Breath of Life

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Season to season

From love’s treasured heart

Every breath of life

Landscape’s fresh restart

 

Nature’s life cycles

Reborn every spring

Yet, autumn mourns loss

Winter’s darkness stings

 

Throughout life’s phases

Hope’s fateful ascent

Never to wither

Love always present

 

Always on schedule

Life’s permanent breath

Winter fades away

Spring overcomes death

 

Eternal love lasts

Cold ground warms again

Life breathes as He planned

Creator’s “amen”

 

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Inviting Voices

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Wind’s inviting voices

Welcoming from shadow’s past

Harmonizing spirits

Bright skies trying to hold fast

 

Darkness taking shortcut

Wakening to rising sun

Searching for tomorrow

Ahead of each setting sun

 

Wind chimes at every hour

Reminding of yesterday

Wishing for better times

Memories’ daily ballet

 

Today never backtracks

Writing journey’s blessed song

Soaring ahead, true joy

Nature’s essence comes along

 

Wind gathers final breath

Inviting darkness back in

Following every star

Round of dreams, ready to spin

 

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William Stafford Quotes

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Even the upper end of the river believes in the ocean.

The greatest ownership of all is to glance around and understand.

William Stafford (1914-1993) was an American poet.

Buckeye Photo Gallery #1

It has been quite some time since some of my photography has been posted.  Here are some camera captures from the past few months.  Enjoy a Buckeye journey with  filled with images from spring, autumn, and winter.

Sometime in April, 2024, these photos were taken at Walnut Woods Metro Park, which is a short drive from my home.  On the left, Walnut Creek peacefully flows along a boundary of the park.  On the right, an unidentified bird enjoys a quiet moment surveying the landscape below.

My camera accompanied me on a neighborhood walk in October, 2024.  The tree-lined boulevard welcomes visitors with brilliant autumn colors.  A pair of ravens perched rooftop captured my attention.  They pretty much ignored my presence.

Recently, my wife and I were dog sitting for our oldest daughter and her family while they were traveling.  The date was December 29, and we experienced very unusual weather for this time of the year.  A thunderstorm arrived, followed by warming inspiration from the sun, and we captured this nearly full rainbow from the backyard patio.

New Year’s winter comeback as photographed from our home’s deck (January 3, 2025).  

While putting this gallery together, it seemed appropriate to allow God’s Word to have the final thought.  From Psalm 96:11-12:

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all that fills it; let the field exult and everything in it.  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

 

Monday Memories: Still on Watch

Deserted, severed tree trunk

Shattered by storms long ago

Splitting this giant in two

Forsaken now in its woes

 

Nature’s hand calling the shots

Drawing dark cards from the deck

Standing alone, slowest death

Trying to salvage this wreck

 

Deformed snag appears lifeless

Yet, God calls this wildlife tree

Standing proudly, still on watch

Nature’s snack bar waits for free

Living nearby, log still lives

Covered with lichens and moss

Home for God’s smallest creatures

Termites, beetles . . . march across

 

Jagged stump remains on guard

Below the ground, roots still thrive

Life holds on, another year

Perseverance to survive

 

Around the dark, scuttled tree

Racing to reach sunlight first

Young saplings growing skyward

Cycle of life, marked to burst

All of the photographs were taken at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, which is located just outside of Canal Winchester, Ohio.  I frequently walk this park during the fall, spring, and summer months with an occasional hike in the wintertime.

Originally published September, 2020.

Anne Bradstreet Quotes

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If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.

The spring is a lively emblem of the Resurrection.

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) was an English-born poet who lived in the American colonies where her poetry was the first to published in the New World.

Enchanting Masterpiece (Haiku Series #308)

Imagination

Landscape’s color wheel

Artist’s infinite choices—

Every brilliant shade

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Perception

Quiet morning breeze

Punctuated with raindrops—

Perfectly designed

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Transformation

Empty canvas waits

Sketch’s anticipation—

Inspiration blooms

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Welcome Back

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Gentle morning rain

Afternoon transition

Cold front moving in

Winter’s new edition

 

Season’s first snowflake

Forecast’s memo on track

Innocent at first

More join in, welcome back

 

Chorus of voices

Barren landscape, now white

Autumn forgotten

Nature’s fresh acolyte

 

Darkness shines at night

Moonlight’s bright reflection

Each snowflake twinkles

With timely perfection

 

Peace shrouds silent realm

Time wanting to stand still

Another postcard

Sketches winter’s playbill

 

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Fresh Outlook (Haiku Series #302)

Wholesomeness

Warmest beginnings

Sunrise’s gift of welcome—

Youthful innocence

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Gentleness

Horizon’s shadows

Sunset offers gratitude—

Joyful innocence

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Peacefulness

Landscape now resting

Under serenity’s quilt—

Nightly innocence

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Vanishing (Haiku Series #301)

Flickering

Positive outlook

Autumn’s gift of timely peace—

Every falling leaf

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Scattering

Autumn’s final days

Cascading colors of leaves—

Playing its swan song

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Remembering

Fragile leaf dropping

Barren forest standing still—

Autumn says, “So long”

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