Human G-r-r-r-Race

PAD Challenge 23: For today’s prompt, write an action poem. So many actions are available to the poet: singing, running, clapping, working, and–umm–poeming. 

Yes, there’s a world of possibility today–all ready to act.

Some call it a rat-race, some call it a drag

Where God unfurls morning like a heaven-flag

To we, privileged partakers of give and take

Soul heir, but not sole heir to choices we make

How soft through our touch slips the silk ilk of Day

It authors our Oh-no and hip-hip-hooray

That some call a rat-race and some call a drag

Some stumble, more humble; some coast, gloat and brag

Some take all they can and not once tip their hat

To the Higher Hand that grants life’s This and That

Some live love-astonished by His unrestraint

While some run nerves ragged with constant complaint

Some call it pure luck and some call it pure grace

This dust-to-dust Must of hope-trust human race

But what-who-where-when and however we be

Time is but the throughway to Eternity

© Janet Martin

  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, 

as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 

1 Pet.4:10 

Tree

PAD Challenge day 22. For today’s prompt, pick a plant, make it the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Pick a favorite vegetable or fruit, a flower, a tree, even a shrubbery.

I chose Tree in memory of our red maple and silver birch, that are no more...

In April we begin eying spring's tree,
hungry for the music of leaf-melody!

A week ago we were watching our trees anxiously
as lofty limbs sagged beneath baggage of ice and snow...

...and praying history would not repeat itself!

Dear Tree,
like stalwart sentinels you stand
unflinching through the years
to guard the yard or line the lane
with leafy belvederes

you wear each season well, my lovely
weaver of the bow'r
sometimes you sport a snowy shrug
sometimes green leaf and flow'r

In brawny arms you cradle dreamers
lured to your fixed pose 
You, bearer of the childhood swing
and spring's first dainty rose

... and something 'bout your steadfastness
seeps into memories
where the backdrop to happiness
is oft wove through with trees

...a stark, gray leaflorn labyrinth
or froth of chartreuse tress
before red, orange and cinna-bronze
dwindles to quietness

where summer slides its zephyr-bow
 above soft shadows flung
As melodies, now high, now low
from wooded breath are wrung

...where silver quivered, pooled and slipped
like elfin-feet a-dance
until the test of time undid
your patriotic stance

'ere arms that held the trilling bird
and withstood nature's ire
lie, like shards of earth's broken heart
to feed the winter fire

 ...and we mourn thee, fair minstrel
of midnight's plush lullaby
 where your felled lyre leaves nothing but
A big hole full of sky

Janet~

 

Teaching The Poet To Dance

PAD Challenge 23: For today’s prompt, write an action poem. So many actions are available to the poet: singing, running, clapping, working, and–umm–poeming. 

Yes, there’s a world of possibility today–all ready to act.

A Casanova, without form; he takes Her heart by storm

He woos with hues; runs seasons through his blue-eyed, sky-wide charm

Sometimes a sentimentalist, sometimes a reckless rogue

He draws Her into dances with allure of written word

…and she, smitten by what might be cannot resist his touch

A woman, willing to be kissed by similes and such

She lets him lead and moves beneath his eloquent command

He, with a poem on his lips, she with a pen in hand

The slow-dance of an Almost-poem brushes heart-to-heart

He has the way of whispers down to a near-perfect art

In murmur of a meadow brook, in bobbing bloom-bell’s chime

In vesper-sigh, the shadow-ladder that no one can climb

In lilt and rhyme, he, Father Time with most familiar ease

Will steal her breath and crush her beneath weight of memories

Both backstabber and lover, hope and heartbreak synchronized

He teaches her to wait while leaving her poem-surprised

Beneath Her ribs the motion of an ocean crashes hard

Roused by mulled shards of autumn pressed into spring’s empty yard

He primes Time’s tug of echoes with both laughter and lament

Life's sweet, torturous tango twixt The Waiting and The Spent

© Janet Martin


(just for fun I highlighted the action/motion words,
in case it felt like a sedate poem;-)

Danger of...

For today’s prompt, write a danger poem. There are various levels of danger out there–from physical danger to the danger of being discovered doing something you shouldn’t (or doing something that might embarrass you–or someone else). Even the act of writing and sharing a poem brings with it the potential for danger.

 Last Saturday, winter!

 

this Saturday, Summer(well, almost😉!)

Danger of missing the moment:

To be caught up in pining for some fond and faded year

Is to miss the fine brush-strokes in the art of now and here

Danger of falling in love:

To fall in love completely is a risk lovers will take

Its wonder worth the danger of a heart destined to break

Danger of stealing roses:

The rose is lovely to behold as bud from bloom is borne

But beware, if you pick it, it will prick you with its thorn

Danger of deception:

The danger of exchanging truth for more appealing lies

Is that unless one recognizes wrong, discernment dies

Danger of the she-carpenter:

To be afraid to take a chance is to be sure to fail

So, if I swing the hammer, honey, will you hold the nail?

Danger of vanity:

Truth, sometimes hard to swallow is still healthier to hear

Than indulging our pride on fat of flattery, my dear

Danger of the double life:

If you decide to live with much to hide each day is like

A journey through a minefield in the middle of the night

© Janet Martin

A Sunny-Spring Celebration Song To God of Our Salvation

It is easy to sing in the sunshine😊

He has established His throne in the Heavens

His Sovereignty rules over all

He is Proprietor of every season

His Ways are infallible

Never a motive but mercy and goodness

Never a breach in His care

Faithful provider of hope and forgiveness

Nothing to Him can compare

He does not waver, our Lord and our Saviour

Never a promise forgets

Oh, what a wonder-full, wondrous Creator

Joy to this old world begets

He is the Father that stands in the doorway

Watching, waiting from afar

Welcoming ‘Prodigal sons’ from their wand’ring

Into His wide, open arms

Lord, you are faithful through all generations

You have established the earth

Your loving kindness extends to the heavens

Your grace gives human race worth

Your righteous judgement in due time is given

You intercede when we call

You have established Your Throne in the heavens

Your Sovereignty rules over all

© Janet Martin