Lakeside Cathedral

A mid-afternoon, early-January meander in 38ºF air along Jordan Lake encourages an intentionally brisk pace. Physical comfort in the raw weather instead of making time for mindful spiritual seasoning is a priority, until a shoreline glade of towering loblolly pines quietly grabs my attention.

Darkening overcast skies, dramatic vertical angles of tree trunks, subdued light filtering through evergreen canopies, a soft carpet of pine straw and the palpable silence within said colonnade cause mind’s eye and heart to take flight into a 10th and 11th-century European Romanesque cathedral. 

An awareness of safety and peace takes hold of my inner being. My soul soars longingly into the stillness, brimming with a renewed God-given sense of the Eternal.

© Ilija Lukić 2025

Lakeside Cathedral

Seaforth Beach at Cooper's Cove on Jordan Lake

Genesis For Truth

Truth flows when dayspring from on high unfolds
And ushers Light into our world’s dark sooth,
Till grace-filled hearts break vile strangleholds—
Dawn’s beauty is the genesis for truth.

© Ilija Lukić 2025

Genesis For Truth

Seaforth Beach on Jordan Lake NC

Tranquility

On our life’s journey…heart, mind and soul thrive remarkably when destinations like tranquility spring from an equilibrium of sound and broken consequences that flow from choices made in coping with life experiences.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Tranquility

Seaforth Peninsula on Jordan Lake NC

Yuletide Dawning

Lift eyes and heart…dawn’s glow heralds God’s grace.

Said Light grabs hearts from sea to shining sea

And souls rejoice, made new by His embrace.

Peace and love hold sway—what’s meant to be will be.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Yuletide Dawning

Osprey Point on Seaforth Peninsula at Jordan Lake NC

Spiritual Nourishment

Walking alone…

My heart brings to light

That solitude nourishes,

Oh undying soul,

Not only immortal human essence

But also clears mind

Stuck in crippling hellhole

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Spiritual Nourishment

Seaforth Peninsula on Jordan Lake NC

My Quiet Place

Every now and then when frayed edges in the tapestry of existence befall the sanctuary of my spiritual essence, I make time for a pick-me-up at a favorite wellspring of inspiration—my quiet place.

A weathered tree trunk washed ashore by storm surge some years ago serves as haven for mindful contemplation. Here the welcome embrace of quietude prevails on mind, heart and soul to give rise to ripples of serenity that fill my inner being with peace and tranquillity.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Ripples Of Serenity

In memory of our dog I’ve named my quiet place Cooper’s Cove, a secluded stretch of shore at Jordan Lake, where our canine friend loved to romp and swim.

Autumn Fare-Thee-Well

Autumn fades boldly

Leaves shout rousing fare-thee-well

Winter bides his time

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Two days hence, the winter solstice will mark the longest night of Old Man Winter;’s heydays. This year paucity of rain, frigid nights and absence of blustery autumn winds have slowed leaf fall, especially in sheltered woodland hollows. Ergo, colorful carpets of leaf litter and pine straw atop forest duff paint rousing fare-thee-wells to autumn and playfully welcome winter slumber. Albeit, snow remains a distant memory.

Felicitous Comfort

Woodland trail west of Mary Holmes Park in Pittsboro NC

Thanksgiving

With bated breath and whispered hurrah, the natural world bids picturesque farewell to the vibrant heydays of autumn in guarded anticipation of the imminent and more stark realities of wintertide. A late-autumn frame of mind has long been a fitting tempo for pause and reflection on life’s blessings and—in the face of fast-paced technological advances and distractions—the necessity for interconnectedness of human hearts with nature, family and friends.

Melanie and I wish all a fulfilling season of appreciating blessings, reconnecting with people in your lives and commemorating meaningful, cherished experiences…Happy Thanksgiving!

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Whispered Hurrah

Seaforth Peninsula on Jordan Lake NC

Life Unchained

Fear dims throbbing heart,
Till facts lighten troubled soul
And still fickle mind.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Autumn Dawning - Life Unchained

Cooper's Cove on Jordan Lake NC

Memory Lanes

Our Christmas cactus set buds and blooms early this year and reflects my upbeat mood about living in the greatest county in the world...America. A son of immigrants, I feel blessed beyond measure to be a citizen—free to pursue dreams and opportunities—one of which was 30 years of service to our Nation in the United States Air Force.

While I reflect about life, a sixty-degree late-autumn day beckons heart and soul to indulge an itch for sunlit adventure down nearby woodland trails. Before leaving, I make time to kick back in a favorite easy chair and reminisce about bygone days and sources of inspiration.

Memorabilia on a chess table, built by a friend and cabinet maker in New Mexico, hints at some of my lifelong interests and affections.

They include: Winterkill, a novel by C.J. Box—an American author introduced to me by my friend Dee Burton; two vintage issues of National Geographic Magazine—August and September of 1949—which still buoy my lifelong love of travel and photography; and an Ansel Adams photo collection in a hardcover book gifted by my daughter Lea on one of my birthdays. Adams' photography of the Yosemite Valley, American Southwest and his philosophy of making pictures continues to inspire my photography.

