A living rainforest – v2

A gift of the Creator,
my eyes open to wonder
to the magic of this moment,
to stop, to lean in
to see more clearly,
treasure in the little…
drawn to beauty,
that surrounds us all…
 
Down on my knees
drawn by vibrant color
a living rainforest
down below the tops
of the wheat stalks
of the grasses…
verdant green calling,
putting on my glasses…
 
Living chartreuse,
shimmering in the sunlight,
the new grass of spring,
now towering over me,
almost iridescent, alive,
drawing me inward,
to live, to explore, richly,
in this precious moment…

 
---------------
Edited April 21, 2025
A living rainforest – v2
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, rainforest, nature, creation, God, imagery, grass, chartreuse, green, color, imagination, adventure, mystery, wonder, beauty,
 
#Poetry #rainforest #nature #creation #God #imagery #grass #chartreuse #green #color #imagination #adventure #mystery #wonder #beauty

A living rainforest

Down on my knees
drawn by vibrant color
a living rainforest
down below the tops
of the wheat stalks
of the grasses…
verdant green calling,
putting on my glasses…
 
Living chartreuse,
shimmering in the sunlight,
the new grass of spring,
now towering over me,
almost iridescent, alive,
drawing me inward,
to live, to explore, richly,
in this precious moment…

 
---------------
April 20, 2025
A living rainforest
 
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, rainforest, nature, creation, God, imagery, grass, chartreuse, green, color, imagination, adventure,
 
#Poetry #rainforest #nature #creation #God #imagery #grass #chartreuse #green #color #imagination #adventure

Yard Salad – v2

With an old newspaper
for a bowl, a plate and
water from the hose
for their salad dressing,
I saw them thinking, mixing,
working their collective talents,
it was all about the presentation…
 
Four junior chefs, gathered,
with ages from three to ten,
yanked and threshed a yard salad,
from the wet, rain drenched,
and shower fed field of weeds,
beside our in-town home…
 
Clover, dandelion, plantain
and grasses of varying length,
with dirt included bodily,
heaped on the makeshift platter,
stirred with pine and oak,
until they were ready
for their presentation…
 
----------------
Edited March 15, 2024
Yard Salad – v2
 
5/30/05 21:49, edited 5/31/05 12:22
Yard Salad
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2005/05/yard-salad.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, love, rain, shower, yard, flowers, praise poems, praise poetry, clover, water, faith poetry, home, grass, Shanequa, Family, Shyanne, God,
 
#Poetry #love #rain #shower #yard #flowers #praisepoems #praisepoetry #clover #water #faithpoetry #home #grass #Shanequa #Family #Shyanne #God

Two feet to the left – v2

I watch him walking, his gate,
where he chooses to walk,
Purposeful, repeated each day,
down the roadway, the way,
that leads to my workplace.
 
Not walking on the sidewalk,
in his crocs, in the grass,
Touching the softer earth,
two feet to the left, or there about,
just a little off the sidewalk instead.
 
I see him walking, traversing,
across the blacktop so soon
The same path, toward work,
long days, late nights, repeating,
stopping for some smokes along the way.
 
Two feet to the left,
touching nature instead
Softer steps for a moment at least,
not walking on the sidewalk,
somehow better each day.
 
---------------
Edited December 20, 2023
Two feet to the left – v2
 
December 18, 2023
Two feet to the left
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/12/two-feet-to-left.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com )  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com  Poetry Where You Live.
 
 
Poetry, observation, walking, grass, sidewalk, blacktop, feet, nature,
 
#poetry #observation #walking #grass #sidewalk #blacktop #feet #nature

Two feet to the left

I watch him walking, his gate,
Where he chooses to walk,
Down the roadway
That leads to my work.
 
Not walking on the sidewalk,
In his crocs, in the grass,
Two feet to the left
Of the sidewalk instead.
 
I see him walking,
Across the blacktop so soon
Long days, late nights,
Some smoke along the way.
 
Two feet to the left,
Touching nature instead
Not walking on the sidewalk,
Somehow better each day.
 
