Heaven's Gate

Trees bridge psychic realms

Earthling halts at Heaven’s gate

Peace takes breath away

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Heaven's Gate

Springtide Overture

Blooms dance in spring breeze

Gold dust powders hill and dale

Turtles bask on log

 

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Springtide Overture
(Yellow Poplar aka liriodendron tulipifera; photo impressionism)

Life In Clover

The tempo of his romps may have slowed a bit with age, but all manner of woodland creatures are still fair game for a lighthearted chase and a sun-drenched spring meadow remains a favorite for a respite.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Life In Clover
(Cooper in Mary Holmes Park, Pittsboro NC USA)

Timelessness

In stillness frayed by butterflies on the wing,

Old-growth woodland accepts time without end

And begs ancient rains that flow from cool spring

To spout timeless insight man can comprehend.

With heart of faith seek peace in endless time,

That kingdom of the soul where time began.

Let divine grace guide quests of the sublime

Through storm-tossed seas of life and fall of man.

Search out quintessence of love, be tireless,

For perseverance bears fruit named forevermore.

Soothe ecstasy with prudent mindfulness,

Then, pure in heart frolic on life’s dance floor.

Hope enables love and faith most fervently

In heart and soul bent on eternity.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Spring Blessing
(Old Rock Spring Church in Pittsboro North Carolina USA)

Heaven On Earth

Imagine the world is a patch of clover.

Its leaflets betray life’s turbulent expanse,

Yet, mankind thrives akin its bold flower

When cradled in God’s grace by earthbound manse.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Heaven On Earth
(Common Yellow Woodsorrel aka oxalis stricta)

Rhapsodies Of Joy

After overnight thunderstorms, mid-morning sunlight filtering through bud time oak canopies brightens woodland aura and splashes springtide warmth across Allée Boisée—a favorite hiking trail. Staccato rhythms of a woodpecker and my footfalls pleasingly complement whispers of wind caressing tree tops. Countless dapples of sun-kissed, silky-smooth spring foliage dance to exquisite solos of birdcalls. Wrapped in stillness between rhapsodies of joy, the living world exhales in a sigh of relief that a quietly heartless and cold winter has called it a day.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Allée Boisée
(Woodland trail near Pittsboro, North Carolina USA)

Dogwood Dawning

Overnight lows in the high forties cede dominion to pinking skies with first blush of daylight. Flowering Dogwood Trees abound below budding canopies of oak in nearby woodlands. Our state flower adds just the right touch of magnificence to the wee hours of morning.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Dogwood Dawning
(Flowering Dogwood aka cornus florida)

Eastertide

Surely the divinely ordained spring awakening of the living world from winter slumber not only rejuvenates picturesque lake environs, but also breathes new life into the spiritual nature of humanity.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Cooper's Cove At Eastertide
(Jordan Lake, North Carolina USA)

Vernal Interlude

While frosty nights liberate last gasps of winter across eastern expanses of the Carolinas, the advent of an imminent spring renascence borne on ethereal wings of butterflies fills hearts and souls with joy.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Easter Swallowtail
(Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on flowering Carolina Jasmine vines)

Springtide Cure-All

As floodwaters on Jordan Lake in North Carolina recede, pinking daybreak skies and gentle southerly breezes usher in first flushes of spring foliage along white sand shorelines.

© Ilija Lukić 2021

Springtide Cure-All
(Cooper's Cove at Seaforth Peninsula on Jordan Lake NC USA)