Into the Silence

 

I'm yearning, again,

for a walk in the wild.

Another rigorous hike

on the shoulder

of a mountain.

A place to avoid voices,

escape the noise,

and vanish

into the silence.

© 2024 Richard Havenga

Photo Location:

1. West Elk Wilderness - Colorado

Prairie Voices

 

Out here on the lonely plains,

smoothed hills roll

along the horizon.

The prairie wind

sings a plaintive song

through miles of fence lines.

Voices from the past;

homesteaders and ranchers,

can be heard

in the rusting blades

of these remnant

windmills. 

© 2023 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Plains, Kansas

 

Eyes of the Heart

Like ribbons of silk
weaving the landscape,
rivers and streams
attract my attention,
captivate my senses.

The pure, natural sound
from this mountain stream
draws me close enough
to hear the clear voices
of angels singing. 

I approach the threshold
of the great mystery;
seeing with eyes
of the enlightened heart,
absorbing His grace into my soul.

© 2020 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

2. Arkansas River - Buena Vista, Colorado

3. Taylor River - Gunnison National Forest - Colorado

Voice of the Winter Wind

Ribbons of cold wind
curl the ice-gray surface
of the lake in January. 

The voice of the water 
is lost under the voice 
of the winter wind.

Photo Locations:

1. & 3. McCarthy Lake - Kent County - Michigan

2. Thornapple River - Ada Dam - Kent County - Michigan

4. Pickerel Lake Park - Kent County - Michigan

Green Mansions

I walk into these woods;
green upon green,
shade upon shade,
under a summer canopy,
inside a living tapestry,
with Spirit voices singing:

"In my father's house
are many mansions." 
~ John 14:2

© 2017 Richard Havenga

Photo Location: Home Woods - Cannonsburg, Michigan 

Wind Song

The wind sings with many voices.
Time passes swiftly without a sound.
We stand on our planet spinning silently in space. 

Every day is full of quiet promise,
with more to see, more to discover,
more to admire in our sense of place. 

All this time we wait for his return;
or to be carried from this world,
like a voice on the wind, by grace.

© 2016 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. & 2. Holland State Park - Lake Michigan Beach - Michigan 

3. Sunset Beach - Atlantic Ocean - North Carolina