November Cold

Ice crusted sheets over November puddles
bespeak more of the future than this cold day –
evoking young hands at the piano,
first days of school,
fiancées betrothed.

Yet future is supple, too easily molded to look how we like;
the past too selectively recalled to completely trust.
Life occurs here, only just now –
meritorious as it flows all around.

So rejoice each promise the moment its made,
Celebrate first days whenever they come,
Cherish exuberance of youth-tended keys,
and pause at the feathery swirls
superbly adorning
frozen mud puddles
this time of year.

Such precious, ephemeral gifts
deserve our delight.
Praise God.
Here.
Now.

Listen to a conversation about this poem on the Reformed Journal Podcast.

Photo by Maximilian Müller on Unsplash

Dave Warners

Beginning in 1997, Dave Warners has been teaching Botany and Ecology at Calvin University. Since 2009 he has directed Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS), a faith-based watershed initiative based at Calvin. Dave also teaches at Au Sable Institute in Northern Michigan and with the Creation Care Studies Program in New Zealand and Belize. In 2019 Dave and colleague Matthew Heun published Beyond Stewardship, an edited volume that explores new ways oft understanding humanity’s place in creation. Dave and co-founder of PCS Gail Heffner will be publishing Ken-O-Sha: Working Towards Reconciliation in an American Watershed in early 2024 with Michigan State University Press. For fun Dave enjoys a variety of activities with his wife Teri, including bicycling, gardening, cooking, camping, and spending time with good friends.