reflection, reverence

Experiencing the grace
which urges me to share.

Reaching out to touch
the hand of the creator.

Speaking for the mute of creation,
giving voice to the inanimate.

Seeking to make the ordinary
extraordinary.

Using the tools of time:
patience, curiosity,
concentrated awareness,
and focused attention,

I give the honor and glory to God,
and praise his holy name
for his marvelous works;
through recognition,
reflection, reverence,
and prayers filled 
with gratitude,
for the rhythm
of language,
for allowing 
this poem
to be 
born.

© 2016 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Bear Creek - Townsend Park - Kent County, Michigan
2. Naples Botanical Garden - Naples, Florida
3. Snake River - Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

The Cross

"The cross is a reminder of the greatest sacrifice love has ever made."

"The cross of Christ is more than the wood His body was nailed to 2,000 years ago. It's more than a symbol, on churches or jewelry, of what Jesus did for us. The cross we carry must be a consciousness of the debt we owe God and the willingness to live -- or die-- for Him."

~ Ann-Margret Hovsepian 

from: In Touch Ministries March 25, 2016 by Charles Stanley

Photo Locations:

1. Art Prize - Art Prize 2014 - Grand Rapids, Michigan 

2. Our Lady of Light Catholic Community - Estero, Florida

Walking Before Dawn

Walking before dawn,
my heart must be stilled
as I contemplate the end of night.

Walking before dawn,
these woods must be filled
with birds waiting for the light.

© 2016 Richard Havenga 

Photo Locations: Home Woods

How These Words Became a Poem

They didn't form as slowly
as wood grain grows in trees.

They didn't appear instantly,
like a reflection on rippling water.

Some arrived while waiting
for late spring lilacs.

Others were surrounding me,
waiting to be recognized,
like the soft sound 
of summer breathing.

Ideas turned quietly
inside my head,
like our planet turns
silently in space.

Inspiration, 
craving expression,
came from God
speaking in silence,
like a candle flame. 

© 2016 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Pickerel Lake Park - Kent County, Michigan

2. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

3. South Dakota

4. NASA

5. Our Lady of Light Catholic Church - Estero, Florida