Silky Summer Evening

 

A waxing crescent moon,

appearing yellow in a hazy sky,

is suspended in the

silky, summer evening.

It's time to watch for

the erratic flights of bats,

and the flashing green lights

of early fireflies.

Time to listen to

little Gray Tree Frogs

chuckle and chortle

from their hidden places.

Time to savor the pleasure

of these mellow summer evenings

that you dreamed of

during winter's cold grip.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Home Sky

2. Home Deck

3. Home Woods

Essence of Summer

 

I step onto the deck

this fine July morning

and a Carolina Wren

fills my ears with its

repertoire of joyful song.

Then on the front porch

the air is infused 

with the unforgettable

fragrance of Phlox.

Tall towers of Hollyhocks

stretch for the sun;

their cups of color

flaring like small trumpets.

Heavy humidity creates

brilliant diamonds of dew

clinging to blades of grass

that dazzle in the early sun.

Lovely, lavender Balloon Flowers

burst into five pointed petals

revealing a network

of deep purple veins.

From the field to our east,

the well-known scent

of fresh-cut hay

drying in windrows.

With senses alert,

I am blessed in this place,

absorbing the sensuous

essence of summer.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve - Fort Myers, Florida

2. 3. 4. & 5. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

6. Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

Voyage

 During these earthly years

that we have spent together

on this lovely planet;

I want to thank those readers

who have respected and accepted

my ventures to share what I feel

through this voyage of poetry.

I hope that some of my words

may have satisfied a longing

unveiled within your soul.

I will continue to press down

with this pen in my hand,

a good measure of love

and gratitude to the Giver.

 © 2022 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Home Deck ~ Cannonsburg, Michigan

Boundaries of Heaven

 

Some clouds shout out.

They're boisterous and bold.

Rounded mounds of cumulus.

Voluminous domes reflecting light.

Growing, gathering, surging

into masses of stark white.

Spacious and capacious,

filling the summer sky.

Billowing, bulging bundles

ascending the atmosphere.

A powerful performance;

an exceptional spectacle.

Approaching the 

boundaries of Heaven.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy: "Still 3" ~ December 16, 2021

Photo Locations:

1. Fort Myers, Florida

2. Pickerel Lake Park - Fred Meijer Nature Preserve - Kent County - Michigan

Inner Voice

 

There is a place inside yourself

where meaningful thoughts are trapped

and are seeking a way to escape.

If you enter this quiet chamber,

you will awaken the mystery of writing,

and find a way to share your words.

Your inner voice no longer hushed,

but confident, creative and true.

Your presence painted on the page.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - New Mexico

2. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Bouquet of Praise

 

Does your heart sing

each time you step outside on these

summer mountain mornings?

Do you feel like

you're in the presence

of a benevolent source?

When you discover beauty

in the outdoor world,

do you reflect and share?

Are you ready

to paint with words

a bouquet of praise?

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Mary ~ Crested Butte, Colorado

2. & 3. West Elk Mountains ~ Colorado

4. Sarah ~ Mount McKinnon ~ Utah

Reading the Future

 

When we hiked up this mountain trail,

and reached this elevation,

we were so much younger.

The long heat of July

blanketed the valley

in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Sarah took this photograph

with my Canon camera

and captured this warm moment.

We were together at the summit,

looking east into the distance,

as if we could read the future.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

Targhee National Forest - Idaho/Wyoming

The Promise

 

The unassuming bud

contains no envy

for the beauty of the blossom.

Rather, it consecrates.

Is honored to enclose its contents. 

To open the certainty of growth.

The promise of fulfillment.

The fulfillment of the promise;

like a mother giving birth.

The child being born.

A unique individual,

blossoming with promise.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. 2. 3. 4. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Fingers Dancing

 for Quyen:

Are we hearing music

streaming from Heaven

when you play the piano?

The silky smoothness

of song played

with color and light.

We watch the graceful movement

of your fingers dancing,

sliding across ebony and ivory.

I listen to your pure voice

with my eyes closed,

imagining the gates of Heaven.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: St. Patrick ~ Parnell