Rocking Chairs

Someday, oh my darling,
Should our rocking-chairs point west
And instead of looking forward
We look back upon the past
Someday when dreams are a mere speck
Like faint stars up above
Darling, I want you to know
You’ll still be my true love

Someday when we have trod the miles
That now we dream of walking
These will be the tears and smiles
We’ll speak of as we’re rocking
I’ll admit, of ups and downs
We’ve borne our little shares
But we’ll forget life’s little frowns
From our rocking-chairs

Someday the future will be past
Complete with joy and sorrow
But true love holds our purpose fast
And keeps hope in tomorrow
And should the good Lord up above
Grant us those rocking chairs
You will still be my true love
And answer to my prayers

Janet~

The Truth about You.....

There is nothing incidental about you
You re-define things, like the color blue
You take the little nothings of my day
And make them extra-ordinary in your beautiful way…….

I love the way the darkness falls on your face
Softening your eyes, every line I would trace
You are my one special ‘no regret’
A lazy afternoon, sweet-warm sun over-head

The untouchable shadows in me, you pervade
I release my misgivings and watch them fade
Into the soft sky of purple and blue
Where past sorrows lie on yesterday’s dew

You pour into me the essence of youth
Love is not some far-flung truth
Nor is it a quick-flash, raging desire
Love is a long and slow-burning fire

Once we were strangers; and I never knew
The truth about love until I loved you
Darling, we’ve come a long way since then
I wish we could start all over again

Janet~

Little Thoughts

You reside in my eye
Like the aching grief
When little pleasures die

When you are gone
Thoughts become
Blazing illusions in the sun

With fluid ease
You surpass my concrete walls
Soft as a summer breeze

I have traced
Every angle of darkness
In the tears I've embraced



J~

Halting and Full of Denial

They are invisible
Slipping off the deep side of my heart
They defy reasoning
In the weighted pleasure they impart
They color my world
Sparkling and blue
These are my perpetual
Thoughts of you

J~

Love's Kindness

I am unbothered by the blue of your gaze
I do not notice the contour of your face
I care not at all for the soft sigh which slips
From the tender traces of your pleasant lips
You do not tempt me in any way
Or rouse me by any fair words you may say
You don’t cross my mind and I do not weep
Love is so kind when I am asleep

Janet~

Through Windows

We gaze through windows
At people’s lives
Watching them come and go
Seeing the would have’s
And should have’s
In the low-light glow
Of another day

We gaze through windows
Where others have stood
Deciphering questions
Of evil and good
While summer rolls into fall
And winter melts
Into spring

We gaze through windows
Tallying passion and purpose
With high-pitched voices of the past
Seeping through
Like dust-sparkles
Caught in the trance
Of the morning sun

We gaze through windows
To the scrap of a dream
Rolling across the lawn
We gaze through windows
Waiting to greet
Our loved ones
As they come home

Janet~

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~

Wishing-wells...........

Years earlier it was I
Sitting on a blankets of dreams
Beneath a patterned sky
Whilst on the horizon gleams
The better day, the better day
Envisioned clarity
Beyond my present structured way
Its perfect form I see

Years earlier it was I
Gazing beyond the stars
Dreaming of when I would fly
Beyond my prison bars
Content in my discontent
Dreaming without a care
Before shadows of faded intent
Stretched to an empty chair

Years earlier it was I
Pressing against my skin
The silent wanderers cry
The invisible next of kin
Waiting to be embraced
Beyond the tall brown hedge
Where proper girls were raised
And starving dreams were fed

Years earlier it was I
Tossing pennies in the well
Where dreams were butterflies
And hope a blooming shell
No dead husks at her feet
Or tangled, brown tree roots
To line a silent street
Crowned with chimney flutes

I watch; she stands and stares
Through the frosty glass
I envision her unanswered prayers
In child-hood envy pass
She did not know I heard it
That restless little sigh
Yes, I know all about it
Years earlier it was I

Janet~

Revealed......

.....and there
upon the empty stage
where every scene
had passed
she wept
upon a silent page
and tore away
her mask......

and as her mask was cast aside
She looked up to see
Someone wipe each tear she cried
And heal her misery

Janet~

Poetry........

Do you read me
With eyes open or half-closed
Do you read me at all
Or do you simply see words
Strutting across a page
Stilted actors on a stage….
Like the ripples of the sea
Fading into obscurity
Or do you feel the heat
The chill
Do you hear a heart beat
When the night is still?
Tell me, how do you
Read poetry?

