Poem-power

A poem smiles across the miles

Where hands and feet cannot access

It feathers ramparts of the heart

With gentle love and happiness

A poem roves o'er dusky coves

It snores in fencelines echo-steeped

On sod's repose a poem blows

To scatter blooms on furrows reaped

A poem cheers across the years

Ink-murmurs adhered to plain page

Where stilted form calms, quickens storms

With script from tomes yellow with age

A poem broods in winter-woods

It curls and swirls in rock-strewn rill

A lullaby in full moon’s sky

A roguish kiss to vex and thrill

Epiphany of mystery

And expectation intertwined

Troubadour of life’s laugh-limp-love

It woos the dreamer whisper-blind

It's sweetness drops like apple-plops

When autumn strums the laden tree 

It replays scenes of what-has-been

In sentimental luxury

A poem melts and melds and molds

The gray and gold of season-tide

It draws two hearts that seem apart

Until they nestle side by side

© Janet Martin

Unbelieveable But True!!!

We follow in

The steps of he

Who healed the sick,

Made blind to see

Who wore for our

Sakes a crown

Of thorns; and laid

His battered body down

On Calvary’s cross

To be lifted up

For all to see;

He drank the cup

That we deserved

But were spared from Because He left Heaven’s kingdom; He, equal with God,

Humbly became Flesh; Ah, Jesus Is His name, Righteousness; and because of the dark, dark

 Call He braved All who call on Him (Light of the World) will be saved

…Then do not crown Despair as king Nor let the dark Of this world blind

For from Bethlehem’s
town still rings

Messiah’s hope

For humankind

And do not grope

In mires of doubt

Or dredge the deeps

Of guilty shame

Salvation in

Glad triumph shouts

And acquits sinner’s

Through this name;

Jesus, Jesus,

Who did not grasp

His Deity

As an excuse

To Usurp God’s/Love’s

Masterplan

But came to earth

Goodness and truth

To fill with worth

Through His death, 

Man

 ...we follow in the steps of He

made a way

to Him

through Him

 for

you and me

© Janet Martin

Holy Hope-Hymn

Thou, Father of love’s fount sustains

What long should have run dry

We dredge its deep yet nothing drains

Love’s exhaustless supply

Thou, Shepherd of a foolish flock

Whose talk betrays heart’s sum

Thy fold should boast a stone-cold lock

But still You beckon, “come”

Thou, Bread of life, where dread and strife

Would choke the starving soul

Save for thy grace that paid sin’s price

And aids Hope to its goal

Thou, Giver to a race unfit

That takes and takes until

Your outstretched Hand should clench its fist

But still you fill and fill

Thou, Light to darkest doom unfurled

Thou, Ark of Safety sure

Thou, Overcomer of the world

Through Thee we will endure

© Janet Martin

Ageless Anthem...

It stirs the flagging spirit, oh,

God’s Truth is never wrong

It lifts the downcast heart with hope

And fills the dark with song

Those surreal scenes from days of old

Unfold in wond’ring eyes

The tidings that the angels told

Still hold redemption’s prize

“For unto us was born that day

A Savior, Christ the Lord”

In Bethlehem’s manger was laid

A gift none can afford

…as Word became flesh then became

A bleeding sacrifice

Righteousness wore the sinner’s shame

And bore salvation’s price

What spilled in angel’s song, then tears

Though years and ages roll

Abides with us, comforts our fears

And still saves sinner’s soul

Jesus gladdens sad spirits, oh

His truth is never wrong

Love lifts the downcast heart with hope

And fills the dark with song

Those surreal scenes from ancient hills

Still tell the Saviour’s birth

The gift of Bethlehem still spills

In peace, goodwill to earth

For unto us was born that night

Heaven’s joy to the world

Jesus, the Way, The Truth, The Life

To mortal strife unfurled

…someday the skies will flare once more

Someday all hearts will burn

As we, like those shepherds of yore

Look up, at Christ’s return

…and what some deemed a farfetched tale

Will see The Living Word

As every tribe and tongue will hail

Jesus, Jesus as Lord

© Janet Martin

Of Fellow and Fallen Soldiers

 While we drove yesterday, little Miss Three-and-a-half named everything she saw

..."I see a house, a field, a tree etc...

then in a sudden change of tone I heard her say,

"I see a lot of soldiers. Bye soldiers. We miss you"

I looked; we were passing a graveyard.

Something in her 3yr.old mind equated graves with fallen soldiers!

Fitting, isn't it? Life gives all its 'soldiers' battles to fight, some public, some private.

...and on this note happy, happy first day of December! 😀

We smile, groan, gasp and grasp the hands

Of fellow-soldiers, for we know

Alone we fall, allied we stand

As sands of seasons ebb and flow

The tender love that drives us on

Wreaks havoc, oft where none can see

For ‘nothing new under the sun’

Is often new to you and me

This skin we wear is sure to show

If given time enough, war-scars

They come with hold and letting go

And tasting salty sorrow-stars

We charge beneath the glist’ring sun

And wade through tides of morn to night

Battalion dependent on

Life's Chief Captain for strength and light

…and on we forge through gorge and bog

Where past and future briefly merge

To shape the battlefields agog

With living’s temp’ramental splurge

Before that somber meeting place

When one among our numbers falls

And leaves this force of hope and grace

In response to the Captain’s call

An Ultimate we all will brave

Where dust-to dust is bittersweet

Memorialized around a grave

That marks the resting place for feet

…as The Great Mystery within

Embarks where feet have never trod

When mortal steps out of its skin

And returns to life's Giver;  God

© Janet Martin

In Memory of Gordon James Pringle 

The Armor of God 

Eph.6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.  

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, 

against the powers of this world’s darkness, 

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 

you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. 

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, 

with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, 

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. 

To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.