---------------
December 18, 2023
Two feet to the left
 
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com )  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com  Poetry Where You Live.
 
 
Poetry, observation, walking, grass, sidewalk,
 
#poetry #observation #walking #grass #sidewalk

#Beach #Sand - v7

Beach Sand – v7

Maybe it is our memories

the change of pace that brings us there,

Our sense of vacation, of inner peace

feeling God in the silence, the stillness

Maybe it is the smell of the place

the water, the roses, the lotions, the oils;

Visions of the gulls, the dunes, grasses;

Moving in the air, the invisible breezes

But, oh it is the feel of it,

the crunch and slide of it;

Under now smooth feet,

the recurring feel of beach sand

It is so very different from dirt, soil, loam

no, not earthy, moist, rich, wet mulch;

But oh it is so granular and gritty, slippery,

even when wet, shifting, moving

Moveable paper spreading under toes

sliding beneath the soles;

Smoothing my skin, relaxing,

clearing my mind, I am at peace

Unburdening me of the rest

the cares which I carried,

Drawing me to the tactile,

to the feel of beach sand

===============

edited March 21, 2021

Beach Sand – v7

editing version 6

edited July 30, 2015

Beach Sand – v6

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/07/beach-sand-v6.html

(editing version 5)

edited April 2, 2014

Beach Sand – v5

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/04/beach-sand-v5.html

Edited September 20, 2012

“Beach Sand – v4”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/09/beach-sand-v4.html

edited March 5, 2012

“Beach Sand – v3”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/03/beach-sand-v3.html

edited September 29, 2010

“Beach Sand – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2010/09/beach-sand-v2.html

&

email May 115, 2008

“I am in eighth grade and I am doing a school

research project called a zine.  In this zine,

it is basically about describing your passion. 

One of the requirements for the zine is putting
a poem in, and explaining your reaction to the poem. 

My passion is Cape Cod, and I chose the poem you wrote, 

Beach Sand,  I love how you described sand in this poem. 

I just had a few questions like,

why did you choose to write this poem?

My response May 16, 2008::

“Funny you should ask. Someone from North Carolina

two days ago asked if they could put this same poem

on a new web site. As I told them, I had written in in 2006,

on the same day as quite a few other poems. I was writing

then specifically about treasured memories of my childhood

and more recent too. I wrote this poem about my joy at the beach.

I am from Westfield, MA growing up and my family would go to

the Cape or up the Maine coast to like Wells Beach or York

many summers when I was a kid. My grandparents on my dad's

side had gone to Old Orchard Beach for summers when my dad

was a kid and they were there on Cape Cod when I was a kid.

In 1988 I went to Hilton Head Island for a week. And in the

mid-1990's I went for like 3 or 4 summers in a row to

Martha's Vineyard. From 1978 to 2001, I lived near

the University of New Hampshire near the seacoast of

New Hampshire. I spent time at Rye Beach, Hampton,

and Great Island Common in New Castle. I just really like

walking the beach, more than just laying sunbathing.

I would walk along the shore looking for beach glass

or go over to the rocks and look for what I could find

in the tide pools. I've included three other poems about

being near the sea, Shoals, Tide Pools, and Tides - Haiku.”

&

July 15, 2006 19:03

“Beach Sand”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/03/beach-sand.html

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 53k of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

beach, creator, earth, Faith, Family, God, grass, hope, memories, Nature, poem, poetry, texture, light, senses, sight, Poetry Where You Live, World Poetry Day,

#poem #poetry #beach #creator #earth #Faith #Family #God #grass #hope #memories #nature #senses #sight