The essence of you
Pulses in me
Ah, this is my favorite
Rhythm of poetry
Words ebb and flow
They rise and fall
And yet sometimes
I hardly see words at all
As a mystic force
Draws me near
In a fearless embrace
And I touch your face……..
Or else I hear
The thundering rain
Pounding, washing over me
With pleasure and pain
Ah, this is poetry

An intangible blend
Of desire, repulsion, hope
Meeting friend with friend
Learning to cope
With life’s harsher reality
As smiles tease and tears flow
Fires rage, and in its afterglow
We re-trace its geography
Not with ink, but flesh and blood
Immersed in bitter-sweet fantasy
Or is it a keener sense of God?
Ah, this is poetry…..

……..to feel without touch
To weep without tears
To dance in the arms
Of faded years

Janet~

About Love..............

There are too many things about love
I cannot understand
We say 'I love you'
Yet cannot comprehend
The profound depth
In its simplicity

Why is it easier at times
To say I love you
To one nearly a stranger
Than to utter those words to
Hearts we have held for a lifetime?

We hold our little pieces of heaven
Close to us and we love,
Weeping because we are unable to
Love as fully or completely
As we should
Those who deserve it most

There are too many things about love
I cannot understand
I have known more love than I have had a right to
But in the end
After being both giver and taker
I silently weep
With sorrow and joy
For love is a promise I intend to keep
And in this promise I realize
The human side of me
And close my eyes
To shut out the longing
Of loves inadequacies

Janet~

Human love at its best
can never fulfill us completely.......
there is only One perfect love.

Love Me.....

Tell me what you’re thinking
I can see a shadow in your eye
Darling, show me what you’re feeling
I know; love’s a hard-won fight
Take me in your arms, dear
This old world’s a sullen place
And I feel so much better
As I look into your face

And love me, darling love me
Not the way you used to do
For as sure as God’s above me
I know our love is true
And the way you used to love me
Is a tiny stepping-stone
To the Rock within the tempest
And the love within the storm

Tell me of the silent sorrow
Flickering in your blue gaze
Darling, won’t you hold me closer
Warm me in love’s tender blaze
I can hear the cold wind weeping
And the wolves are at the door
Hide me in love’s humble keeping
As life’s breakers pound the shore

And love me, darling, love me
In your arms I will not fear
I’m not asking for an ocean
Just the love behind your tear
I feel so much stronger
When I’m holding to your hand
Two as one become a fortress
As life’s torrents sweep the sand

…..and love me, darling, love me
As the bitter fight we brave
Though winds may rage above me
It can’t reach beneath the wave
As life’s billows rise around us
Hold me close within its gale
For a miracle has found us
And I know love will not fail

Janet~

A Mystery

Who can explain love?
This thing we give and give
Yet can never give too much of
Or get enough…..

It is not a mere emotion
For emotions rise and fall
While love serves with devotion
Standing faithful through it all

Who can explain this four-letter word?
Leaving us most intensely stirred
Evoking within us life’s greatest pleasure
And deepest pain
Yet, it seems we love without measure
And it is impossible to love in vain
Though we may love and lose….
We love again

There is none so rich that he does not need it
And none so poor that he cannot have it
Love’s stores are never depleted
Yet useless if we try to save it

In love we hold, kiss and embrace
In love we let go as tears cover our face
In love we leap, in love we fly
In love we live, in love we die

Who can explain love?
This many-splendored desire
Mild as a cooing dove
Wild as a raging fire
Solid as a rock in the ocean
Yet soft as the mist on the sea
Is there any who can explain it?
This splendid mystery

Janet~

Thank-you For Loving Me Song

It’s easy to take our love for-granted
And miss the treasure that we hold each day
Darling, I need you to understand it
I love you even when I cannot find the words to say……..

