Today, Tomorrow and Beyond

I could speak of by-gone things
But what good would it do
Joy and sorrow both have wings
To fly beyond the blue
And life on a whole
Is not in our control
But one giant mystery
So I’ll speak of today and tomorrow
The past is history

Today I will whisper a prayer for you
Just as I do every day
Today I will focus on the good I can do
Tomorrow come what may
I will always be glad
For the today I had
And its coffer of memories
It seems to take the happy and sad
To create tender harmonies

The wind blows softly out of the blue
The sun rises in the east
On them ride my thoughts and prayers for you
As foam on the ocean crest
Today, tomorrow and beyond
Translucent shimmer of a mystic frond
Breath of hope in misty hue
Sparkling through eternal blue

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Janet Martin


Happy Birthday D~

"For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

I Wonder

I wonder, is the sunset beautiful
Reflected in your eyes
Or do they remain the color
Of summer skies
And I wonder if the rain-tree is in bloom
And is it green or silver
By the light of the moon
And does time fly
Or drag by on heavy lonesome feet?
Is life good to you?
Is it lovely and sweet?
And do you hear silence or music
As you walk a mid-day street?
Is the night warm and sultry?
Intoxicating
Or is it painfully silent
And suffocating
I wonder if once in a while
As the petals once vibrant, fall
Do you remember, do you smile
Or feel absolutely nothing at all?

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Janet Martin

Our Song

Sometimes it plays upon my heart like the strain of a violin
And though it’s tearing me apart I beg to hear it again
I let its sorrow linger like a kiss upon my pain
As you run your fingers through my memory again

I feel the tender passion of the music as it plays
I hear the breakers crashing on a sea-shore far away
I let its sonnet linger as it sets my spirit free
I reach to touch the fingers running through my memory

As the chorus fades away like waves return to sea
As the turquoise turns to gray and touch to memory
As the silence of the present drowns out its melody
I reach to clasp your fingers running through my memory

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Janet Martin

J.

Tango

Like the sound of an accordion, a steady sullen beat
It’s music softly drifting down a sultry summer street
It stirs my slumbering senses in a mournful soulful tune
And in it I am carried to that lane beneath the moon

The notes like silky satin run their fingers through my mind
The present is forgotten in this melody so fine
And deep within it fans a flame of my dormant desire
As softly I call out your name I cannot quell this fire

The melody entwines itself around my trembling soul
In it I resign myself to live as though I’m whole
For I am the lone dancer in this memory sweet and kind
As I sway to the music of the tango in my mind

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Janet Martin

My Muse

You hover in
The dimly-lit recesses
Of my mind
Warm and indifferent
At the very
Same time
Your shadow
A ghost that will
Not stay away
Your mystery
A chill that
Invites me to stay
A stranger
A friend
A quiet smile
In the back
Of my mind
You are there
In a file
That is just
A breath,
A thought-click away
Making me wonder
How long
Will you stay?
I’ve never seen you
Just heard
Your heart-beat
In the hush
Of the night
Or the rush
Of the street
I’ve resigned
Myself to
Accept the thought
In the back of my mind
In that dimly-lit spot
There you are
And ever will be
My muse
My friend
My mystery……
Won’t you
Turn around?
So I can see
What shade of
Love
Your eyes would be

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Janet Martin

What Could Have Been.....

Sometimes I find, as the music
Filters softly through my mind
It stirs in restlessness within
As I wonder what could have been….

Sometimes I find as your memory
Caresses the song in my mind
I quell the sigh that breathes within
As I ask myself…..what could have been

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Janet Martin

Trust in the Lord
with all your heart
and do not
lean on your own understanding...
In all your ways acknowledge Him
and He will make your paths straight.Prov.3:5-6

Midnight Spell

You draw me…
Like a lover’s eyes across the room
And I come…
Casting off my shroud of gloom
Mystery flickers….
‘Round every charcoal bend
Shadows whisper…
Silence is my friend
You draw me…
Tease me with your silver gleam
And I come….
Cradle of my dreams

You draw me…
Past rustling corn-fields painted gray
And I come….
Shedding the sorrows of my day
With out-stretched arms…
You beckon, I cannot resist
You draw me…
Past the nodding daises, moon-light kissed
And I come…..
Climb the midnight wind-tossed hill
Into your arms
Where time stands still

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Janet Martin

Somewhere.....

