overhead,
an enormous canvas
of pointillism.
scattered stars
splashed upon this
universal ceiling,
slowly turning
the pages
of the night.
another page turns
in this short
book of life.
then the sun rises,
puts a polish
on the morning.
a new view,
a new page,
time to live life.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
Photo Location: Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan
May you walk...
Around early winter ponds not yet frozen,
but accented in black and white.
On overcast days, under shades of gray,
dense with stratus.
On cross-country skis, along wooded trails,
deep with fresh powder.
On cold mornings among crystals clinging to arching grasses,
sparkling with frost.
Over round, white hills, rolling to the horizon,
smoothed with deep blankets of snow.
On winter lakes, sealed over with twelve inches of ice,
and ten inches of snow.
May you walk through the seasons of your life attentive and alert,
with a joyful sense of gratitude.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
In the black-and-whiteness
of leafless oaks,
January snow cover
becomes a blanket
insulating the teeming life
in the rich soil below.
An infinity of invertebrates,
millions of microbes,
billions of bacteria,
thriving in this
subterranean world.
Waiting to multiply faster
when the warmth of spring
penetrates the dark
underground.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
Photo Location: Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan
Quiet peace
settles into this moment,
carrying the sensation of wisdom.
Waiting patiently,
offering the sharp clarity
of perception,
these small particles
are still sparkling,
even while evaporating
from leaves of grass.
Light glistening
from fresh morning dew.
The Holy Spirit streaming
from within my soul,
onto this page.
Like inner landscapes
being revealed.
Like language
being shaped.
Like words dreaming
of becoming poetry.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
Photo Location:
Lowell Township - Kent County, Michigan