Thank-you for loving me, darling
Thank-you for not saying no
It’s not always easy to keep holding on
When so many seem to be letting go
Thank-you for standing beside me
Even when we’re miles apart
I feel your love deep inside me
With every beat of my heart

It’s easy to be casual or calloused
And I know it isn’t right
To be blinded to the love all around us
And I’m going to love you through new eyes tonight

Thank-you for loving me darling,
Through every high and each low
Thank-you for being a shoulder
To lean on through life’s ebb and flow
Thank-you for keeping the faith dear
When love is a hard, bitter fight
Thank-you for the love of a lifetime
Oh, let me love you through new eyes tonight

Yes, it’s easy to take our love for-granted
And trample on a treasure of the soul
Darling, I need you to understand it
You’re the part of me that keeps me whole

Janet~

Old Man Winter

High in the tresses of deep evergreen
The north wind tosses each bough
Futile the caresses of brilliant sunshine
He laughs and continues to blow
Dipping into each hollow and dell
With his gifts of ice and snow

In one heedless flourish he transforms the girth
Of river and wooded hill
Delivering to them in triumphant mirth
The garb of winter’s chill
As the green, blue and golden palettes of earth
Submit to his frigid will

Somewhere the tropical breezes enhance
The turquoise swells of the sea
And somewhere the frolicking sunbeams dance
To a sun-kissed melody
Somewhere bare feet dash across whitewashed sands
Where soul and spirit roam free

And soon the reaches of that fair domain
Will begin her subtle invasion
Soon the cold wind will howl in vain
As earth stirs to a warmer sensation
Bidding farewell to old man winter again
As we send him on a long vacation

Janet~

Matthew thought this snow day was great at first…
No school!!!!
Now he hates it…no hockey either!

Here are a few collages of winter at our house....

Favorite Part.........

One moment does not out-last another
They come, they go, and they fade together
But in the humming blur of reverie
There are moments that stand alone in my memory
Master-piece moments that can never slip
Beyond the warmth or touch of my lips
They cannot fade into obscurity
For somehow they have become
The favorite part of me

One moment is a mere heart-beat or a sigh
A tear perhaps or flicker of the eye
But in this myriad of moments in the sun
I have held a few that cannot be outdone
And even as those moments slipped away
I knew that I would never be the same
For somehow, momentarily
I held you close and you became
The favorite part of me

Janet~

For Love Alone..........

Do not love me for my gold or raven locks
Do not love like a new spell-binding song
Or like the brook that chatters over rocks
A momentary fling before it’s gone
Oh darling, love me always
For the sake of love alone

And do not say that this is why
I love you so; or else pretend
I’ll never change; flowers die
We cannot know how shades of life may blend
So darling, love me always
Like a true and mutual friend

Oh, do not love me for some worth
That I’m unable to retain
There is nothing on this earth
That to me is greater gain
Than to hear you say you love me
Darling, say those words again……

…….and love me not because I’m young
Or because my eyes are blue
Or for something I have done
Or for a promise old or new
Love me for the sake of love alone
For darling, so I love you

Janet~

Common Ground

My dear, we all stand on the same brink
On the edge of a common abyss
There is none who can say
Tomorrow there will certainly be that or this…
There is no one so rich that he has been given
Power to see beyond this moment
There is none so poor that that he is immune
To the morrows grace or its torment
We are kindred-spirits in this regard
In the longing with which we love
Or in the love with which we long
We are bound by the chord of mortality
There is none so strong or wise that he can know
What mystery lies
Beyond the present ebb or flow
And so here we are joined
As we stand on the edge of the unknown
We are one, there is no one alone
Who can see what tomorrow will be
Or how far is eternity
But only this…
Who ever we are and wherever we go…….
God is

Janet~

Heaven's Artistry......

How does one justly draw with pen
The gifts of God bestowed to men?
And yet it doth quite drive me mad
To leave its pure delights unsaid
Immersed in heaven’s artistry
Surrounded by His poetry……

In the west a blazing fire lies
On tinted snow from coral skies
As in the east a deep blue surge
Over cold, blue fields converge
North winds sweep across the plain
Where once we frolicked in the rain

Then, as night lets its curtain down
The sky becomes a dazzling crown
And all that humble man can do
Is wonder, at this awesome view
As God displays above the earth
A glimpse of another universe……..

The North Star, like a sparkling gem
Gleams upon the velvet hem
Of rolling waves in purple-blue
Shadowing a lofty avenue
As the Painter in glorious perfection
Manifests Himself in heaven’s reflection

Janet~

I was treated to a feast for the eyes tonight
while dropping my daughter off at a friend’s house.

Of Choices...............