Somewhere in the muted folds
Before the breath of pinks and golds
Breaks the sacred solemn hush
Endowed by midnights velvet brush
Somewhere among the charcoal plumes
And all the grey and silver blooms
Which boast their colors but by day
And hide by night in shades of grey
Ah, somewhere there beneath the pines
Sheltered by the whispering vines
And serenaded from the sky
By winsome breezes lullaby....
Somewhere among forgotten hills
Where a wisp of moon-light spills
A silver pool upon the grass
As the untallied minutes pass
Ah, somewhere there I wish to be
With God, in wordless poetry.

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Janet Martin

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
He will receive blessing from the Lord. Ps. 24:3-5

Vanished???

As you spoke, the restless wind
Drew your words
Into the night air
And they vanished…
Well chosen words, I must say,
Honestly kind,
But they hurt
And nowhere in
This silky silence
Remains a trace
Of their hopeless despair
As they slipped away….
Like you will, who spoke them
In your weakest, strongest moment
You decided to say
Them.
Oh, the stars twinkle,
I see their million sequins
As they delicately sprinkle
The dark blue velvet sky
Above us, and I try
To find a tiny trace
Of the words you spoke
And the tears on your face
But they have vanished
Into the night-sky
Whilst you and I remain
And must decide
What to do
With these kind and honest
Well-chosen words
That in your strongest, weakest
Hour you spoke
For they are lodged in our hearts
Forever.

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Janet Martin

OK....so I couldn't wait til 2010....
anyone who writes knows what I mean:):)
You can't just turn it off!!!

The Past

I could break down the gate
And force my way through
Into the garden
Where I wandered with you…..
I could gaze at the flowers
Pause in the shade
Re-living the hours
Where memories were made
I could still hear the whisper
Of the willow trees
And smell the magnolia
As they float in the breeze
The song of the fountain
Leaving troubles behind
As its care-free music
Still flows ‘cross my mind
I could pause in the stillness
Haven, almost complete
Linger a moment
On grasses so sweet
Hearing our laughter
In the cool night air
I could try to go back…but….
You would not be there

Life is a garden
Of moments rare
We cannot go back
So tend it with PRAYER!!!!

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Janet Martin

Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. Eccles. 12:13

If Only for a Moment

If only for a moment
The elements would part
And I could hear
The beat of your heart
And bask for just a little while
In the warmth of your soft smile
And if for a moment
I could hear
Your tender voice
Against my ear
Perhaps then I could
Bear the pain
If only for a moment
I could see you again

If only for a moment
My dear memory
Could be transformed
To reality
If I could listen to your whisper
And the music of your laughter
If for a moment
I could touch
The heart of you
I miss so much
Perhaps then I could
Bear the pain
If only for a moment
I could touch you again

God will help me bear the pain
Until I can see you again

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Janet Martin

Apologies

Forgive me when the call
Of the quill I shirk
Writing, methinks is
Very hard work

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Janet Martin

My Comfort

As summer greens and daylight fades
As lover’s lanes are robbed of shade
As sapphire skies turn dusty blue
I just can’t help but think of you

So Lord, I think tonight I’ll pray
For those with loved ones far away
Beloved friends and family
Across the miles of land or sea

I’ll pray for those who will not see
Their loved ones ‘til eternity
I’ll pray for moms and dads who pray
For precious children far away

I'll pray for people just like me
Missing those they cannot see
And wishing miles could melt away
Uniting us for one sweet day

I'll pray for daddies working hard
Even when they are so tired
And hungry for warm home-cooked meals
Keep on rolling eighteen wheels

As summer and daylight fade away
It comforts me to sit and pray
For dear loved ones we cannot touch
But still we miss them oh, so much

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Janet Martin

Blessed be God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Father of mercies
And the God of all comfort. 2 Cor. 1:3

Sittin' an' Wishin'

- Sittin’ and wishin’
Is a little like fishin’
In a mud-puddle.


