Monday, June 25, 2012

Sky Touching Earth


stiffly brittle
yucca standing firm
resisting persistent
winds rattling
rack of pods
above coarse
sword leaves
enduring slow burial
under white sand
horizon perfectly
curving along
sky touching earth
©  2012  Richard Havenga




Photo Location:   

White Sands National Monument,  (White Sands) Alamogordo,  New Mexico





8 comments:

  1. Hey Dad, I love this poem! The image of "sky touching earth" is so powerful, it stays in my mind long after reading it.

    Keep 'em coming!

    Love,

    Sarah

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  2. And what a gorgeous "horizon perfectly curving along sky touching earth." So full of contours, contrasts,textures,and even the sound of the dry rattle of pods in the wind, captured in your poem and photograph....Cynthia

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  3. I've been thinking much of horizons lately. Beautiful, Richard.

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  4. Thank you Sarah.

    I truly enjoyed the writing process on this poem, and feel it's my best one in WWFN. Haiku is fun to write, but sometimes it feels like there is so much more to say.

    During my fourth revision, I still had "sky meets earth", then I saw all the ing-verb endings, and came up with that ending.

    Studying the photo intensely and being patient, helped the words arrive and find their place.

    Love,

    Dad

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  5. Cynthia:

    I worked hard to capture that photograph, and felt it could become something special.

    You know about the yucca in the Southwest; the rattling pods, and the saw-tooth edge on those sword leaves.

    But the way those curves on the sand dune hills meet; one merging into the other, that's what my eye keeps coming back to.

    Thanks for your specific and lovely response.

    Richard

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  6. Emily:

    Are you back from France now? I've missed your encouraging words. You must have a treasury of ideas to write about from your journey.

    Thanks for your gracious response.

    Richard

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  7. Rich
    I loved climbing those dunes and watching you capture God's beauty in nature. Poem is exquisite!

    Mary

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  8. Mary:

    That time with you in "White Sands" was magical. Remember how the immense quiet embraced us?

    Thanks for always being my travel and hiking companion, and thank you for your patience while I tried to photograph God's awesome creation.

    Love,

    Rich

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