Acceptance II

 

As time seems to accelerate

in these older years,

my attachment to life

has strengthened.

Of course there is

a sense of aching in my heart,

like things could start

to unravel in the next ten years.

However, at seventy-eight,

my current grip on life

feels firm and confident,

like when I'm lifting weights.

Or running wooded trails, or the beach.

Or playing tennis and pickleball.

Or swimming in the ocean.

Or hiking in the mountains.

Or photographing nature

all over this beautiful country.

Or Writing outdoors 

in numerous locations.

A working combination of

adaptability, and perseverance.

Acceptance and gratitude

for my abundant blessings.

© 2025 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy: "Acceptance" - October 23, 2023

Photo Locations:

1. Canyonlands National Park - Utah

2. Kauapea Beach - Kauai, Hawaii (12-22-05)

3. Angels Landing Trail - Zion National Park - Utah

4. White Sands National Park - New Mexico

5. Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

Into the Silence

 

I'm yearning, again,

for a walk in the wild.

Another rigorous hike

on the shoulder

of a mountain.

A place to avoid voices,

escape the noise,

and vanish

into the silence.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

1. West Elk Wilderness - Colorado

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

Path of Time

 

There are others

just ahead of me

on this path of time.

I observe them discreetly;

watching their gait,

their growing caution

with everyday movements.

Taking mental notes,

imagining myself

five or ten years older;

Will I still be running?

Will my mind be lucid?

My eyes strong enough to read?

This journey I am on,

no matter my age,

will always convey one

perennial theme:

Forever gratitude to God

for the incomparable

gift of life.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Castle Valley, Utah

2. West Elk Wilderness - Colorado

Open Spaces

From the sagebrushed flats,

through the red-stoned canyons,

over the junipered plateaus,

and into the forested mountains,
I crave these open spaces.

These wild places
where Western light
colors the atmosphere,
brings the very air alive.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

2. Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Arizona

3. Flaming Gorge - Utah

4. West Elk Mountains - Colorado