A Mothers Prayer

Four little feet are trusting me
To show them how to walk
Two little tongues depend on me
To teach them how to talk.

Grant me patience and forbearance
The wisdom of a king.
Help me not to whine and worry
O're every little thing

Teach me to number all my days
To bask in childhood joys.
So fleeting are these early years
Of storytime and toys.

Through daily reading of Gods word
And bedtimes whispered prayer;
May all I do and say each day
Point them to heaven fair.

In hurried rush and stress of life;
Help me to slow the pace,
So not one tiny soul be lost,
And trampled in the race.

Dear God I pray that you will bless
These children that I raise.
May everything that's said and done
Be only for your praise!

A King is Born

The countryside lay white and still
In slumber sweet reposing
The crudest peasant,richest kings,
Knew not their era was closing.
For far away, o're Judean hills,
In a quiet little town,
A babe is born to be a King,
So throw your scepters down!

Take up the strain that wings it's way,
O're every hill and dell,
A Babe is born to bring us peace,
His kingdom shall prevail.
Hark, how the angels sing tonight,
Of Jesus Prince of Peace,
Of His reign there'll be no end
His kingdom will increase!

New Years Prayer

Sitting by my open fire
my soul is longing to go higher.

Lift me out of the mundane;
let me see through dreary rain.

Let me know that You are there,
show me that You really care.

When my heart is torn asunder
when circumstances make me wonder;

Hear the cry of the inner man,
stoop down and show me that I can.

Manifest yourself in me,
let me only heaven see.

Lift me up from earths dark smog
be my light within the fog.

I cannot see the road ahead;
I only know that you have said

to bring my cares and toils to you
and wait to see what you will do.

So here I am sprawled at your feet,
crying, begging, so very beat.

A new year lies before me Lord,
to mess it up I cant afford.

I need your wisdom and your grace
to guide my children in this race.

I long for more of heavens love,
a spirit gentle as the dove.

Give me a heart for souls that wander
help me not my life to squander.

Tune my heart to hearth and home,
never let my spirit roam.

Teach me Lord to number days,
And you alone direct my ways.

Sitting by my open fire,
with heart of love may I aspire

to be all that I can be,
so others see yourself in me.

~Mrs Darling 2006

Regret

I wandered down a country road;
My heart so full of pain.
I wondered if I'd gone too far;
My tears were in the rain.
I didn't mean to hurt you so;
There's nothing I can say.
Time will have to heal the loss;
For Love can't find a way.

I wandered down a country road;
And watched the falling leaves.
There is no balm or quiet rest;
For the broken heart that grieves.
There will never be tomorrow;
We never had today.
We'll never know what could have been;
There's nothing left to say.

Mrs darling

Harvest Praise

The air is thick with flying leaves
the geese are on the wing
and everywhere the world awaits
the chill that autumn brings

The windows in the house and barn
are etched with broken lace
the ice is on the water trough
a smile warms every face

Down in the garden, by the gate
The ripened pumpkins lie
Twixt dying vines they now await
Thanksgivings pumpkin pie

For harvest moon and country air
We thank Thee God of love
For friends and family and bright hearth
Our praise ascends above.
by~ Mrs Darling

Quicksand

Tired of all the feelings
Tired of all the tears
Tired of all emotion
Crying through my fears
Tired of painful longing
Tired of the unknown
Tired of all the talking
Don't leave me alone
Tired of all the yearning
Tired of long nights
Tired of all the people
Please just hold me tight.
Tired of the yellow face
Tired of cold glass
Tired of never knowing
Wanting this to pass.

Knowing we will never know
Knowing we can't touch
Knowing it will have to end
We have said too much.
Knowing all my longings
Knowing of the pain
Knowing there is nothing
That we'll ever gain
Knowing I have hurt you
Knowing that you cry
Knowing that you're all alone
Leaves me wondering why
Knowing I must leave you
Knowing there's no way
Knowing I must stop this
Hurts too much to say.
~Mrs Darling

Ghosts

I stood alone in the twilight,
thinking of yesteryear;
Of secrets long ago buried
neath layers of dust and fear.
Oh the memories that haunt me
Oh the dark and lonely night
No one knows the things a soul
Hides against the light.

The Undertow

When life pounds relentlessly
like seawaves
washed up in a frothing frenzy:
when strength ebbs like the dirty tide:
when far out on the oceans edge
you see a raft
but you know you'll never reach it.
When the boat you travel in is full of leaks
and the water dripping out is dark red.
when the skies are swirling and the moon is veiled,
when a shroud of doubt hangs damp and threatening
over the foggy bay,
And the buoy is lost in the churning of emotions,
When the light is brown from scum
and the warning signs
are dimmed in the black regions of a world
you can't comprehend,
when you taste the salty brine
and you know
that hope is gone;
let go and float.
some where
amongst the whitened froth
there is a slippery
rotted pier.

mrs darling

On the Banks of Tombigbee

Bright red is the sun on the banks of Tombigbee,
A cool gentle breeze or'e the marshes is stealing.
Tis dusk and on the old balcony,
Waits fair Annabella, the flower of Tombigbee.
Her hair is bright as a ravens wing,
her eyes as blue as the sea.
She waits for her lover alone in the gloaming,
Alone she stands waiting her warrior to see.
Sweet Annabella on the banks of Tombigbee.

