Words of Promise

 

I'm back here again

in my window chair,

trying to grow my morning poems;

some words of promise

on sunlight yellow paper.

Always praying for

a shower of inspiration,

just a sprinkle of imagination,

an aspiring germination

to grow into creation.

With roots probing

into the fertile soil,

absorbing nourishment,

seeking a firm foundation

in the beloved earth.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Home Library - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Opening Doors

Let me

open the door for you;

and together,

with me here in the present,

and you out there

in the future,

we can communicate

and appreciate

the beauty of nature;

God's magnificent creation,

as we sail

through our separate

and sublime

seasons of life.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations: 

1. St. Elmo, Colorado

2. DuBois, Wyoming

3. Fountain, Colorado

Vessel

 

Are you using

your time on this earth

to watch and wonder,

to wait for the next

miracle to occur

in your world?

Everyday,

you are surrounded

by the beauty and bounty in nature. 

Each day is an invitation

to give thankful praise

for God's creation.

You are a vessel  

waiting to be filled,

until it pours over with gratitude.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Shagbark Hickory - Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michiga

2. Pink Lady Slipper - A Kent County Park - Michigan

3. Thistle - Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

4. Santa Catalina Mountains - SaddleBrooke, Arizona

The Sun Has Warmed the Way

 

I spend the early morning hours

pulling poems into creation.

They arrive quietly,

and the poems that cooperate,

I massage into meaning. 

Hoping for spiritual significance

to become visible

between the words.

Like the purity of petals

on the spring-blooming Bloodroot

when the venous leaf

unfolds its grip

because the sun

has warmed the way.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations: Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

The Poetry of Water

 

It's difficult to translate

the meaning of words

the mountain stream carries

as it hurries through the canyon;

bashing big boulders,

splashing through the rapids.

Elsewhere, the poetry of water slows

and swirls into clear pools;

transparent with nuance,

tranquil with meaning.

I kneel for a closer look.

Fine grasses and golden sky light 

reflect on the smooth surface.

Through the clear lens of water

I examine the bottom of the pool

and read in the rippled sand

the words collected there:

Slow down. Be still.

Observe the smallest

contours of creation.

But this poem 

does not end

here.

© 2026 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Arkansas River - Buena Vista, Colorado

2. Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

3. Santa Catalina Mountains - Arizona

 

 

rsvp

 

My God sends me

frequent invitations

to open the door

and go outside.

I always rsvp, and bring along,

as the invitation requests,

the gift of my senses;

my awareness and appreciation

of his awesome creation.

© 2025 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Ada Township - Kent County - Michigan

2. Creede, Colorado

Reaching

 

Through the smallest

parts of creation,

God reaches out to you.

When  you reach down to touch

the soft petals of a flower

that is just opening,

you are showing gratitude

for these simple gifts

and touching the hand of God.

Nature's beauty is not essential.

It is grace, amplified

by the Creator.

© 2025 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Lafayette, Colorado

2. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

Guidelines for Poets

The necessity for solitude.

Sensitivity to your surroundings.

The significance of tranquility.

A reverent sense of place.

Awareness through all senses.

Recognition of the Spirit within.

The wonder of mystery.

A sincere love of nature.

Search for God's presence.

Pursue your curiosity.

Celebrate the seasons.

Write often. Revise more.

Honor the abundance of creation

with praise for the creator.

Gratitude. Every day, gratitude.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

1. Louisville, Colorado

 

God's Voice

 

God speaks to me without words:

In the spectacular inflorescence

of dependable, seasonal wildflowers.

The mist blowing off

the crest of ocean waves.

Through the sweet songs of birds

unraveled effortlessly.

The music playing in the rapids

of a rushing mountain stream.

The atmospheric light

dancing with sky, clouds and rain.

Beauty in nature is not essential, 

it's God's voice within gifts of creation.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

2. Sanibel Island - Florida

3. Cannonsburg State Game Area - Kent County - Michigan

4. Arkansas River - Buena Vista, Colorado

5. Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

Essence

"You whose essence is hidden while your gifts are manifest." ~ Rumi

Often overwhelmed

by your magnificent creation,

I seek the essence

of your presence in nature.

Amazed by the variety of life forms,

astonished by the miracles of growth,

I am filled with wonder

and blessed to be a witness,

as I try to express my gratitude 

to our Creator.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Balloon Flower - Home Garden - Canonsburg, Michigan

2. Hummingbird Moth on Wild Phlox - Home Garden.

3. San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area - Sierra Vista - Arizona

4. Small Skipper on Vetch - Home Fields

 

Expression

When you bring attention

to the intricate design,

beauty and diversity

of God's creation,

you become an expression

of His love for humankind.

By observing nature

like an artist

with focused awareness

and deep appreciation,

you become a part

of that creation. 

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Home Fields - Cannonsburg, Michigan

2. Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan

3. Home Garden - Cannonsburg, Michigan

contours

inside the contours

of his creation on earth

God hides while we seek

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

Point Reyes National Seashore - (Tomales Point) - California

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

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

soli gloria deo

 

God's gifts become visible

to those who pay attention.

When we witness the extraordinary

in ordinary days.

Motivated by curiosity,

awareness, and focus.

For the miracles in creation:

"soli gloria deo".

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Common Orange Daylily -Home Woods

2. & 3. Home Lawn

Reverent

 "I honestly think in order to be a writer, you have to learn to be reverent." 

~ Anne LaMott p.99 Bird by Bird © 1994

I truly believe

that you should be able

to find awe in every

day of your life.

That God is intrinsic

in all of his creation.

That the paying of your attention

results in a tremendous

return on investment.

So, reduce your screen time,

get outdoors, be present.

Try to remember

each sight, sound

and sensation.

Now,

take some time

to write.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

You may also enjoy "Inheritance" - March 10, 2022

Photo Locations:

1. Crested Butte, Colorado

2. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan

3. Fallasburg Park - Kent County - Michigan

4. Coronado Island - San Diego, California

5. Townsend Park - Kent County - Michigan

Crusader

 

Within each poem,

using my pen

and my camera,

I am leaving evidence

of a life lived outdoors,

as a lover of nature,

an advocate

for the astonishing

miracles of nature.

A crusader for God's creation.

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Home Garden (Scarlet Hibiscus) - Cannonsburg, Michigan