Knowing When

 

Please read these words

slowly.

They arrived after careful,

purposeful searching.

Some people say that writing

is not work,

but writers know 

the work of writing.

Occasionally, but rarely,

the words pour down,

like a sudden, summer

thundershower.

But most of the time

the words arrive slowly,

like the gradual, daily growth

of new leaves in the spring.

Writing requires patience, persistence,

and perceptive discernment,

to know when

you have it right.

Knowing when

it's done.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Bird Island, North Carolina

2. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Emerging Voice

 

The reader meets the writer

on the page or on the screen.

And within that relationship

a significant bond is formed.

A learning, an understanding,

a shared emotion, an insight.

Sharing distinct imagery through

a unique blending of words.

Experience joins imagination.

Awareness enhances vision.

The interior voice

has emerged to be heard.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

Lake Michigan @ Wilderness State Park - Mackinaw City, Michigan

Gracious

 

I pray

that my poems

will express

what I'm trying to say.

And not fly around erratically

like a Painted Lady butterfly,

or like  Little Brown Bats

darting and diving in the dusk.

I would prefer

that my poems

rise softly, subtly,

and surely, like the dawn.

Then illuminate

my readers

like the morning light

on jeweled prisms of dew.

And in the reading

perhaps feel my hand

on your shoulder

offering encouragement.

And know that

I want to share 

my feelings of  gratitude

with you.

For one of the gifts

of the writer,

is the presence

of a gracious reader.

© 2022 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Home Fields - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Temporary

Like the soft linen
of newly-formed clouds,
when I arrange words on a page,
I'm not always sure of the source.

I let them find each other,
and gather into tentative groups,
like the temporary lives 
of mountain wildflowers.

Perhaps my words will pulsate
with warmth inside your heart
like the brief  glow of evening
on a slow moving river.

Or, maybe fresh new words
will surprise the writer;
words hidden just beyond
the next bend in the road.

Or, the words could identify with
the feeling of acute awareness
that you notice when the wind
temporarily stops. 

© 2022 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Tucson, Arizona

2. Columbine ~ Telluride, Colorado

3. Grand River - Grand Rapids, Michigan

4. Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Hearts and Bones

You know how the words
inside the body of a poem
can pulse with rhythm
and resonate with music;

how they frame the 
experience of the poet;
how the words carry
the presence of place
into your mind;
and carry you 
into the mystery?

This is the work of words:

Constructing meaning.
Creating a connection
between writer and reader.

Sharpening your senses.
Igniting your imagination.

Entering your hearts
and your bones.

© 2019 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy this post about Writing: "Harvest" ~ October 27, 2014



Photo Locations: 

Home Perennial Gardens - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Bleeding Hearts - Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Something to Keep ~ Something to Give Away

I'm watching the wind
instruct an infinity of leaves.
Seeing the water move
as the wind teaches it.
Observing the sunlight
dancing with silver clouds.

Please come along with me,
so I may help you hold
these moments in time.
Preserving for you
the power of a poem
which you can share,
and return to again,
and again.

Begun in self-expression
as an extension of my aging self,
now offered with humility:

this new invitation
to recognize the evidence
of the Spirit within you.

Igniting your curiosity
and desire to witness
the natural world,
and to enter this 
meeting ground
between writer and reader.

Walking through and living in
this holy realm of creation.
Meditating within 
this lyrical landscape.
Offering you something to keep,
something to give away.

© 2017 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy: Wind Song ~ June 8, 2016

Photo Location:

1. Council Bluffs, Iowa 

Walter Wangerin Jr.

"As a writer, I think it is my job to seek God in the common things; indeed, to believe that God is already in the common things ahead of and outside of me. This happens in three ways: first of all, to see the glory of God in the world, to perceive it, to find it,  sometimes to be stunned by the discovery of it when I hadn't been looking well enough. Second, having perceived it, to acknowledge it, to salute it, to be aware of it, to know it, to dance with it, to think about it, to engage with it — and having engaged with it, to give that glory back to God. The third part involves writing — or maybe I should say praise. Ultimately, it is my job to praise." 

~ Excerpt from: "Glory into Glory" presented at the "Festival of Faith and Writing" at Calvin College - Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2000.

Next event: Festival of Faith and Writing - April 14 - 16, 2016   @ Calvin College

Photo Location: Grand Detour, Illinois 

Two Years @ WWFN

April 2, 2012 is the day I began my adventure into blogging. "Walk With Father Nature" is now two years old. I cannot believe the attention that WWFN has received. 

I never dreamed I would write this much, for this long. I had no idea I would create so many poems, Haiku, and creative non-fiction pieces. 

