All of these morning photographs were taken at two different Metro Parks (Walnut Woods and Chestnut Ridge) in central Ohio, not far from my home. I frequently walk both of these areas.
Morning awakens
Creation’s treasures stirring—
Lord above smiling
Season to season
Witnessing every change—
Praise God’s masterpiece
Nature never rests
Flora and fauna’s beauty—
Creator molding
Flying high above
Gray sky’s lonely sentinel—
Solitary spy
Unchecked challenges
Emotional behavior—
Nature spills over
Season to season
Creation’s precious treasures—
Never growing old
Mankind hurtles toward unknown
Nature’s seasons relay what’s known
Autumn prepares for transition
Holding off winter’s ambition
Both man and nature look ahead
Unearthing their most common thread
At times, life needs relaxing pause
Forsaking bright lights and applause
Terrain changes to snowy scene
Covering life white, without green
Man growls at cold, numbing weather
Spotting fireplace, warm together
Winter’s snowfall hiding its gems
Waiting for newest, greenest stems
Spring awakens frozen landscape
Encouraging life’s next escape
Man and nature again feel free
Twinkling eyes find each budding tree
Creator’s Spirit, love transcends
Seasons eternal, never end
World turns upside down
Equinox flips earth’s seasons—
Hemispheres apart
Eager autumn colors
Summer still hanging around—
Knocking at the door
Fall’s preparation
Life’s transition to winter—
Glorious spring waits
From Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Winter’s dormant, gray months
Nature taking her break
Gathering strength for spring
Life’s welcoming handshake
People face frozen times
Seeking spirit’s rebirth
Darkness returns to light
New season blesses earth
Summer’s shining moments
Nature’s blooming color
Autumn’s blessed pause waits
Hourglass sand grows smaller
Happiness seeks to shine
Hope filling eager hearts
Spirit nurtures man’s faith
Risen Lord, life restarts
Through nature’s creation
Breathing with perfect poise
Order to life itself
God’s divine plan deploys
Life’s transition wakens
Rising sun shares reasons
Joy, sorrow, gain, or loss
Renewing fresh seasons
From Genesis 8:22: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Winds no longer blow
From cold Arctic ice
Snow stays far to north
Winter pays her price
Days growing longer
Nature now smiling
Winter’s time shall pass
Spring begins dialing
Nature’s busy tone
Some days, springtime halts
Hibernation plays
Winter’s final waltz
Trees wait with patience
Soon nature will green
Sun replacing clouds
Spring’s finest cuisine
Seasons come and go
Nature makes her call
Time for winter’s end
Spring’s voice now enthralls
From Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Winter’s snow, cannot hide
Cherished love, deep inside
During darkness of night
Her love shines, always bright
Spring’s blossoms, love shares
Life’s newness, always cares
Nature wakens, each land
Her splendor, in God’s hands
Summer’s glowing spirit
Longing to walk near it
Love growing, day by day
Her grandeur comes this way
Autumn’s colored venue
Love fills each day’s menu
Landscape treasures each thrill
Her warmth hides winter’s chill
Seasons, patient with time
Faith grows, ever in rhyme
Righteous gifts, sing as hymns
Father’s love, never dims
From Lamentations 3:22-24: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.'”
Winter’s white blanket covers frozen land
Sheltering nature’s glory until spring
Arctic-fed winds seem to blow from glaciers
Sleeping quietly, life conceals its zing
Northernmost Great Lakes transform skies to gray
Flying above, geese enjoy winter’s fling
Small ponds reflect from thick, icy mirrors
Pausing all around, boldness waits for spring
Ancient trees appear to wait in repose
Ignoring life’s deep freeze, buds holding out
Nature’s winter rest, preparing for spring
Arriving tonight, snowstorm’s final shout
Never to worry, winter fades away
Coming on schedule, spring colors each day
This poem takes a different route from much of my usual poetry. It begins with the word “incessant” and carries this meaning throughout the poem with various synonyms. Using free verse, the number of syllables remains consistent with seven in the odd-numbered lines and ten in the even-numbered ones. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Early in the morning’s peace
Welcoming the incessant quietness
Predawn light creates shadows
Enjoying their unending playfulness
Cool, crisp air signals autumn
Witnessing the season’s ceaseless nature
Solitary doe walks nearby
Looking for tender grass, endless craving
Neighbor walking her collie
Moving with an uninterrupted pace
Front porch provides morning roost
Dreaming now of countless, unbroken thoughts
Past memories parade on by
Watching an ongoing video show
Former students fill the room
Flourishing with unflagging attention
Grandchildren always gather
Hearing constant laughter, bringing a smile
North wind gusts with icy chill
Feeling winter biting with nonstop bliss
Frigid cold invades the porch
Warming now, by persistent fireplace flames
Life has been kind, a blessing
Spending everlasting time with our Lord
From a ridgetop garden
Nature’s treasure hides out
Offering its harvest
Flora lives all about
Flowers blooming early
Winter now disappears
Colorful bouquets reign
Sweetest fragrances cheer
Warming springtime sunshine
Changes the ground cover
New, tender shoots of grass
Young deer will discover
Trellis roof shelters grapes
Ripen in summer’s sun
Fill with juicy flavor
Birds enjoy tasty fun
Apple and black walnut trees
Shading nature’s grand shrine
Fruit dropping to the ground
Squirrels and deer will dine
Former home site lives on
Garden paradise waits
Coming alive each spring
Winking back at its mates
All of the photographs were taken during a couple of recent morning walk at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, which is just minutes away from Canal Winchester, Ohio. The hilltop garden remains long after the house (built in the 1930s) was abandoned. I was blessed to spend several minutes photographing a very cooperative deer while I was quietly standing near a tree.
Big Sky Buckeye 