Janet Martin
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Retrospect

When the warmth of invisible hands
Cools upon our skin
When the echo of soft laughter
Drifts down memory’s lane
When words that held and shaped us
Lie in silence now
We begin to see life’s truth
That we have changed somehow

When the glow of inaudible whispers
Silently evaporates
And arms you never touched, yet held you
Close the garden gate
As we sit upon its hallowed wall
A sweet essence remains
For in each life some rain must fall…
And we’ll never be the same

Invisible fingers mold and shape us
With a whispering touch
Silently, obscurely they surround us
Brushing our day with love
And, as they pass in muted shadows
Down a fern-lined memory-lane
In retrospect we recognize
Invisible hands of change

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-Janet Martin-

Me and my Thoughts

Just me and my thoughts
Nobody will know
Where they will take me
Or where they will go
It’s nobody’s business
What’s inside of me
Just me and my thoughts
Oh, what will they be?

Just me and my thoughts
A private affair
It shouldn’t matter
What goes on in there
And it should not matter
What I choose to think
Just me and my thoughts
Unwritten in ink

Just me and my thoughts
A constant warfare
Yes, Someone knows
And yes, Someone cares
For in this old world
No deed has been wrought
That did not first begin
With one little thought

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-Janet Martin-

For as he (a man)
thinks so is he. Prov.23:7 KJV

Life's Merry-go-round

First a smile, then ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’
Then before you know it you’ve made a friend or two
But just as you begin to know more than their name
Instead of ‘hello’ it’s good-bye again

If I could then I would if a way could be found
I’d grab on and stop this merry-go-round
But we all climb back up and ride for a while
Until it’s good-bye and a farewell smile

We share our joy and sometimes our sorrow
Tell them of dreams in a hopeful tomorrow
We laugh together and shed tears when they cry
Then suddenly, just like that…it’s good-bye

If I could I would stop this merry-go-round
But it seems to this merciless circle we’re bound
For almost before our tears are dried
We dare to climb on for another ride

Why do we fail to treasure today?
But wait ‘til we see someone walking away
And then, how our hearts o’er-flow with pain
To know we may never see them here again

If I could, then I would stop this merry-go-round
But I can’t bring this moving circle aground
So I climb back up, forget that I cried
Smile, say ‘hello’ and go for a ride

All Rights Reserved Sept.2009
Janet Martin

Poet,s Curse

This must be a poet's curse,
and I'm not sure which one is worse,
Inspiration with no pen..........or
A pen with no inspiration.

All Rights Reserved Sept. 2009

I Love You

To voices that have nurtured me
To hands that hold mine faithfully
To hearts that beat in tune with mine
To arms that help me walk the line
To lips that whisper words of cheer
To eyes that shed a mutual tear
I feel there must be greater words
Than just these three so often heard
“I love you”

To those who sacrifice for me
And trust me sometimes fearfully
To those who faithfully have prayed
And kept me when I would have strayed
To those who help me open doors
That I have never touched before
I wish there was a better way
To tell you what I wish to say
“I love you”

But then again, I’m forced to pause
I know these words are best because
The Giver of our greatest love
Bestows His very best to us
His love, through each and every day
It will never go away
Eternally it is enough
Four-letter word that spells out ‘love’
So, “I love you”

All Rights Reserved Sept. 2009


God is love. Whoever lives in love
Lives in God, and God in Him. 1 John 4:16

My Magic Moment

I wish I had a golden wand and with a little flick,
I could stop the sands of time from flowing quite so quick,
And with a little magic turn I could return perhaps
To a day for which I yearn now buried in my past

And I could sit for just an hour at child-hoods breakfast table,
To re-live happy memories of family, food and stable,
The chatter of a care-free clan as hungry mouths are fed,
Oh, I did not see back then, how much we really had

I’d like to swing one pleasant hour beneath that willow tree,
To romp in pastures of my youth with heart and spirit free,
To cherish every minute as it slips into the deep
And make each memory in it a treasure I can keep

I’d take the words that I regret and by God’s love and grace
A kinder word I now would let slip out to take its place,
And I’d pray for a tender heart and for a listening ear,
Within my magic moment with my whole family near

But I don’t have a golden wand and I can’t fly away,
But I’ve a golden moment now and it is called ‘today’
So I’ll ask God to help me see the treasure He’s placed in it,
And turn to golden memory each magic little minute

All Rights Reserved Aug.2009
Janet Martin

...so then banish anxiety from your heart...Eccl.11:10