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

Butter Melting – v2

She marched into the kitchen

all purposeful and proud

step stool from the bathroom

in her four-year-old arms

“I’m going to watch the butter melt!”

she proclaimed to all the world,

or at least to me at the sink;.

Two sticks of butter in the clear glass bowl,

not yet ready for their joining with the other ingredients

for a planned batch of sugar cookies -

Sitting unmoved on the counter, defiantly not melting,

because Shanequa made that statement, I’m sure!

“What a wonderfully exciting life you have…”

I laughed to myself to her left

watching butter melt…

and then she said, “I can see it melting!”

I wonder if she really did,

if something in her child’s mind

could grasp the infinitesimal movement of the cells,

the molecules of the butter, the sticks,

in the bowl, on the counter;

waiting, maybe wanting,

to be something bigger than itself

to meld with the rest

to form our treats

To tickle her tongue,

after the making, the baking,

once the frosting, the sprinkles,

and the special “wham” from her older sister

sealed in their goodness

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

edited March 8, 2018

Butter Melting – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2018/03/butter-melting-v2.html

after finding this poem in a list of my popular poems

on Literary Devices site about my poetry

https://literarydevices.net/raymond-a-foss/

May 17, 2006 6:47am

Butter Melting

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.jp/2006/05/butter-melting.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 46,460 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

butter, melting, baking, anticipation, waiting, childhood, innocence, purpose, Shanequa, Shyanne, wonder, physics, heat, molecules, science, cooking, child, God, poem, poetry,

#butter #melting #baking #anticipation #waiting #childhood #innocence #purpose #Shanequa #Shyanne #wonder #memory #physics #heat #molecules #science #cooking #child #creator #faithpoetry #frost #God #laugh #life #poem #poetry #PoetryWhereYouLive #praisepoems #praisepoetry #RaymondAFoss

Wiggly Teeth – v2

as the chime was passed,

purposely, around the circle

sharing our days

our most  important news

a recurring theme

breathed into the world

shared, excitedly,

a giggly word

Wiggly teeth

in glee, in wonder,

so many teeth

so many treasures

the Tooth Fairy had better

stock up on quarters,

because Pembroke children

will soon have teeth under pillows

=====

edited August 21, 2015

Wiggly Teeth – v2

December 7, 2012

Wiggly Teeth

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/12/wiggly-teeth.html

by Raymond A. Foss,

Poetry Where You Live,

inspired by the sharing of the students

in the morning meeting

Ms. Jones’ 1^st grade class

Pembroke Village School

Pembroke, NH

December 7, 2012

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 38,960+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Wonders all around us

grace upon grace

wonders all around us

placed there by God

by His loving hand

grace to sustain us

wonders to bring us joy

if our eyes are open

to see the glory of the Lord      

------

December 9, 2014

Wonders all around us

Psalm 9:1 (NIV 1984)

devotion “A Wonder Like No Other”

devotion by Lisa Robertson

for December 9, 2014

read December 9, 2014

Duck Commander Daily Devotional

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Commander-Devotional-Alan-Robertson/dp/1476748683

compiled by Alan Robertson

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Robertson-duck-dynasty/601622119889439

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Robertson/665992033453188

http://duckcommander.com/meet-the-family/al-robertson

https://twitter.com/BeardlessBro

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 34,280+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

start with God

if you are overwhelmed

if your day is fill

don’t skip, don’t shrink

from your time spend with God

start with God

get grounded in the water

you will accomplish more

when you are centered in God

=====

December 8, 2014

start with God

December 1, 2014 to December 7, 2014

“+R&R”

Devozine for November and December 2014

www.devozine.org

&

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

devotion “Rest in the Lord”

devotion by Alina Kanaski

devotion for December 2, 2014

read December 7, 2014

&

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

devotion “Like a Child”

devotion by Katy Steele

devotion for December 1, 2014

read December 7, 2014

&

Youth Group

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stetson-Memorial-United-Methodist-Church/174161846023512

Patten, ME

December 7, 2014

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 34,230+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

without cares

worry our punishment

we created anxiety

fear entered our lives

when we listened to the snake

when we listen to the world

and leave childhood behind

we are meant to be free

without cares

as in the Garden

but we threw it all away

when we listened to the snake

when we listen to the world

and left our childhood behind

====

December 8, 2014

without cares

December 1, 2014 to December 7, 2014

“+R&R”

Devozine for November and December 2014

www.devozine.org

&

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

devotion “Like a Child”

devotion by Katy Steele

devotion for December 1, 2014

read December 7, 2014

&

Youth Group

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stetson-Memorial-United-Methodist-Church/174161846023512

Patten, ME

December 7, 2014

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 34,230+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Mount Katahdin sunset 8/23/2014

earlier pictures here - https://www.facebook.com/raymond.a.foss/media_set?set=a.10151760363298003.1073741856.792593002

All of my poems and photos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage or to have me write you one. See all 32,000+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