She mimicked me……
Index finger on her lip,
Middle finger under her chin
Face drawn in concentration………
I hadn’t noticed her on the other side
Of the van door, looking in
Watching.....
I had waited for what felt like
An eternity
In a mother’s busy day
And I got lost in depths of thought
Somewhere along the way

She asked me,
What are you thinking about?
I paused a moment, then replied
I’m thinking about ‘choices’
How lives become what we decide……..
Let’s take something as simple
As the food we eat
Do we choose food that is healthy
Or rich and sweet
Do we care for our bodies
Like a finely-tuned machine
For choices, seemingly hidden
Do not remain unseen…..

I was thinking about your father and I
How the things we choose
Will help to shape your thoughts and life
…….your version of lies or truths
And how my parents chose for me
In all those moments, tiny on their own
Yet when melded together
Becoming my memories of home…..
How choices made over and over
Become habits
Shaping who we are…….

Slothful or helpful,
Foolish or wise
Moments,
A mere twinkling of the eyes
Yet the impact of moments
And endless choices
Become memories
And lifetimes,
The echo of voices
Playing back to us
In the still of the night
All of our choices
Whether wrong or right
Never affect only one solitary life
Our choices spawn goodness
Or evil and strife
Molding generations
And future voices
Oh, the incredible impact
Of choices
When our Maker knocks
What will our answer be?
This choice unlocks
The door to eternity

Janet~

I don’t think this answer was quite what she was expecting:)

When Love Dies.......

When love dies……..
Nobody cries
Or stands with head bowed
In solemn silence
When love dies
There is no grave at which to weep
Where we bring our blooms to heap
Upon the cold and silent shell
Of one whom once we loved so well
When love dies there is no pronouncement
Or official hour of death
There is no memorial or announcement
No ashes scattered ‘cross the earth
Or sea; but there are memories
Of days when love was there and love was fair
Ah, true love is a fortune rare
And must be valued and handled with prayer
Because when love dies
The light in warm eyes
Grows cold and dim
And gone is the vim of the fairer day
Of when love was young; but dearer they
That love when raven locks turn gray
And hold the hand, wrinkled and worn
That they have grown to love much more
Than when their hands joined, soft and smooth
In the blissful dance of youth
When love dies it’s like the fading
Of a picture on the wall
A slow and subtle jading
No one sees it die at all
Until the cold, dark sorrow
Flows from sad and hungry eyes
What a lonely cross to carry
When love dies….
Say ‘I’m sorry’
Say ‘I love you’
Say the things you long to tell
Listen to the words of loved ones
Listen long and listen well
Take a moment, take an hour
These will be a lifetime soon
Love will be the radiant flower
When its song is out of tune
Love, for there’s no greater gift
That anyone can give
And everyone needs to be loved
Before they truly live
How cold the crypt of faded love
In ruins as it lies
Beneath the starless vaults above
Where nobody cries
When love dies…….

Janet~

Four Best Words......

Tender little soft pink cheeks
Blue eyes and warm arms
Every night I am
The lucky victim of her charms
Girly-giggles, bed-time wiggles
I say, ‘time to sleep’
Bed-time prayers and teddy-bears
Good-night dear, sweet dreams

As I turn to leave her room
She whispers ‘I love you’
And I can say these four best words
“I love you too”
In order to say these four words
Someone must first say three
And I am so very blessed
To have them said to me

Janet~

I recalled this poem today
which I posted on frontporch a year ago.....

Every morning as they head out the door
with their 'good-bye mom, I love you'
I am reminded of HOW BLESSED I am
to be able to reply with
THE FOUR BEST WORDS IN THE WORLD!!!!

My 'Winter Garden'......

I miss my little heaven-plot
Which now I wander in my thought
With flowers perfectly maintained
In breezes soft, no muscle strained
Forgotten is the tangled mass
Of last years phantom paradise
Forgotten are the weeds and woes
That every seasoned gardener knows
I see beneath the snowy hearth
The bosom of a waiting earth
Knowing soon will come the hour
Where she will bear her radiant flower
And I will linger in the eve
Where all the shades of summer weave
A fragrant shoulder, gold, pink, blue
Its robe an ever-changing hue
Of daffodil, larkspur, jasmine
Of rose, lily, and columbine
Of bloom in all its varied form
Gracing summer’s tender arm
Oh yes, I miss my heaven-plot
Of violet and for-get-me-not
So now, a-wandering I go
Past this frozen white plateau
To a shoulder, earthy, warm
Where I’ll rest on summer’s arm

Janet~

Well, January is just kinda dissolving into
thin air......if this trend continues we will be
up to our elbows in dirt saying 'I can't believe it's spring
already!'...before we know it!!!
So I will enjoy strolling through my 'winter garden'
In my winter garden everything is always PERFECT!!!!
No weeds, no blisters..........m-m-m-m!!:)

Crossing My Mind

You crossed my mind today….
Not as some do, in a tip-toeing sway
But crashing through
Every carefully erected barrier
There you were….
Smiling and teasing
A charm to be sure…….
And I handled you
In the very same manner
As those who blow through me
Like a breeze in the summer
I gave you exactly the same measure of care
I caressed you tenderly in a prayer

Janet~

Garden.....