Palmetto – v2

A slower pace

On the Banks

Palmettos sway

Translucent green

Or tawny papyrus

brown, weathered

Mesmerize

A northerner

Away from the beach

Under the cabana

Shade, drink, a stack of books

Novels, mysteries –

Spencer novels

Luxuriate in the chaise

Summer reading

To while the hours

In the warm

Without watch or watcher

To steal the mood

Bare feet in the sand

A motion over the book

A cord of pelicans slid by

Through heat waves

Muting the horizon

Warm water,

Flush with jellyfish

Twinges around ankles

Not refreshing

Slippery water

Saw grass sings

From sand in the breeze

A smell of summer

Before the palmettos

By their house

================

edited November 2, 2018

Palmetto – v2

March 23, 2004

Palmetto

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/03/palmetto.html

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 47,960 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

beach, brown, Faith, Family, feet, God, grass, green, hope, house, Nature, poetry, senses, sing, smells, summer, water,

#beach #brown #Faith #Family #feet #God #grass #green #hope #house #Nature #poetry #senses #sing #smells #summer #water

Smells of Creation – v3

Freshly tilled soil, decay on the forest floor

Chocolate bubbling on the stove

Gardenias, violets, garlic breath

Sulphur of the volcano, the mud flat,

A spruce forest in June after a rain

The splash of ocean surf after a storm

The cold of snow as it starts to fall

Drawing us into its arms

A lilac bush, lily of the valley in bloom

Rain coming on a spring day,

Rain falling on hot wet pavement in summer

Fresh cut grass, maybe after a light shower,

Hay after cutting warming before baling

Bread, fresh from the oven, on the windowsill

The sweet of an orange as it goes from ripe to just moldy

A dusty road in August miles from home

Musty basements, a pool of standing water

Hamburgers on the grill, a hot fan belt

A tomcat’s mark, popcorn popping

Whisper of a rose blossom,

Stink of Roquefort cheese

An apple pie cooling on the shelf

The biting fragrance of a freesia’s flower

A geranium’s skin, a skunk’s defense,

Radiator fluid boiling over under the hood

Wet llama fur, wet burlap

New blacktop, a brand new car

A baby’s just-washed skin -

These are smells of creation,

A taste of the infinite.

================

edited July 7, 2018

Processes of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

The Voice of Creation – v3

edited July 7, 2018

The Size of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

The Words of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

The Message of Creation – v3

(editing original)

edited July 7, 2018

The Context of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

Sounds of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

The Speed of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

Creatures of Creation – v2

edited July 7, 2018

Smells of Creation – v3

edited July 7, 2018

Tastes of Creation – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2018/07/800x600-normal-0-false-false-false-en.html

edited July 7, 2018

Textures of Creation – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2018/07/textures-of-creation-v2.html

&

started 8/1/07, added 8/19/07, 8/24/07, 8/26/07, 10/2/07

Processes of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/10/processes-of-creation.html

&

edited July 11, 2015

The Voice of Creation – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-voice-of-creation-v2.html

May 8, 2008

The Voice of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/05/voice-of-creation.html

Psalm 19:1-4

and Upper Room devotional

http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=8&year=2008&x=107&y=6

&

July 11, 2007 22:54

The Size of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/size-of-creation.html

began notes June 2, 2007

Genesis 1

&

May 8, 2008

The Words of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/size-of-creation.html

Psalm 19:1-4

and Upper Room devotional

http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=8&year=2008&x=107&y=6

&

edited June 26, 2014

The Message of Creation – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-message-of-creation-v2.html

May 8, 2008

The Message of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/05/message-of-creation.html

Psalm 19:1-4

Walk to Emmaus, Means of Grace

and Upper Room devotional

http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?month=5&day=8&year=2008&x=107&y=6

&

Finished July 26, 2007 22:25

Textures of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/textures-of-creation.html

Started July 11, 2007

Genesis 1

&

Started 7/8/07, added to 7/9/07 1:01AM

The Context of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/context-of-creation.html

Genesis 1

&

edited August 3, 2014

Smells of Creation – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/08/smells-of-creation-v2.html

finished August 1, 2007 12:12

Smells of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/08/smells-of-creation.html

started July 11, 2007

Genesis 1

&

Finished July 30, 2007 22:00

Tastes of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/tastes-of-creation.html