We rise - v3

We rise

as a people

as a nation

from the dust

from the earth

We rise

as ourselves

each one

unique, special

precious to God

We rise

beloved, wanted

alone, together

as God’s creation

God’s children on earth

We rise, we rise

at Your calling

from the dust

to our feet

into Your light

----

edited May 28, 2014

We rise – v3

see Maya Angelou Memorial

https://www.facebook.com/missingmayaangelou

edited May 28, 2014

We rise – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/we-rise-v2.html

https://www.facebook.com/missingmayaangelou/posts/495078897259325

May 28, 2014

We rise

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/we-rise.html

written right after hearing about the death

of Maya Angelou

https://www.facebook.com/MayaAngelou

https://twitter.com/DrMayaAngelou

and listening to obituary/ story on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/index.html

&

her poem

“Still I Rise”

http://emilyspoetryblog.com/2013/11/16/still-i-rise-by-maya-angelou/

&

post on her Twitter account of May 23, 2014

https://twitter.com/DrMayaAngelou/status/469911477500272642

“Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 29,990+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

We rise – v2

We rise

as a people

as a nation

from the dust

we rise

as ourselves

each one

unique, special

we rise

alone, together

as God’s creation

God’s children on earth

we rise, we rise

at Your calling

from the dust

into Your light

----

edited May 28, 2014

We rise – v2

May 28, 2014

We rise

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/we-rise.html

written right after hearing about the death

of Maya Angelou

https://www.facebook.com/MayaAngelou

https://twitter.com/DrMayaAngelou

and listening to obituary/ story on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/index.html

&

her poem

“Still I Rise”

http://emilyspoetryblog.com/2013/11/16/still-i-rise-by-maya-angelou/

&

post on her Twitter account of May 23, 2014

https://twitter.com/DrMayaAngelou/status/469911477500272642

“Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 29,970+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

We rise

We rise

as a people

as a nation

we rise

as ourselves

each one

unique, special

we rise

alone

together

as God’s creation

we rise, we rise

into Your light

----

May 28, 2014

We rise

right after hearing about the death

of Maya Angelou

https://www.facebook.com/MayaAngelou

https://twitter.com/DrMayaAngelou

and listening to obituary/ story on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/28/us/maya-angelou-obit/index.html

&

her poem

“Still I Rise”

http://emilyspoetryblog.com/2013/11/16/still-i-rise-by-maya-angelou/

&

post on her Twitter account of May 23, 2014

https://twitter.com/DrMayaAngelou/status/469911477500272642

“Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 29,970+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

A Harsh Self-Image – v6

What do we see

looking in our mirrors

are we really honest

do we look, do we see

tracks of our lives

written in the flesh

scars of our past

What do we really see

when we are in private

A harsh self-image

worn down by struggles

words spoken by others

society’s message

to be thinner, younger

to wear a mask, be different

not being authentic, honest,

The beauty inside

not seen under the layers

hidden even from ourselves

----

edited February 16, 2014

“A Harsh Self-Image – v6”

(editing version 2)

Edited October 22, 2013

“A Harsh Self-Image – v5”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-harsh-self-image-v5.html

Edited October 13, 2013

“A Harsh Self-Image – v4”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-harsh-self-image-v4.html

(editing original again)

Edited October 13, 2013

“A Harsh Self-Image – v3”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-harsh-self-image-v3.html

Edited April 20, 2013

“A Harsh Self-Image – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-harsh-self-image-v2.html

April 20, 2013

“A Harsh Self-Image”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-harsh-self-image.html

Dove ad about self-image

https://twitter.com/Dove/status/324696240233259008

my response to the Dove ad on Blogger

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/04/dove-real-beauty-sketches.html

my response to the Dove ad on Twitter

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/325649167701659648

April 20, 2013

&

new poem April 18, 2013

“The path of our lives”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-path-of-our-lives.html

Edited April 15, 2013

“Like whispers on the rice paper – v4”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2013/04/like-whispers-on-rice-paper-v4.html

Edited August 15, 2012

“Like whispers on the rice paper – v3”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/08/like-whispers-on-rice-paper-v3.html

February 17, 2012

“Like whispers on the rice paper – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/02/like-whispers-on-rice-paper-v2.html

lWednesday evening worship

Fourth of series on prayer,

inspired by Marcia McFee,

“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,

Third Sunday: Stepping Stones

and meditation

by Pastor Ruth Foss

https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss

http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss

http://www.pstruthsermons.blogspot.com

sermon blog

http://www.pstrruthfoss.blogspot.com

meditation blog

Suncook United Methodist Church

Suncook, NH

February 15, 2012

&

Wednesday evening worship

Third of series on prayer,

inspired by Marcia McFee,

“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,

Third Sunday: Silence

and meditation

by Pastor Ruth Foss

Suncook United Methodist Church

Suncook, NH

February 8, 2012

&

Wednesday evening worship

Second of series on prayer,

inspired by Marcia McFee,

“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,

Second Sunday: Bumpy Bead

1 John 4:7-21

and meditation

by Pastor Ruth Foss

Suncook United Methodist Church

Suncook, NH

January 25, 2012

&

Wednesday evening worship

start of series on prayer,

inspired by Marcia McFee,

“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,

First Sunday: God

Psalm 105:1-6

Isaiah 56:1-8

Acts 17:22-32

poem, “Pied Beauty”,

by Gerard Manley Hopkins

and meditation

by Pastor Ruth Foss

Suncook United Methodist Church

Suncook, NH

January 11, 2012

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,890+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.