My Friend the Moon

 

The moon is like a living thing.

I give it much more attention

than the average human being.

It travels across the night sky,

and sometimes lingers in the daylight.

Appearing and disappearing.

Growing and shrinking.

Waxing and waning.

I anticipate her fullness,

rising after the sun has set.

I eagerly seek 

her first new crescent;

a sliver of silver,

and miss her when she's hidden

behind the overcast.

I photograph her in all her moods,

and write poems about her.

My friend the moon.

Worthy of reflection.

© 2025 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Home Sky - Kent County -  Michigan

2. North Fort Myers, Florida

3. SaddleBrooke, Arizona

4. Crooked Lake - Kent County - Michigan

5. Vero Beach, Florida

6. Home Sky - Kent County - Michigan

7. Bozeman, Montana 

How to Read Words

 

You are reading these words

as I have written them:

Transparent as Lake Superior's water.

Clear as the night sky in the desert.

Soft as the petals of Arizona's poppies.

Colorful as October woods in Michigan.

Generous as the ocean pushing onto the shore.

Fresh as spring daffodils in your garden.

Dependable as the seasons turning.

Striving as acorns aspire to become oaks.

© 2025 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Whitefish Point Bird Observatory - Upper Peninsula- Michigan

2. La Jolla, California

3. Wabasis Lake Park & Campground - Kent County - Michigan

Theatre in the Sky

 

The sky is a stage

with rapidly-changing sets

suspended above the earth and its

slowly-changing scenes.

A multiplicity of birds 

performs in the theatre of the sky.

Winged props suddenly appearing,

then flying offstage. 

A variety of clouds

make their appearance.

Expanding, contracting, diminishing,

passing on.

The backdrops and lighting

constantly changing.

I am privileged to be

in the premium seats.

A new script is written every day,

with brand new props

for an attentive audience

arriving in this arena.

I am eager for each performance;

ready for the change of scenery

when the curtain of dusk falls

and a new drama begins,

in the night sky.

© 2022 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Eagle Lakes Park - Naples, Florida

2. Colorado

3. Flathead Lake - Montana

4. Longmont, Colorado

5. Catalina, Arizona

Deep Silence

Under the depth
of the night sky,
deep silence
pressed upon us.

Not a word
was spoken.

Only soft breaths
of contentment
were dispersed
into the darkness.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Big Crooked Lake - Kent County - Michigan

2. Catalina, Arizona

Ocean of Sky

As I watch Orion
rise on the tide of night,
and sail slowly through
the vast ocean of sky,

a voice 
inside my soul
whispers:

"Soli gloria deo".

© 2019 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Catalina, Arizona

Roof of Stars

Each night,
before going to bed,
he stepped outside
to check the sky.

On clear nights
he would wait
under the roof of stars,
hoping to witness
a meteorite.

If one streaked
across his view,
he imagined it to be
a special message
from his son, 
waiting up there,
for him to join him.

© 2017 Richard Havenga

Between Us

For Mary; on our 45th Anniversary:


Together, we are looking
into the immeasurable night sky,
stunned by the incredible visibility.

Looking into the vastness of time,
feeling the immense impact
of the measured silence
that fills the space between stars.

To fill the space between us,
I slowly come behind you
and wrap my warmth around you.

No words are needed
as we treasure this time,
measuring the comfortable silence,
closing the distance between stars,
confirming the love between us. 

© 2016 Richard Havenga