Poet's Decree

from Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery

Rule and edict, staid and smart

Cannot move the poet’s heart

Do and don’t, though good and wise

Cannot tame Her nameless sighs

Should and should-not; who are they?

But the pious author’s stay

Whim-and-whimsy, awe-and-lure

This, the law of troubadour

Touch-taste-tremble, ramble-reach,

Brood-beg-barter and beseech

Who can charter what will spill

From the poet’s roving quill?

Where man’s common ploys enlist

Law and order must exist

But their prescript and command

Cannot touch the poet’s hand

© Janet Martin

What Majesty Ascribes the Air

 

 

 

What mercy bequeaths the deep?

Yonder skyline overflows

Breaks the vault of sable sweep

Unfolds new day like a rose

What Majesty directs Time’s helm?

…ascribes its Crusade of Air

Breathes upon dark-yonder realm

Like a purple-misted prayer

What bends heaven to the earth

Rends the awning ‘neath His throne

What attends this virgin birth

Ravishing our skin and bone?

What forgives and gives anew?

Binds the wounds of blame and shame

Draws from death’s dark avenue

Life and Light with kind acclaim

What, from ports of paradise

Beams, a beacon to this sod?

What astonishes our sighs?

Ah, it is the love of God

© Janet Martin

It Must Be November...

When earth is swept of leaf-song

And girth of gardens stripped

When orchard limbs are barren

Where fruit of flowers dripped

When June is an illusion

In Brigadoon of thought

Then it must be November

Darling, love me, love me not

When we, estranged spectators

To sun-swept fields of grass

Must learn to learn new colors

In things that come to pass

When we ally with dreamers

...reply to firesides

Then it must be November

Darling, love me with your eyes

When gilt of gray and sable

Strums skylines, bare and bleak

When the air is stiff with struggle

But will of day is weak

When we grapple with wishes

Adjusting to good-bye

Then it must be November

Darling, love me like July

© Janet Martin

I have to confess

I'm struggling a little

to adapt to the color-change...

Let's Love Large...

PAD Challenge day 24: For experienced PAD challengers, today’s final “Two for Tuesday” prompt was likely easy to guess:

1. Write a love poem.
2. Write an anti-love poem.

Let’s love large

In touch, prayer and smiles

Let’s lose all count

Of its second miles

Let’s love big

In unnumbered small ways

For love has no end

And love never fails

So, let’s choose love

Let its give-and-forgive

Reflect God

Through a love that we live

Let's let love

Be Our Charge

And through small ways

Let's love large

© Janet Martin

How many small ways can we love large today? 

Hold a door, smile, buy a Tim-card (Coffee-card)and surprise someone,

pray like we mean it, call your mother, drop by someone lonely for a visit,

add an extra I-love-you-touch to dinner... (candles or a pretty centerpiece,)

Listen when someone else is talking, 

Let's love til it becomes a way of life:)

It's as simple (or hard) as reaching beyond ourselves to cheer someone else.

Here is a humorous 'love bears all things' story from BJ.
(I printed it out for my parent's Christmas card because I know they can relate...;-)

Once Upon A World Of Woe...

Once upon a long-ago

In the quiet deep of night

Mercy found a way to woo

Hearts toward a greater Light

Once upon a manger-bed

Heaven lent to earth its Own

Hope in holy glory wed

With the dread of skin and bone

Once upon a cruel cross

The Christ-child of Bethlehem

Suffered utter grief and loss

To annul the debt of men

Once like freshly fallen snow

Sin’s atoning crimson tide

Washed across a world of woe

Leaving Heaven satisfied

© Janet Martin

For those who believe...

 First Snow unfailingly turns hearts Christmas-ward. 

Christmas unfailingly turns hearts Jesus-ward. 

Jesus unfailingly turns hearts cross-ward. 

The cross unfailingly turns hearts heavenward.

Hallelujah, 

Let the Reason for the season fill your heart with joy every day!

***

 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isa.9 6-7