Breathe In

[fstopMike]

Breathe In

Breathe in deeply the breath of life.
Let its crispness course through
To the smallest vein of your being.
Like a road-weary traveler
Searching for a place of warmth and light
In the darkest depths of midnight.

Drink long and heartily at the fount
Of the fullness of God’s creation,
Rolling His soothing nectars across
The back of your palate,
Savoring with delight
Every subtle nuance of His limitless imaginings.

Unlock the fetters of your shackled soul
That you bound up so tightly,
For fear of the oncoming storm.
Set free your folly that you can change its course
Or lessen its reckoning, for it comes ne’ertheless.
Instead, throw open the shutters
Of the windows of your heart
And find pleasure in the simplest of things.

Watch for the arrival of loved ones
With anticipation.
Forgetting not the ones that have passed,
But relishing instead, the precious moments you were given.
Remembering that the legends of yore
And the hopes of the ones yet to come
Bind our hearts together in the presence of the now.

~Mike~

To all my friends here on DPS, have a Happy New Year, and approach all things this next year with childlike wonder and awe -- Happy Shooting!

[Christi V]

your photography always amazes me.... I love the 2nd one....TFS!

[SoxAddict]

Happy New Year Mike! What a beautiful set of photos and a lovely verse to accompany them all. I love the cattle photo, the lighting is wonderful & I love their expressions.

[vimalkv]

Great shots Mike....Love all of them....Esp. 1st and 3ed one..

[tycooder]

What a great set Mike but my fav is the 2nd one you can just feel the summer heat and the cool refreshing stream and just a hint of an August haze in the air a great place to sit and refresh your mind for a while ...very tranquil

[Hadianto Sumantri]

nice set of captured and nice naration nearly a poem, espcially picture of the leaf, thanks for sharing

[Preacherman]

I am ready and willing to "....throw open the shutters and windows of (my) heart..." Mike. Thanks for a great start to 2010 with these wonderful words and shots. PAUL

[jack russell]

great set Mike, can't pick a fav .. I hope there was a stout fence between you and that bull! I

[chalkie7]

Another great set Mike..no clear favourite, but I'm a sucker for dogs!

[fstopMike]

Originally Posted by Christi V

your photography always amazes me.... I love the 2nd one....TFS!

Thank you so much, Christi. Your comments are very kind. That second one is on Smith Creek in Unicoi State Park, near Helen, GA

Originally Posted by SoxAddict

Happy New Year Mike! What a beautiful set of photos and a lovely verse to accompany them all. I love the cattle photo, the lighting is wonderful & I love their expressions.

Thanks, Nikki! They were the inspiration for the whole set. That is from the pasture in front of where I work