Hark what is that that stems the tide
As through the silver night it glides.
One blast upon the ships loud horn
And Annabella leaves her chamber.
Blythe as the nymphs that travel the sea,
Ran dear Annabella to the edge of Tombigbee.
Manys the shout o're the waters soft prattle
As gallant young soldiers return from the battle.
All hear the story of boys o're the lea
But Annabella stands waiting
on the banks of Tombigbee.

Her eyes are bright with unshed tears,
She stands by herself alone with her fears.
When by some fortunate stroke of luck
or as Providence had decreed,
Her lovers name was said o're and o're,
On the banks of the old Tombigbee.
She heard his name above all the clamor
of the boys returning home.
"You should have seen brave Jim go down
when missiles were howling all around."
"He didn't stay down for long," shouted one,
"He marched right up to the enemy gun."

-early attempts at poetry. The rest of this poem is now lost. This was penned after visiting the antebellum homes in Mississippi in 1979.

Heartbalm

Love sees past my glaring faults;
And loves me anyway.
Love speaks to my heart and soul
In words I cannot say.
Love forgives and love believes,
That love will find a way.
Love heals the aching wound
Of words that did betray.
Mrs Darling

My Son

Today he flew in his little cape
Held together with masking tape.
Flying off chairs he was Spider Man,
Bloodying his nose he was Peter Pan.
His tool bench became his sleigh
To bring the toys on Christams day.
He drove his backhoe through the dirt,
And wiped his nose upon my skirt.


He cut his lip playing
dinasour,
Then pinched his finger
in the door.
He climbed the gnarled
apple trees
In search of Pooh Bears
honeybees.
Now he's sleeping
on the bed,
What dreams are in
his little head?

Unsung Melody

have you ever felt so all alone..
even when you're not
have you ever tried to play a violin
What happens when the strings are in unskilled hands
How long does it take to tune the heart
my life reels before me in broken frames
Somewhere my soul lies lost...and fragmented..like this entry
Broken, dischordant melodies are plucked on fraying strings
The heart vibrates to a soul gone awry
Are some people destined to always hurt
Are the keys forever yellowed
Can one even buy the ivory to fix the heart
Without deleting another's song
Are some lives forever written in a minor
Will some hearts never know a sonnet
Are there sheets of music floating aimlessly
Notes that will never be strung together to form a melody
Does the old song ever find harmony with the new
Once a song is sung is it sung forever
Mrs Darling


The Soul Adrift
broken hearts, broken lives
broken dreams, broken homes
broken people, broken love,
lonliness, darkeness,sadness
God where are you

Mrs Darling

November

The time of year when nature suddenly grows restless.
You hear it in the wind that stirs the maple tree,
You hear it crackling through the cornfields.
You see it softly brush itself
Against the dying vines.
You see it hesitate as it slowly wends it's way
through the orchard.
apples blush as it passes by.

The time of year when all of nature seems to yearn
for winters silent sleep.
The stars look down on a dying world;
The icy fingers of the moon
grip the rim of the evening sky
The human heart responds in kind
slowing in it's pace;
reaching out for unseen things
Unsure of all it feels.
Trees lift arthritic limbs
and shiver in the cold.

The time of year when everything turns inward;
Frost clings to the window panes
like sketchy pieces of broken glass
Smoke drifts lazily
from chimneys long unused.
nuts lie like teardrops
frozen where they fall
The soul pauses in the lull
to contemplate the changes;
stilled for now it hesitates
to let it's secrets go. -mrs darling

Loves Passion

Trail your fingers through my hair
scented candles everywhere.
With your strength now hold me tight
dont let go till morning light.
Cover me with kisses sweet
let me taste you in the heat.
Entwined together heart to heart
never from my bed depart.
Run your hands across my skin
a web of love forever spin.
Caress me in the vesper breeze
my senses waken to your tease.
You whisper now so none can hear
words meant only for my ear.
Entwined together limb to limb
I'm forever bound to him.

Love Lost

Dreams lie like wet leaves in roadside puddles;
torn,
mottled,
dying,
Words cut like the skaters blade on country ponds;
sharp,
jagged,
clipped,
Visions soar on eagles weakened and crippled wings;
rising,
drifting,
falling,
Hope sits sullenly on rusted garden benches;
flaking,
collapsing,
uneven,
Love shrieks like a fledgling in the throes of a traitorous death;
piercing,
helpless,
lost.

by Mrs Darling 2004