Why do we, with thoughts down-cast
Pine for gardens clearly past
Today, on out-stretched palm we see
A brand new opportunity
To pluck a rare and treasured hour
This, our fair and fragile flower
This, a grand and glorious day
Like a bloom, soon fades away
And all that will be left behind
Is its soft fragrance on the wind………..

Janet~

Writing on the Wall

Words take time......

Time is what we give to the things and people we care about.......

The things and people we care about need our time.....

.....and our words.

Silence takes no time at all.

Janet~

Almost.........

Down the midnight lane with you
I have strolled a time or two
With no other sound at all
But our muffled foot-steps fall
And I almost feel the grip
Of your fleeting finger-tips
And I almost see your smile
Gee, but it has been awhile
And I almost hear the rain
Dashing ‘gainst my window-pane
And I almost see the light
In your green eyes burning bright
And I almost feel the flame
In the echo of your name
The sky is almost perfect blue
…..and I almost thought of you……..

Janet~

Alive......

How much of God we tend to miss
If we are immune to heaven’s kiss
Blind to the shadow of His hand
Moving across sky, sea and land

Have you seen it?
His hand behind the pale ring of the new moon
Have you heard it?
Beneath a frozen brook, hope’s muffled tune
Have you felt it?
Wonder stirring as you gaze upon a fragile rose
Have you tasted it?
The keen wind weeping salty tears as it dips and flows
Have you wept it?
As you see the naked corpse of summer silently lie
Have you walked it?
The road of tear-worn memories ‘neath a painted sky
Have you been mesmerized by a Presence in the thread of dawn?
Have you been taken by the whisper of a small cloud, far-blown?
Have you paused mid-step, completely spell-bound
By a miracle sprouting from the sun-parched ground
Have you been comforted by the tender murmur
Of rain softly falling in a midnight summer
Do we move like mummies wrapped up in life’s shroud?
Oblivious to love screaming from the silent cloud
Oh, how much of Him we tend to miss
If we are numb to heaven’s kiss

Janet~

Second-hand Lions......

Save your firsts for me, if you please
Second-hand lines are fine
For others...........
but for me, darling, you see
I don't care for perfect poetry
or flattery....
I only need simple truth,
Spoken from your heart
Honestly...
Second-hand lines
are nothing more
Than a lion who has lost its roar.....

Janet~

Joy

In every life
Teardrops must fall
But joy is the halo
That crowns them all

Janet~

Get-away......

Take me away from the noise of the highway
Away from the well-beaten track
Allow me to wander the courses of nature
With only the wind at my back
Here in the temple of pine tree and hemlock
Time suddenly stands still
Here let me listen…..to nothing but silence
Drifting over the hill
Take me away from the starkness of duty
Bathed in earth’s comfort and calm
For there’s nothing as sacred as God-given beauty
Played out in nature’s palm

Janet~

Lady in Blue.....

The hem of her cloak
Drapes softly across the earth
In rich blue folds

The gleam of her brooch
Draws every eye
To the brilliant jewel of gold

She is most assuredly
The queen of the ball tonight
Spectators of her beauty are we

Speechless, with awe and wonder
We marvel at the sight
As she ravishes us with humility

Janet~

Observations of the Day......

I do not care
For speaking in riddles

We have two choices
Take it or leave it

Poetry, most often seems to be
A sequence of classic confusion

If laughter had a color
It would be lilac and silver

Dreamers and lovers
Are often disappointed

Silence speaks more profoundly
Than a myriad of loose chatter

We gather things
Only to watch them slip away

God’s word is……
An immortal faithful compass

Janet~

Gray.....