To help wrap up my trip down memory lanes, pinned by one of my favorite cameras, lie several magazines. Their images and cover lines stir echoes of our days in New Mexico—a land of enchanted vistas and mixing bowl of cultures, with tenacious people, vibrant art and a future laden with optimism and endless possibilities. Their pages spill reminders of adventure and give rise to a yearning…bury my heart in New Mexico!

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Liking Life

Brave souls caught between a rock and hard place,

Held captive by slings and arrows of life,

Leave no stone unturned and with zest embrace

Liking their journey despite throes and strife. 

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Liking Life 

Rock disk lichen in riparian zone along Lower Haw River Trail

The leaf litter caught in a crevice of lichen-covered stone inspired my poem. These lichens like sunshine and tend to find the sunniest spots in a forest. They form a crust-like body that clings to the stone substrate and are usually a shade of gray with raised, black fruiting bodies—the green coloration is purely artistic license.

Deliverance

Clear glum heart and mind

With a walk in autumn woods—

Life off the beaten path.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Mission accomplished whisper leaves and pine straw set free to inspire wayfarers as each write the next chapter of their never-ending saga in the circle of life.

Deliverance

River Of No Return

Yes, life is a river of no return

That yearns for calm folds of eternity,

Where cascades come to be gentle nocturne

And ragged souls gain peace and harmony.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

River Of No Return

Haw River Natural Area near Bynum NC

Heaven's Gate

Autumn songs and colors abound of late,

They gird hearts for a peek through heaven’s gate,

Fresh reverie reigns twenty-four seven—

Like walking on air, in seventh heaven.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

In Seventh Heaven

Seaforth Peninsula on Jordan Lake NC

Life Force

Shadows prompt fanfare,

When sunbursts unleash forces

That slow their demise

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Life Force

Self-portrait of Shadow Man cast across lakeshore sand ripples

Burdens Shrugged

Mindful communion between heart, mind and soul finds creative outlet in catching sight of and then perpetuating the artistry of light, shadow and ripples of time. Said visual poetry of spirit and light—meant to appeal to both senses and mind, as well as provide solace—engages passions and even heals physical and mental ailments spawned by traumas of life. 

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Burdens Shrugged (photo impressionism)

(Sand waves on Jordan Lake beach left in wake of shoreline flooding)

Autumn Rains

Dark skies weigh on heart, 

Autumn rains refresh the soul

Wind whispers, amen.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Autumn Rains

Haw River at Old Highway 15 bridge in Bynum NC

Autumn-In-Waiting

Autumn meanders into hill and dale

Without fanfare, although with bated breath;

She readies heartstrings, waiting to exhale—

With gaiety paints summer’s dance of death.

Dreams of harmony mid blossoms of spring

And summer’s dazzling skies her heart compel,

To dance ‘cross Earth realms, rejoice in last fling,

With one eye on life come winter’s hushed spell.

She holds dear the season’s waning sunshine,

Gladly bathes in warm hues of morning light,

Lets her soul spill joy unto swamped shoreline

And speak of hope in times of wretched plight.

Autumn’s eye-catching drama—hit-or-miss—

Fills human heart and soul with divine bliss.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Havoc wrought by hurricane Helene continues to plague lands and people here in the Carolinas. Washed out highways and byways slow recovery efforts. The brunt of the tropical storm spared our neighborhoods; although the effects of copious rains, blustery winds and scattered tornados mark her passage northward. As waters in rain-swollen lakes and streams recede, tranquil ephemeral pools in shoreline woodlands whisper encouragement and speak of hope…this too shall pass.

Early Autumn Daybreak

Seaforth Peninsula at Jordan Lake NC

Liquid Rendezvous

Mid-afternoon at Jordan Lake NC sizzles in muggy, 97-degree temperatures. A northeasterly breeze ripples lake waters and eases the oppressive heat with lively dances through shoreline woodlands. As drought conditions across our state deepen, stray summer thunder showers take the edge off anguish over parched farmlands and city neighborhoods

The sequestered confluence of the New Hope River and Haw River lies at the southernmost reaches of an idyllic sixteen-mile expanse of lake waters. A flood control dam near this watersmeet tamed the rivers, captured their torrents and eventually shaped Jordan Lake. With an average depth of 14 feet it’s a shallow reservoir, yet it’s quarter-million, acre-feet of water augment numerous municipal waterworks.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Irresistible Enchantment

Vistas from ranger station overlook at Jordan Lake Dam near confluence of Haw and New Hope River

Eternity Laid Bare

Mind simple pleasures of road less traveled

And glimpses of heaven on hushed lakeshores,

Then life’s troubles won’t leave you unraveled

And peace of mind gained a frayed soul restores.

© Ilija Lukić 2024

Eternity Laid Bare

Cooper's Cove on Jordan Lake NC