A profound stillness
rests on the surface
of the lake.
It's as quiet
as these words
that dissolve slowly
as wispy strands of fog,
like spectral spirits
that rise into the morning,
and disappear
in the atmosphere,
leaving peace
on the water,
and serenity
in my soul.
© 2024 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. & 2. McCarthy Lake - Kent County - Michigan
3. Grand River - Kent County - Michigan
If you go outside often,
you could be blessed;
enclosed by the golden glow
and vibrant colors
of an October afternoon.
You could find a quiet place
to sit still, with empty hands
and wide open senses,
and allow the peace
of the present landscape
to enter your busy brain
and your hungry heart.
And after you inhale the silence,
and sense the serenity,
you will feel renewed;
knowing what is true,
and eager to carry it with you
inside your satisfied soul.
© 2022 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. 2. & 3. Townsend Park - Kent County - Michigan
Winter stars
shine through
the bare branches
of naked trees.
An ornamental moon
creates tree shadows
on crusty snow.
I stand in stunned silence,
embraced by the cold,
overwhelmed by serenity.
© 2021 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. Catalina, Arizona
2. Murray Lake - Kent County - Michigan
3. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan
When spring birdsong
begins to escalate
an hour after dawn,
you could be there to
appreciate the chorus.
When the calm morning
rises into a soft breeze
just enough to bend the reeds,
you could feel it
upon your skin.
When the sun
penetrates the canopy
and brightens the forest floor,
you could find a place to sit,
give thanks and meditate.
When the serenity you experience
lasts as long as you can stay,
you could take the light with you;
carry it along your path, to others,
like a treasured, transparent gift.
© 2021 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. Indigo Bunting ~ Cannonsburg State Game Area - Kent County - Michigan
2. McCarthy Lake - Kent County - Michigan
3. & 4. Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan
