After the Rain

After the rain,
the first spears of sunlight
shimmer on the water,
dazzle the landscape.

Words are too weak,
language inadequate
to express the lure
that captivates me.

I must get outside
and engage my camera
to capture the attractions
in my country setting.

Perhaps later,
I could polish a poem
that will shine with luster

like these raindrops do
on this sweet clover,
on these leaves of grass,
after the rain.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Pickerel Lake - Kent County - Michigan

2. Home Fields - Cannonsburg, Michigan

3. Home Fields - Kent County - Michigan

May You Walk III

May you walk along summer gardens colorful with birds and blooms.

May you walk along shady riverbanks of slow current 
with fish feeding at the smooth surface.

May you walk through native prairies tall with coneflowers. 

May you walk along rural roads beside fields 
rich with topsoil growing soybeans and corn.

May you walk after rain in warm meadows
fresh with sweet clover.

May you walk along the edge of dense woods 
with Staghorn Sumac clustering yellow-green.

May you walk during dusk, when columns of cumulus 
are illuminated by the sun already set.



May you walk through the seasons of your life attentive and alert, 
with a joyful sense of gratitude.

© 2015 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy:

May You Walk - February 7, 2014

May You Walk II - January 12, 2015

Photo Locations:

1. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

2. Rock River - Grand Detour, Illinois

3. St. Mary's Quarry/Prairie Restoration - Dixon, Illinois

4. Lee County, Illinois

5. & 6. Grattan Township - Kent County, Michigan

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

Soft Parade

Traveling
along this trail of words,
alert among present circumstances,
looking
into secret chambers
of spring wildflowers.

The red and yellow crowns
of Wild Columbine,
and the perky
Blue Flag Iris,
its feet wading
the edge of wetlands.

Wild Geraniums and Honeysuckle
of May
begin to fade away
as Sweet Clover 
and Cinquefoil
take the June stage.

Walking outdoors through
transitions and transformations,
noticing
continuous changes,
daily differences,
miracles by the moment.

Will you witness
this pageant of natural beauty?
Will you observe
this procession of creation?
Will you join this
soft and silent parade?

Is there time
in one of your days
to follow 
this trail of words,
to enter 
these secret chambers? 

© 2015 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy: Woodland's Royal Crown June 8, 2012  - also about Wild Columbine.