Persuasion

This iridescent 
cloth of clouds;
pastel linen sheets 
draped over the vault of sky,
folded by invisible winds,
covering this day
with soft shade
and the persuasion
of sleep.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

The Painted Desert - Arizona

Found Poetry 4

Often, when I'm reading prose, (usually creative non-fiction and nature-related essays) I discover during the re-reading, that certain passages sound very much like poems. I know this is nothing remarkable to writers and discerning readers, but it occurs frequently in my reading. This is my fourth example of "Found Poetry"...

"For our soul's health, we need to take -- or make -- these moments of stillness, when we can let the world of nature, and of nature's Creator, speak to us in our interior world."
~ Luci Shaw  

from: Water Lines New and Selected Poems © 2003


Photo Location:

Sierra Vista, Arizona


You may also enjoy:

Found Poetry 3 ~ December 9, 2019

Found Poetry 2 ~ October 3, 2016

Found Poetry ~ May 18, 2015

Mystery

Contemplate the mystery
of this temporary existence.

The vast blue dome of day
mottled with marvelous clouds .

The black curtain of night
spangled with innumerable stars.

The incomprehensible feeling
of going home again
from whence we came. 

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Rock Point, Arizona

2. Catalina, Arizona

Watching Wind

When a sudden breeze
skitters over calm water,
silvering the surface,
briefly wrinkling 
the glass of the lake,
I am able to track
the course of the wind,
trace its path 
as it ruffles the water.

Another unexpected pleasure;
watching wind.

This small gift,
moving with swift grace,
carrying brief enchantment,
capturing the eyes of the watcher. 

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. & 2. Reeds Lake - East Grand Rapids, Michigan

3. Huyser Lake - Cannonsburg State Game Area - Cannonsburg, Michigan

 

Carrying Dawn

Waves of light
carrying dawn
crest over the earth;
washing away
yesterday's worries,
delivering a new day.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan 

Riding Clouds

Clumps of clouds
cling to to each other.
Mingle and merge
along their soft borders.
Drift en masse 
with atmospheric winds.

In my imagination,
I ride these clouds;
looking with admiration
at the green earth,
this familiar landscape,
and the geography of hope. 

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Arizona

2. Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

3. Bluff, Utah

Riversong

Assisted by gravity,
the fluid force
of this mountain stream
surges with conviction.

Flowing freely
between its banks;
fringed with firs
and spruce and pine.

Tanagers and warblers
sing by her side.
Dippers dip and plunge
in her current. 

This is where
I most belong.
Listening to
the riversong.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Arkansas River - Buena Vista, Colorado

2. Elk River - Steamboat Springs, Colorado

3. & 4. Taylor River - Almont, Colorado

Silk

The soft silk of dusk
slides slowly 
down the shoulders of evening,
diminishing the colors of day.

A comfortable darkness
fills the space
between our words;
welcomes warm contact
between our bodies.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: 

1. Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

Eyes of the Heart

Like ribbons of silk
weaving the landscape,
rivers and streams
attract my attention,
captivate my senses.

The pure, natural sound
from this mountain stream
draws me close enough
to hear the clear voices
of angels singing. 

I approach the threshold
of the great mystery;
seeing with eyes
of the enlightened heart,
absorbing His grace into my soul.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

2. Arkansas River - Buena Vista, Colorado

3. Taylor River - Gunnison National Forest - Colorado