Still 2

I still cultivate the curiosity
that carried me through childhood.

Eyes still filled with
wonder and astonishment. 

Heart still filled with
gratitude for all creation.

Soul still filled with
creativity from the Holy Spirit.

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Prothonotary Warbler - Kalamazoo River - Michigan

2. Caterpillar of Monarch Butterfly ~ Luton Park - Rockford, Michigan

3. Bull Elk in the velvet ~ Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

4. Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

Crown of Purity

How many years
of patient waiting,
of staying alive
in the dark water,
in the cold mud
at the 
bottom of the lake...

How many seasons
did it take to break
the smooth surface
of the lake?

To generate this 
explosion of white?

After enduring the burial...
we witness

this resurrection,
this crown of purity,
this celebration of life.

© 2019 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy: "The Promise II" ~ July 2, 2014


Photo Locations:

1, 2, & 3. Pickerel Lake Park - Kent County, Michigan

4. & 5. Lilley Lake - Newaygo County, Michigan

6. Fleischman Park - Naples, Florida

lavender

silhouette of elms

lavender tint to morning

welcome rising sun

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

Boulder Creek Golf Club - Kent County, Michigan

The Hereford Frolic

old mama cows stare

spring returns to the pasture

the Hereford frolic

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Grattan Township - Kent County, Michigan

Reading the Clouds

Throughout the day,
he took time
to look up;

to read the clouds,
to sense the dome of blue
that surrounded him.

New creations
painted daily on the sky.

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Tin Cup, Colorado

2. Flathead Lake - Big Arm, Montana

3. Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

4. SaddleBrooke, Arizona

Benediction

I witness the benediction
of rain upon the land.
Holy water sprinkled
from giving clouds.

Spring wildflowers
bending with the breeze
resemble time passing by,
resemble blessings received.

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

2. Townsend Park - Kent County - Michigan

The Open Door

Please open the door
of this poem
and enter
the natural world.

It waits for your
presence to offer you
presents that resonate
with life.

Feel the attraction
pulling your heart.
Trust the direction 
you are being led.

Feel the texture
inviting your touch.
Trust the direction
you are taking.

Feel the grace
infusing your soul.
Accept the blessings
you are given daily.

Feel the current
carrying your life.
Experience the journey
beyond the open door. 

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Truckton, Colorado

2. Petrified Forest National Park - Arizona

3. Elk River - Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Lichens

the texture and the

topography of lichens

color rocks and trees

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Dinosaur National Monument - Colorado

2. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Seeds of Worship

The life inserted
into these trees
began as small seeds:

acorns, samaras,
nuts of all kinds;

created in spring or autumn,
taken down by gravity,
twirling on a breeze,
stashed by animals,
fruit from the trees,

recreated each spring,
seedlings become saplings,
as seasons shift,
as years pass,

within their
seeds of worship
these trees
plant perpetual praise
into fertile soil.

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. The Havenga Farm - Grand Rapids Township - Kent County - Michigan

2. Wabasis Lake Park - Kent County - Michigan 

3. & 4. Findlay Cemetery - Ada Township - Kent County - Michigan

5. Boulder Creek Golf Club - Kent County - Michigan