Praying

 

When I pray,

I try to quiet my mind

and concentrate

on God's presence.

Then, humbling myself

with deep respect,

I give sincere thanks

for His incredible creation,

and wait patiently

for the Holy Spirit

to stir my soul

with inspiration,

to accept and embrace 

who I am called to be,

seeking guided navigation

from obscurity into purpose,

to be ready

to accept His message

and show gratitude

through my writing.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

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

2. Ada Township - Kent County - Michigan

3. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

4. Home Road - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Song of Our Lives

 

The river of time flows endlessly,

carries the song of our lives in our place.

Will you sing of the blessings

you've been granted through grace?

Will the list be so long

that your complaining is replaced

with gratitude for life, and 

precious time in your space?

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Snake River - Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

2. Columbia River - Hood River, Oregon

3. & 4. Grand River - Kent County - Michigan

Voice of the Desert

 

The air and the light

create serenity.

A quiet calm permeates

the atmosphere.

The voice of the desert

speaks with a dry whisper.

I listen attentively,

ready for illumination.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Florence, Arizona

2. Picacho Peak State Park - Arizona 

Now

 

This new day dawning

is ours to cherish now.

A Mourning Dove's soft syllables

are drifting down from the spruce.

Light fog is being nudged off the lake

by a gentle morning breeze.

Along arching stems, Bleeding Hearts

are dangling pink valentines.

Afternoon cumulus are forming, 

growing, bulging into blue skies.

 A soft summer sun is settling into

Lake Michigan's broad horizon.

These words are finding 

their own trail across the page.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Canon Township - Kent County - Michigan

2. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

3. Parnell, Michigan

4. Grand Haven State Park - Michigan 

Airborne

 

I would think that

the wing muscles of angels

would get tired from being

constantly airborne.

Apparently, they never rest;

with all the protective services

they provide for the living,

keeping people out of trouble.

They seem instantly available

whenever you have a

close call with danger.

Their anticipation is amazing.

Even when they're down here,

say on the head of a pin,

they are still in continual motion,

dancing away on that tiny space.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

Grand Rapids Art Prize ~ 2013 ~ DeVos Hall

Sky Stage

 

Every day, the sky is a stage.

A different performance

each time you take time

to be a witness.

Cirrus. Stratus. Cumulus.

With many varieties in each family.

And multiple combinations.

Always changing. Always moving.

I hope you always have

a good view of the sky stage,

or have the freedom

to find one.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Cottonwood Pass - Colorado

2. Oro Valley, Arizona

3. Buena Vista, Colorado

4. Parnell, Michigan

Dear God

 

Dear God:

Please cultivate in me

a giving heart,

a gentle spirit,

and a mind nourished

with wonder and curiosity.

Help me praise you every day

by being a witness

to the astonishing miracles

in your always new creation,

and to share with others

what you've helped me discover.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. & 3. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

2. Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

February

 

After weeks of snow and overcast,

brilliant blue sky returns in February.

The ice on the lakes is silent,

buried under a crusty snow.

Although it's below zero and calm,

it feels good to breathe crystalline air,

to withstand the biting cold,

and absorb winter sunshine.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan

2. McCarthy Lake - Kent County - Michigan

3. Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan