When I was a child,
a boy walking outdoors,
the meanings were faint,
but my eyes were large.
Then, as a young adult,
a man walking outdoors,
with focused awareness
and explicit intentions.
Now, an older man with a gentle spirit,
collecting images, gathering words,
sorting meaning into lines,
pursuing truth and beauty.
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Working to fill the page.
Seeking fulfillment.
Giving gratitude. Sharing.
Revealing the heart of a quiet poet.
© 2024 Richard Havenga
As the evening grows older,
a faint breath of cooler air
stirs the soft layers of leaves.
This slow passage of time
becomes a precious gift
for the attentive observer.
This one, gentle gesture
that motivates the poet
to capture the moment.
© 2024 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. Grattan Township - Kent County - Michigan
A poet always hopes
that the poem's words
will shine upon the page.
Be illuminated
by the early light
of a June morning.
Create a sense of rhythm,
like the wavelets
licking the sandy shore.
Or the whooshing, rushing music
of a mountain stream
dancing with boulders.
Perhaps a gentle breeze
lifting and lilting
tiers of new maple leaves.
To wed experience with imagination.
Imagery with ingenuity.
Vision with enhanced awareness.
© 2024 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. Home Sky - Cannonsburg, Michigan
2. Lake Michigan - Grand Haven State Park - Michigan
3. Arkansas River - Buena Vista, Colorado
This poet likes to be near
the color of water.
The sound of the rapids.
The smell of spring rain.
The prisms of morning dew.
The long, flowing rivers.
The expanse of the oceans.
To summon their influence.
To color the words.
© 2023 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. Pickerel Lake Park / Fred Meijer Nature Preserve - Cannonsburg, Michigan
2. North Fork Payette River - Idaho
3. Mount Tamalpais - California
Does fluency flow more freely
during the dark, silent night
than during the glare of daylight?
Are words more keenly felt
along musical mountain streams
than by broad, brown rivers?
I volunteer to be the poet
to evaluate various writing opportunities
in a variety of outdoor locations.
Here I go...
© 2022 Richard Havenga
Photo Location: Blackfoot River - Missoula, Montana
As a child, it was all about
rambunctious energy and play.
Now, in my mid-seventies,
I understand contentment.
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Running and tennis
still energize my body.
Writing and reading
still stimulate my mind.
I had never dreamed
of becoming a poet.
With nature always available,
I will never run out of content.
Writing poetry
makes me feel content.
© 2022 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
2. SaddleBrooke - Arizona