Over 325 posts have been published here, as of today's date. Over 200,000 page views have been recorded. I wish to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the viewers: 

• Visitors from 123 countries. 
• Hundreds of new acquaintances from around the United States. 
• 2,000 + connections from LinkedIn who are:
•  Bloggers, Writers, Poets, Artists, Photographers, Editors, Publishers, Authors, Teachers, Administrators, Professors, CEOs, and Naturalists. 
• Many Home School families are looking at WWFN regularly. 
• And of course I sincerely appreciate the support of family members. 

My dear wife, Mary knows the time I invest into every post; searching for ideas, composing, writing, revising, revising, and revising until I am satisfied with the results. She knows about the planning, work, time, travel, endurance and patience involved in collecting photographs acceptable for this venue. I work hard to match the words to my photographs; or the photographs to my words.

My awesome daughter, Sarah, a Writer herself, has been a devoted "Follower", composing eloquent responses to my posts, and is a constant source of encouragement for her "Daddy".

Many people on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and those in my Circles, "Like" the Nature Photography that they see there. I assume you are all visiting the actual site at WWFN, and not merely "liking" it on FB, etc. I would like to see more discussions about the writing, the poetry, the learning... here at WWFN. I will reply to all of your comments. 

I also encourage you to check out the WWFN Archives: 2012-2014. Select a year, then select a month. Explore around through the seasons. 

You will of course notice the "Viewers' Favorites" column with every post. These may be subtitled: "Last 7 Days", "Last 30 Days", or "All-Time Favorites". 

You and your friends are encouraged to subscribe to WWFN with your Email to receive new posts as they are published. If you wish to write to me directly, you may go to my Google website: click here» Richard L. Havenga for my Email.

Also, click on any topics from the "Topics" section that appeal to you. There are hundreds to choose from: A to Z. I see I haven't used the letter X yet. 

Look over the "Readers' Comments" in the sidebar. Perhaps yours will be in there someday.

Remember my mission statement is always at the top of every post. I will continue to Give the Glory to God for this opportunity, this blessing, to share His creation in words and photographs. 

 Many viewers at WWFN have asked: "Richard, what are your favorites?"  From posts over the past 12 months (only), I've tried to narrow it down to 12 of my  favorite posts. Click on a few of these now, a few later this week, and please come back often to explore for more.

You may wish to compile your own list, then write a comment telling me what you like and why. Thank you very much for your participation. I promise to respond. 

Here are my personal favorites. Please click on the titles that appeal to you:

Only Silence Remains - October 14, 2013

The Same Sun - August 5, 2013

You - February 5, 2014

The River Dancing - January 20, 2014

Journey of a Journal - April 2, 2013

Willow's Shadow - September 9, 2013

A Wing and a Prayer - July 8, 2013

When - July 31, 2013

Silver Bells - Silver Prayers - December 30, 2013

The Way - March , 2014

Unspoken - September 30, 2013

Aspen Fire - October 21, 2013


May I please add a few of my favorite Haiku?

Willow Leaf - July 27, 2013

White on Blue - March 3, 2014

Gold Rings - July 11, 2013

Heron Sleeps - August 10, 2013



Readers:

I want you to know that I pray daily to God for the Holy Spirit (within) to inspire me to write. 

I truly and sincerely appreciate you being here at WWFN for these two years. I am blessed and motivated by your presence. Please help me to grow and sustain this blog by passing WWFN along to your friends and family. 

Gratefully,

Richard Havenga



Please note: 

April 2, 2014 is also Aaron's (would-be) 39th Birthday. Aaron is our only son. We still think of him every day. See "Journey of a Journal" above.

Nature Writers

 

 

 

 

Nature Writers

 

 

"Traveling to a strange new landscape is a kind of romance. You become intensely aware of the world where you are, but also oblivious to the rest of the world at the same time. Like love, travel makes you innocent again.


My mind will become a cyclone of intense alertness, in which details present themselves slowly, thoroughly, one at a time. I don't know how to describe what happens  to me when I'm out in 'nature' and 'working'-- it's a kind of rapture -- but it's happened often enough that I know what to expect.


But my prose now seems to locate me among a small tribe often referred to as nature writers. How curious that label is, suggesting as it does that nature is somehow separate from our doings, that nature does not contain us, that it's possible to step outside nature, ... Still, the label is a dignified one, and implies a pastoral ethic that we share, a devotion to the keenly observed detail, and a sense of sacredness. There is a way of beholding nature that is itself a form of prayer."





Excerpt from:

 The Moon By Whale Light   (The Moon By Whale Light)

 by  Diane Ackerman  c 1991

Keep a Journal - Preserve a Life

If you've always wanted to keep a journal, all you need to do is START! Once you start, it's easier to keep going.

