Until Want Is Filled

 I know I've shared this song before but its worth a second listen:)

If you want to be filled with awe and admonition, page through the Psalms and count how many chapters begin with the reminder to us to sing and praise God!

When wish leaves love’s laughter spent

It is time to be content

Wishing drains the heart of hymn

Wastes the hour waned of vim

When we mistake want for need

And the voice of envy heed

We will miss Blessing’s buffet

Blinded by want’s wishing way

When the happiness we crave

Seems lacking in what we have

We should look with longer glance

Until want is stilled

And filled with humble thanks

© Janet Martin

Inspired, in part by this;
Contentment is Knowing the Difference...

Waiting While Winter Wearies...

The motivation to spring-clean in spite of the frigid temps has to do with words like;

 garden, flowers, sunshine, bird-song, green, warmth, earth etc:)

Meanwhile, birdies are getting their feather-coats fluffed with fierce, frosty fingers!

....and earth is a wide, wild ballroom

Earth is a wide,white-washed ballroom

Fallen stars frolic on fields sealed in snow   

Mother Nature's apron cups blooms

Eager to spill into spring’s flower-show

Summer seems far and forgotten

Lost, like a land in a mythical place

We wait for green words like ‘garden’

To salt our speech with its flowery grace

Purple and pink paradises

Wink from a world in white wastelands contained

Earth must withhold its surprises

Until the will of old winter has waned

© Janet Martin

Surefire Rebuttal

 In spite of resolutions resolved, prayers prayed, promises promised,

Ultimately,only one thing combats temptation; Just.Don't.

When we meet with sweet temptation

And we think we might give in

Here is one surefire weapon

That will keep us from its sin

Don’t do it

When our rigid resolutions

Seem to weaken, one by one

Until giving in feels human

And its pay-off –no harm done

Don’t do it

When the banter of the devil

Disguises evil as good

There is one no-fail acquittal

That has test of time withstood

Just. Don’t do it

© Janet Martin

 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

 James 1:13-15

For the Love of a Poem

 This cupboard houses my poetry-book collection; 

each book compiled ' for the love of the poem' (and poet and reader:)

 and all of these just a drop in the ocean of heart-pieces on paper.

We hold up heart-bits like tatters of paper

Hoping that someone might find in its fling

Half-way around the world neighbor-to-neighbor-

Hugs from the kinship a poem can bring

We bleed from want and need, ink-stuttered stanzas

Who knows who, as time goes by, will be warmed

By spunk of metrical extravaganzas

Twisted to poem from heartbeats unarmed

We set aside pride and fear’s bold usurp-al

Darling, the tempo of time’s ebb and flow

Runs through us like summer-rivers, soft-purple

Stuns us with fall’s abysmal letting go

We hang up leaflets of laughter and longing

Limping through pages of crumpled disgrace

Trying to touch with the love of a poem

Just the right person in just the right place

We war with whispers of heartache and hunger

Wading through worlds still unfurled, in a pen

We, with the will of a lover, will conquer

Then, when it’s over, we will do it again

© Janet Martin

You Are Here...

A few hours of all-together-ness on the weekend sometimes seems to magnify the sharpness of apart-ness...

Melissa popped home for a day to surprise Victoria for her birthday... then she 'flew' away

photo credit; Rob Curry

According to mile-measure, darling

They deem us quite far apart

But, you’re here beneath my ribs, love

Held forever in my heart

Miles may separate our shoulders

From the tender joy of touch

But, I have re-learned how to hold you

So miles won’t hurt quite so much

Oceans are a splash of water

Emotions a dash of tear

Sweetheart, wherever you wander

I know you know, you are here

You are here, beneath my ribs, love

Clasped twixt finger-folded prayer

Never mind mile-measure, darling

You are here while you are there

© Janet Martin