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| Lake Tawakoni from the southern shore |
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| A path through tall trees in Lake Tawakoni State Park |
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| Treetops and sky, Lake Tawakoni State Park |
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| Another view of Lake Tawakoni, from the southwestern shore on a clear day |
The susurration of trees and lapping of waves
Whisper in antiphon:
YAHWEH Shalom,
YAHWEH Shalom,
The Lord is peace,
The Lord strengthens His people with peace.
The sunflowers lean forward,
In eager expectation awaiting in hope
The Great Day of the rising
Of the Sun of Righteousness
With healing in His wings.
(Come soon, Lord Jesus.)
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| Osprey perched in bare tree branches |
The osprey's plaintive cry
Laments the groaning bondage of creation now.
The buzzards dance attendance on the last enemy,
Mortally wounded, defanged,
Yet still destroying in death's death throes.
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| Black and white warbler foraging for insects |
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| Painted bunting in tree branch |
Wordlessly, buntings and warblers, cardinals and wrens
Intone their unabashed, unceasing melody of hope
In the not yet:
Prayers are heard,
Promises true,
Prince of Peace coming;
The kingdom of this world
Will become the kingdom of our Lord,
And He shall reign forever.
Weeping will pass.
Joy will come.
The rattling cicadas beat time with their wings,
Counting down the days till deliverance
From corruption to decay.
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| Giant swallowtail butterfly, ventral wings |
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| Giant swallowtail, dorsal wing |
The fluttering swallowtail sips nectar,
So delicately her blooming perch barely moves.
In her partaking of the cup the Lord has filled,
She moves on, scattering with fecund prodigality
Grace for future blooms.
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| Trees in deep shade with Lake Tawakoni in background |
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| A spider perches upside down in its web, which looks iridescent in the morning light |
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| A fawn looks straight at the camera from the shelter of green trees |
The trees of the field lift holy hands to heaven,
Singing for joy before the Lord,
Before He comes
Before He comes
To judge the earth in righteousness.
The nations rage;
The peoples plot and scheme,
But the susurration of trees and lapping of waves,
Yet sing, "The LORD is peace."