Just like the scroll-down bar as you keep filling the box with text, it keeps giving you more space to write. The more you put into it, the more room you're given. So pour your life into a container that's ever-expanding: a journal. Your Journal. With a capital J.

Since I have had a long and deep love for the land, my Journal contains that love. Of course love of my God, and love of my family are absolutely in there; with deep intensity. But here, I mainly want to write about Nature Journals.

To "Keep a Journal", the writer must obviously keep writing. After four to six weeks of intermittent entries, you may enter a crucial time. You may not have time, or may not feel like writing for days at a time. It's important not to slack off now. Do not coast. Do not stop writing. You must pass "GO" and keep going. Take another lap.

Persist. You need to reach that point where you say to yourself, "I didn't write today, but I do have something to say. I need to write. I want to write. I will write today."

Once you are writing again, you become engaged. The mere act of writing will bring things into perception that you didn't see coming. Then it will flow better, and you can ride the current; follow the stream where it takes you.



Getting Started - Some Basics

Pay attention.          Slow down.          Be still.          Become aware.

Four, simple, two-word thoughts. Simple ideas that can generate good journal content.

PAY ATTENTION
Try to notice something new each day and every day. Observe and note the details. A weed may become a soft blue wildflower unfolding. An insect may be a darting dragonfly snatching up mosquitoes.

SLOW DOWN
Get up earlier. Before you get into your car, step outside. Check the sky, notice the clouds. Enjoy the sunrise. Appreciate your garden. Take an early morning walk.

BE STILL
Leave early for your destination so you can have time to stop if you see a doe with her fawn; a stunning display of lightning; a turtle by the side of the road; be alert for a possible rainbow.

BECOME AWARE

Look for colors; how many shades of green? Notice how light plays with shadows or plays on the water. Watch the wind patterns on the surface of a lake. Listen. What bird is that? Poplar (Aspen) leaves are trembling in a light breeze. Inhale the fragrance of Common Milkweed flowers. Feel the atmosphere around you. Be alert and apply the gifts of your senses.



Thoughts on Composition

Make an effort to find words that mean something. Words that will shape a sensory image.

Be specific. Don't settle for the ordinary. Fight through the barrier of commonly-used words. Search with patience for exactly what you need to bring your experience to life.

Seek verbs that strengthen your sentences. Provide power to your prose with active verbs.

Isolate fragments of time. Focusing intently could amplify a common event into a vivid memory.



Thoughts on Material

To provide material for daily entries and future ideas to write about, I always carry a pen in my pants front pocket and small (3" X 3") pieces of scrap paper in my back pocket. I jot down notes about something I want to remember. At my age this is necessary. At any age, it is helpful.

I use them in the car, on a walk, in church, at the library, at a friend's house, while doing yard work, when I have an idea in the middle of the night, listening to song lyrics, at an art show, at the theatre, after an engaging conversation, and definitely while reading a book.

When you realize an event or incident is worthy of your Journal, take notes or begin writing soon after it occurs. This will help you record sharp details with clarity, and get down the vibrant verbs immediately.



Thoughts on Observation

Try to achieve completeness in your observations. Stay longer. Examine carefully. Question. Investigate. Wonder.

Employ all your senses: Look. Listen. Smell. Feel. Taste.

I've noticed on my walks outdoors, that if I have my camera along, I see more, notice more. I have focused attention. Plus, the camera brings my eye closer, especially with a macro lens.

Let your eyes linger longer. Try different viewpoints. Circle around, see from different angles -- sun behind, into the sun, side view, above your subject, below (if possible), on the ground. Squint.

Walk at different times of the day. Especially early morning and late evening, when the sunlight streams in at low angles. Dawn and dusk create special moods, and it's usually quieter.

Don't forget to get out under the night sky. Be aware of the moon's phases, its place in the sky. Learn to recognize a few constellations, their locations, where the planets should be this time of year.

Become a skywatcher during the day. Clouds form patterns, drift, build, diminish, sweep, swirl, thicken, stretch, twist, roll, gather, evaporate, pile, bulge, droop, dangle, and threaten. Clouds scatter, filter, dull, mask, diffuse, radiate, and color the light.



Thoughts on Consistency

Keep your Journal up to date.

Keep it active and fresh.

Keep it with you.

Keep it going.

Keep it.



Final Thoughts

Pour everything you have into your Journal. There will always be room for more. Don't save something for a later time. Spend it all. Spend it now. Someday it will give back to you in unexpected ways, in memories saved, a life preserved.

Decades from today you can reread your Journal. Share it with your grandchildren, if you are blessed to have them.

When you are very old, your grown children may need to read it back to you. Then your old words will wash over you with a renewed and gentle grace.









To my loving wife, Mary:    "You and I have memories, longer than the road that stretches out ahead."    (Paul McCartney)