Started July 11

Genesis 1

&

Finished July 30, 2007 21:40

Creatures of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/creatures-of-creation.html

began draft June 2, 2007, update June 4, 2007, July 11, 2007

Genesis 1

&

Finished July 30, 2007 8:03

The Speed of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/speed-of-creation.html

started July 11, 2007

Genesis 1

&

Finished July 30, 2007 7:55

Sounds of Creation

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2007/07/sounds-of-creation.html

started July 11, 2007

Genesis 1

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 47,200 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

===============

calling, Christ, Emmaus, God, God’s purpose, grace, joy, justifying, love, Luke 24, Luke 24:13-35, prevenient, Psalm 19, Psalm 23, sanctifying, servant, umc, United Methodist, Walk to Emmaus, witness,

#calling #Christ #Emmaus #God #Godspurpose #grace #joy #justifying #love #Luke24 #prevenient #Psalm19 #Psalm23 #sanctifying #servant #umc #UnitedMethodist #WalktoEmmaus #witness #salvation #resurrection #life #eternal #communion

====================

Christ, creation, creator, earth, Faith, God, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, hope, love, Methodist, Poetry Where You Live, purpose, savior, witness, world,

#Christ #creation #creator #earth #Faith #God #gospel #grace #HolySpirit #hope #love #Methodist #PoetryWhereYouLive #purpose #savior #witness #world #Genesis1 #life #struggle #journey #void #Word #life #power #worship #holy #Lord

======================

branches, child, creation, creator, Faith, forest, Genesis 1, God, hope, loons, Methodist, mother, Nature, NEUMC, Poetry Where You Live, sound, summer, wind, wings,

#branches #child #creation #creator #Faith #forest #Genesis1 #God #hope #loons #Methodist #mother #Nature #NEUMC #PoetryWhereYouLive #sound #summer #wind #wings #sounds #cry #prayer #birth #song #crash #awe #noise #thunder #worship

=================

birds, bread, cicada, creation, creator, dawn, earth, Faith, Genesis 1, God, hawk, heart, human, life, light, Methodist, Nature, rainbow, sing, sound,

#speed #birds #bread #cicada #creation #creator #dawn #earth #Faith #Genesis 1 #God #hawk #heart #human #life #light #Methodist #Nature #rainbow #sing #sound #fast #slow #heartbeat #blinkofaneye #eternity #eons #epochs

=======================

apple, bread, breath, dust, Faith, forest, fruit, garden, Genesis 1, God, grass, lilacs, lilies, lily of the valley, Nature, ocean, orange, rose, shower, snow,

#smells #creation #apple #bread #breath #dust #Faith #forest #fruit #garden #Genesis1 #God #grass #lilacs #lilies #lilyofthevalley #Nature #ocean #orange #rose #shower #snow #creator #sight  #touch #senses #taste #touch

==========================

birds, brown, butterflies, creation, creator, deer, Faith, forest, garden, gardener, Genesis 1, God, hawk, love, Methodist, Nature, sheep, shepherd, starfish, turkeys,

#creatures #created #birds #brown #butterflies #creation #creator #deer #Faith #forest #garden #gardener #Genesis1 #God #hawk #love #Methodist #Nature #sheep #shepherd #starfish #turkeys #reptile #amphibian #mammal #microbe #onecelled

==========================

bread, Communion, creation, creator, earth, Faith, fire, fruit, garden, gardener, Genesis 1, God, hope, maple trees, Methodist, Nature, Poetry Where You Live, sin, taste,

#bread #Communion #creation #creator #earth #Faith #fire #fruit #garden #gardener #Genesis1 #God #hope #mapletrees #Methodist #Nature #PoetryWhereYouLive #sin #taste #sweet #sour #salt #bitter #luscious #nectar #meat

========================

creation, creator, Faith, flowers, fruit, Genesis 1, God, grass, ice, Methodist, Nature, ocean, rock, rose, sea glass, shepherd, stone, texture, touch, water,

#creation #creator #Faith #flowers #fruit #Genesis1 #God #grass #ice #Christ #Spirit #Nature #ocean #rock #rose #seaglass #shepherd #stone #texture #touch #water #senses #smells #taste #sight #seeing #feeling #rough #smooth #sharp