Thursday, July 28, 2022

Rattle and Clack




An ambitious wind

pushes the stiff arms

of these tall palms.



Brittle fronds rattle and clack,

but are just flexible enough

to hold their folds

through another storm.



Resilient palms,

bearing their own hope.

© 2022 Richard Havenga




Photo Locations:

1. North Fort Myers, Florida

2. Catalina, Arizona

3. Estero, Florida



Monday, July 25, 2022

Scales

 


Has anyone ever witnessed

the precise second

when a microscopic scale

falls from a butterfly's wing,

because it brushed lightly

on the petal of a flower?



One minute scale among 

tens of thousands,

layered in layers,

flashing their colors,

reflecting the light.

© 2022 Richard Havenga







Photo Locations:

1. Viceroy - Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

2. Meadow Fritillary - Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

3. Tiger Swallowtail - Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan



Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Until

 

The meadowlark is silhouetted

in the dimming light of dusk.



I heard his musical song

sung for the last time today.


Then the silence of the night

embraced the spacious prairie.


Until the secretive crickets

started filing their raspy instruments.

© 2022 Richard Havenga


Photo Location:


Crow Indian Reservation - Crow Agency - Montana



Monday, July 18, 2022

Shades of Blue

 

From this wooden platform

high above Lake Michigan,



my eyes are scanning through

magnificent shades of blue.



Along this discernable

curvature of the earth,



the horizon's sharp, silver edge

is the threshold of heaven.

© 2022 Richard Havenga


Photo Locations:

1. 2. 3. Arcadia, Michigan



Thursday, July 14, 2022

Listen to the Quiet

 


When you reach the heart of the desert,

under the vast dome of blue sky,

and walk into the deep silence,

will you then feel the presence

of our Creator God?



Will you stand among the tall Saguaro

and feel small next to their height?

Will you be astonished

at the diversity of cactus species,

and how they survive in this arid land?

 


Can you abide the pure stillness?

Find comfort in tranquility?

Listen to the quiet?

© 2022 Richard Havenga



Photo Locations:

1. 2. 4. Catalina State Park - Tucson, Arizona

3. Saguaro National Park - Tucson, Arizona



Monday, July 11, 2022

Wading

 

Wading in the residue

of this world we now live in,

I try to keep my focus

on the world outdoors.



I much prefer wading in 

clear mountain streams

than the digital streaming

on the flooded internet.



Wading the shallows

of lakes and rivers,

Great Blue Herons survive

on patience and persistence.



God, please grant me these traits,

as I watch and witness 

with wonder and gratitude 

your countless gifts of creation. 

© 2022 Richard Havenga



Photo Locations:

1. Clark Fork River - Montana

2. Rogue River - RockfordMichigan

3. Blackfoot River - Missoula, Montana


Thursday, July 7, 2022

Contentment


As a child, it was all about

rambunctious energy and play.


Now, in my mid-seventies,

I understand contentment.



Running and tennis

still energize my body.



Writing and reading

still stimulate my mind.


I had never dreamed

of becoming a poet.


With nature always available,

I will never run out of content.


Writing poetry

makes me feel content.

© 2022 Richard Havenga



Photo Locations:

1. Key West - Florida

2. SaddleBrooke - Arizona



Monday, July 4, 2022

Petunia Moon

 

The long light of this wide morning

creates sharp shadows on the grass.


Until afternoon clouds grow into gray sheets

when shadow edges blur and disappear.



The faint breath of a warm breeze

waggles summer Petunias on the deck.


Then the sun will drop to end this day,

but the horizon light will linger longer.



And a new crescent moon 

will rise into the night. 

© 2022 Richard Havenga



Photo Locations:

1. Home Deck - Cannonsburg, Michigan

2. Home Sky - Cannonsburg, Michigan



Saturday, July 2, 2022

Independence Day

 

Here are five factors

that fortify our freedom

on Independence Day:



(left to right)

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Navy

U.S. Marines

U.S. Army

U.S. Coast Guard


God Bless the USA ! 


Photo Locations

1. Memorial Hill - Midway/Heber Valley, Utah

2. Rockford, Michigan