

Sometimes it's the pictures that finds the poem......
and sometimes its the poem that finds the picture

Lost Tonight.....

She feels lost tonight.
Craving words she cannot write
Reaching for hands she cannot hold
And holding thoughts she cannot tell...

She feels lost tonight
For there is no respite
From dark-washed silence in the halls
And whispered echoes coating walls

She feels lost tonight
No solace in mere words she could write
A comrade’s shoulder would be welcome bliss
But the wind howls, amplifying her loneliness


She feels lost tonight
As she contemplates her tethered dreams
Stretched out where one lone star beams
And her analysis is nothing new

She feels lost tonight....
Without you

Janet~

Naked Truth.......

The nakedness of truth
Is a painful thing to see
Every hollow, every curve
Exposed
Clearly
As my gaze travels across its body
It spares no pain, hides no sorrow
Though I cover it with longing
It turns a stiff shoulder
To my sad and weak excuses
Tracing the outline of harsh grief
But for my wanting and my wishes
It can offer no relief
Though I beg and moan and plead
In the end, it is no use
I cannot satisfy my need
With raw guilt and naked truth

Janet~