The faint, pink flush
growing on the horizon
of morning
draws me outside.
High in the Red Oaks,
crows are squabbling,
intermittently,
in the growing light.
Morning has broken,
and birdsong builds
into choirs of praise.
I can scarcely
take it in.
I want to absorb
my surroundings;
these vibrant birds,
this morning sky
holding the gibbous moon
that is fading into the day's light.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. Snake River - Grand Teton National Park
2. Home Woods
3. Goodwillie Environmental School - Forest Hills Public Schools - Ada, Michigan
4. Earth
I am
trying to hold
this moment
in time
with preserving words;
until you
can meet me here
just beyond the gate,
at this touchstone
of inspiration and faith,
where, upon reflection,
like water upon rock,
praise and gratitude meet
to become one.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
This morning breeze
whispers in the woods,
then the wind
becomes more ambitious
as a stratus blanket
grows in the northwest,
signaling a summer shower
coming soon.
Among the far-reaching branches
of Sugar Maples and White Oaks,
where sunlight touches their tips,
Redstarts are flitting
orange and black,
orange and black,
along the wall of green.
Just now a Veery.
A Veery!
Calling from within
the density of green.
I wait.
I listen.
He appears.
His sweet song
showers me
with grace notes.
I feel immersed
in a pool of serenity.
I want to take
all of this
with me,
and give it
to you.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
Listen to the call of the Veery from Cornell Labs:
Veery Call
Photo Locations: Wabasis Lake Park - Kent County - Michigan
windrows of alfalfa
and timothy grass
line the rolling hills
high summer sunshine
and soft, warm winds
gently stroke the leaves dry
making hay for horses
to taste next winter
when the winds are brittle
and the arc of the sun is low
© 2016 Richard Havenga
The wind sings with many voices.
Time passes swiftly without a sound.
We stand on our planet spinning silently in space.
Every day is full of quiet promise,
with more to see, more to discover,
more to admire in our sense of place.
All this time we wait for his return;
or to be carried from this world,
like a voice on the wind, by grace.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
For Mary; on our 45th Anniversary:
Together, we are looking
into the immeasurable night sky,
stunned by the incredible visibility.
Looking into the vastness of time,
feeling the immense impact
of the measured silence
that fills the space between stars.
To fill the space between us,
I slowly come behind you
and wrap my warmth around you.
No words are needed
as we treasure this time,
measuring the comfortable silence,
closing the distance between stars,
confirming the love between us.
© 2016 Richard Havenga
