Stripling Warrior - Poem

Stripling Warrior

Fathers sent sons forth in their stead,

   Their swords, in covenant earth, laid to rest.

Old hatreds purged; their hearts made clean,

   Nobel sacrifice and faith; in Christ redeemed.

Untested youth, chose to follow God's plan,

   Life and freedom defended within foreign land.

Their straight, fearless valor, a sight unseen.

   This was the stripling warrior creed.

Their strict obedience to every command,

   Rallied and inspired other soldiers to stand

On Christ's mighty power, and boldly lean.

   This was the stripling warrior creed.

Not one of two thousand sixty sons perished,

   Teachings of their faithful mothers they cherished.

Strengthened and shielded by angels' unseen

   They witnessed what miracles God did achieve.

True, exact, sober, obedient, upright,

   Pure in heart, faithful, valiant in fight.

Never before witnessed and never since seen,

   This is the stripling warrior creed.

Janice Harten

September 2018

Alma 24:15-19, Alma 53:20-21, Alma 57:25-26

Puddles of Sorrows - Poem

Puddles of Sorrows

Puddles of sorrows

from rivers of tears

attempt to drown my suffocating heart

Master of shifting waves

grasp me from these frightening depths

and fill my breath

With whispers of hope for

a pained, hardened soul

to be softened, redeemed and made whole

Janice Harten

22 Feb 2025

Isle of Jekyll - Poem

Isle of Jekyll

River of blowing, flowing soft sand
races barely above dusty floor, creating foggy shore
wispy white and low
sweeps for a moment then gone, suddenly invisible

Sand dunes swollen lumps upon seawall shielded row

trap and swallow palms, grass, gritty dock and all

wherever powdery grain blows

in slow undetectable, unrelenting motion

Vanishing, persistent footprint chases curling wave

and gentle foam crawls then rolls away

enticing, drawing intrepid toward underworld mystery

and bold stories longing to be told

Moist shell dollar, oceans unburied treasure

momentarily scooped and gathered

not intended to be kept or captured

disintegrates and dissolves back into natures ashen matter

Hidden crabs peer somewhere

from within watery pinholes

tiny movement reveals sand bubbling, quickly refilling

their presence exposed

Draped Spanish moss sways

twists and dangles in waltzing, danciful delight

from mighty boughs of grand ancient oaks

adorned in lacy flowing grays

While elsewhere, stark exposed wood skeletons

lay perishing in creeping graveyard from salt and sea

enormous roots imitate fractured branches jutting skyward

ghostly stoic fascination

Bundled historic tall-tale buildings with elegant checkered past

view dots of distant cargo, luxury and fishing ships

dozens of pelicans lined in graceful flight

glide each evening in wistful, silent dusky light

From peppered balcony, salty wooden tables overlook worn pier

where local fishermen with romping, curious children

laugh, play, position poles and hope to reel in

and grill daily tasty minions

Turtle-slow, quaint and simple

topped with tart key lime green pie

sudden rumble, flash and downpour, then momentary drizzle

unpretentious life on Jekyll

Janice Harten 4 May 2025