Oh, This Is Not It

...and the little lad's eyes sparkled with delight as we talked about how 

he will be the only 'he' and me the only 'me' ever, 

in the whole wide world 

and doesn't that just make us want to be our best 'we'

...the only one that will ever be! 

All this said, sometimes its hard to keep our chins up
when trust and patience is tried...
Lots of crops out but I'm sure still lots not!
We got the whole garden planted (except flowers) last night in barely dry soil
But last night's dreamland is this morning's lake😒

Ah, this is me and you

In this; the day God made

To make the most of say and do

No matter what the shade

Of heaven’s backdrop is

Where Mercy’s blessings pour

Through gold or gray to that and This

And we should not ignore

The One who metes the means

To get from here to There

Where this is it; one you, one me

One life; then who would dare

To take this day that Is

And utter curses, oh

When our lone, true boast is this;

His grace whereby we go

To where no one returns

To regale us a bit

With more than ashes in an urn

 For oh, This is not it

© Janet Martin

A 'Month of May' Song

Suddenly my heart is filled with high hopes of garden-planting tonight...

before tomorrow's next wave of rain!

The month of May makes mundane chores an honor to employ

Set grandly on a stage of buds brimming with petal-joy

Where we, without admittance fee are welcome to behold

A wonder-world of Workmanship that hills and fields unfold

To startle us to worship as blooms break through dormant sod

And marvel at the miracle of life ordained by God

The month of May is like a holiday from bitter gales

The gateway to a getaway where greenest green exhales

And suddenly the barren tree is wrapped in em’rald lace

And we are very glad to be here in this time and place

Where summer-long is like song still waiting to be played

On keys of garden-dirt and sand, on leas of sun and shade

The month of May is like a gift we open breathlessly

Where we are humble guests of nature’s hospitality

Of sky-wide doors flung open, floors gleaming with flower-mirth

Of buffets heavy-laden with the beauty of rebirth

Of chairs in every meadow and plumed pillows by each brook

The month of May is like a pretty poem-picture book

The month of May is like loom in us, weaving delight

My, my, it seems our eager dreams have come true overnight

The long-awaited picnic as we sail a green grass sea

On schooners made of blankets and child’s wide-eyed fantasy

As a montage of bird-breeze-leaf song chirps and croons and sighs

And laughter, like a butterfly brushes the blue, blue  skies

© Janet Martin

Kind Word Art

No smiles for the camera today...

But my, she sure brightens a rainy-no-gardening morning!

A kind word is like sunshine

To kiss the bud of gloom

It breaks the shell where wonders dwell

Then swell into glad bloom

A kind word is like ointment

To soothe the wounds of woe

Its gentle grace will heal the place

Where harsh words dealt their blow

A kind word is like laughter

To cheer the dreary day

Like Baby's smiles, it sweetens miles

That had seemed dull and gray

A kind word is like flowers

A garden on the air

It calms distress with happiness

And brings hope to despair

 A kind word is a rainbow

Above the storms of life

A tender spark to break the dark

With love’s unfailing light

A kind word is a diamond

Drawn from a heap of stones

Where haters hurled shards from a world

Of base and broken thrones

A kind word is a picture

Of how heaven will be 

It paints its art upon the heart

In perfect poetry

A kind word is a gift, dear

That we can all afford

And what can ease life's miseries

Better than a kind word

© Janet Martin

May Morning Melody

New morning spreads its fledgling wings,

Alighting on Time’s teeming tress

And from its perch of heaven sings

A hymn of hope and happiness

Where in the thick of highs and lows

And faith-lings learning how to fly

The beauty of God’s love bestows

A launch-pad to another try

For if He gave what we deserve 

Alas, what dread each day would be

But from yon fair and eastward curve

Grace authors morn's new melody

So raise the roof of sun and cloud

With ancient hymns of humble trust

For Mercy’s providence endowed

His proof once more to likes of us

© Janet Martin

 But I will sing of your strength, 

in the morning I will sing of your love; 

for you are my fortress, 

my refuge in times of trouble.

Ps.59:16

What Seems Seemingly Small...

 ...hopefully in a week from now these seeds will be planted!
(wow! hopefully seems to be the much-used word of this spring😏)

From these seeds we hope to harvest vegetables.

We plant them with intention.

Most of what we plant often without purposed intention,

holds a far more crucial harvest!

Those small choices we make often without much thought at all

Those small bites that we take ( c’mon, mostly just crumbs that fall)

When, given enough time and taste will then reveal the sum

As seemingly small ‘morsels’ make/shape the person we become

That seemingly small drink or two, the seemingly small thought

Makes us feel satisfied with what we do (when we should not)

For left unguarded and unchecked a little thing becomes

Without intentional neglect a lifetime’s solemn sums

We ought to pay close heed to seemingly small moves we make

For what is first a teeny seed holds harvest in its wake

And what begins as ‘little sins’ if unaddressed becomes

The decline of morality in monumental sums

© Janet Martin

 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; 

but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.…

Gal.6:7-8

 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, 

lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb.2:1