...and now the painting is complete

She puts down the brush

and contemplates the colors of the day

in the quiet midnight hush

Maybe tomorrow there will be

A few less shades of gray

Janet~

I looked up to see how far it was to the top

of the hill

I could barely discern the line between snow and sky

I looked around me

nothing but countless shades of gray!

Clarity......

For all the things that life may send
That we can never understand
There are some things so dear and good
That cannot be misunderstood
Warm arms,
I love you, Mom
Supper was great
It's good to be home
Will you read to me?
Can I hug you good-night?
Thank-you for everything
It's gonna be alright
You look nice
In that shade of blue
Thank-you, darling
I love you too

Janet~

Realizations.....

She thought it was sorrow….
A steel blue numbing of the senses…….

She thought it was a raging river
But even rivers freeze in bitter cold…..

She thought it was hope
That small rift in the cloud….

She thought it was something…..
And it was.

Cold.
Bitter.
Truth

Janet~

Winter's Brook......

Its laughter is cold and silent today
The sparkling ripple is frozen and gray
Her palm, a sleek, powdered wild-life highway
Winding through brush and field
Somber its avenue shrouded and still
No magic or music nature’s palace to fill
Frozen in time against its restless will
But soon her passion will yield
To the kiss of the sun and the sigh of the breeze
To the mellowing zephyrs that whisper and tease
Her laughter echoing river and seas
As she flings aside winter’s shield

Janet~

I returned to the brook while skiing today……….
But there was no chatter or greeting so gay
The chilling hand of winters grip
Had stilled the laughter on her lip…………

Paintings.....

Its pristine canvas stretches out
Before my gaze
No markings or splashes
No sad yesterdays
Marring its surface
I wonder, as I contemplate
Color and choices
Who will be in my painting today?
Someone close to me or far away?
Will the palette be pale or of deeper hue?
Will the sky be gray or perfect blue?
And whose hands will help with the design
Will it be His hand painting?
Or will it be mine?
Will this one be a keeper?
One I’ll lovingly store?
Today stretches before me….
My feet touch the floor
As the first dab of color appears…..

Janet~

When you're Four.....

When you are four you are a superstar
Every goal you score is the best by far
‘Cause Grandma and Grandpa told you so
They know everything, you know….
And daddy was smiling and really proud
Mommy was clapping and yelling real loud!
When you are four no dream is too big
And no task is too small
You are king of your hilltop
And ten feet tall
Someday you’re going to be just like Daddy
‘Cause you can be anything you want to be……
When you’re four you don’t compare yourself with the other guy
You’re a winner every single time you try
When you’re four you’re as sweet as sweet can be
And oh, so much bigger than when you were three
Four brings bright sun-drops on the grayest of days
Four chases all unhappy thoughts away
Because when you’re four there’s no reason to be sad
The world’s greatest heroes are mommy and dad
When you’re four you dream about being five
And every day is a good day to be alive
A week is forever and eternity
Is waiting for the bus at half-past three
Four is big enough to go to school
But small enough to just be ‘naturally cool’
When you're four the world is a lovely place
And there's nothing wrong with a dirty face
When you’re four and you’re little brother is one
You get to show him how everything’s done
Four is big but not too big to hug
Four is just right to tuck in nice and snug
I really can’t think of anything more
Beautiful; than being four

Janet~

For Michael.....one of the
sweetest four-year-old's
in the world!!!

A Little Too Little......

A little too little for snakes and ladders
Too little for puzzles too
One is too little for so many things
That ‘one-year-old’ wants to do

A little too little for throwing a ball
A little too little to catch
A little too little for playing games
Like Bingo and Uno and Match

A little too little for coloring books
A little too little to bike
A little too little for helping much
Or to do anything that he’d like

But one is just right for cleaning out drawers
And exploring every nook
One is just right for opening up doors
Or snuggling with a book

One is just right for reaching up high
And ‘discovering’ through ‘uh-oh’ and messes
One is just perfect to swing to the sky
And spoil with a thousand kisses

One is just right to cuddle and hug
Or to play games like peek-a-boo
One is just right for rock-a-bye
Oh, there’s so much that ‘one’ can do

Janet~

Yesterday I was playing ‘catch’ with
The four-year-old that I baby-sit
And one-year-old was seriously frustrated because he couldn’t
Quite maneuver that racquets we were playing with…..
Poor guy, I said to Michael…I think he thinks he’s too little for everything!!!!
I picked him up and cuddled him……
He laid his head on my shoulder……See?
One is NOT too little for everything!