Take all of your worries and all of your fears Cast them upon Jesus who’s waiting, He cares He came down from glory to save you and me His brothers and sisters who yearn to be free
He proved with his life that His calling is true We trust that He cares about all we go through His love it surpasses, His blessings abound His faithfulness throughout creation resounds
In Scriptures we find Him, His words and His deeds Imploring each brother and sister, He pleads Surrender your worries and all of your fears I’m here to walk with you in laughter, in tears
We’ll dance through the triumphs and trials together Good plans will prevail, no matter the weather God’s love is as sure as the sun, stars and moon Eternity’s waiting, there’s plenty of room
~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
John 3:16-17New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Sunbeams composing Springtime melodies, humming Tapping to the tunes
April is a perfect month to get outdoors and get inspired. As a former teacher (grades four through eight), I know that kids of all ages love writing poetry and they enjoy illustrating their poems too. It’s simple and it’s so much fun to tell a story in the three short lines of Haiku. You’ll find a link to some great poetry writing tips at the end of this post. Of course, you’re not limited to writing one haiku poem—you can write as many stanzas as you wish. Give it a try!
Grab the kids, take out your pens, head into the great outdoors and get inspired!
~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
Check out more of Bette’s haiku poems inside MY MAINE, Haiku through the Seasons here. The collection includes the author’s 150 haiku poems, along with 49 of her photographs and illustrations. Travel through Maine’s four seasons and discover state symbols and interesting facts about The Pine Tree State with the author.
: an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively; also: a poem in this form usually having a seasonal reference.
Discover more about how to write haiku and other poetry
MY MAINE, Haiku through the Seasons reflects the Maine I know and love. ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author The haiku above written February 2022. Photo taken from back field (farmstead peeking through) on a perfect snowshoe day as winter’s landscape begins to transform itself into spring.
Below is a sampling from Winter Tales.
Winter Tales 🌲
(Selections from—MY MAINE, Haiku Through the Seasonsby Bette A. Stevens)
Sheets of diamonds Glisten on frozen meadows Perfect snowshoe day
Icicles weeping Tears of joy from the rooftops Winter jubilee
Dawning feels warmer Daylight slowly grows longer North tilts toward the sun
Afternoon shadows Scrambling through frozen forests Sing—Joy to the world
Black and white portraits Etched below an azure sky Disappear at dusk
Thanks so much for taking time to enjoy a bit of late winter in MY MAINE, Haiku Through the Seasons.
Did You Know? 🌲
Maine’s official nickname is “The Pine Tree State.”
My Maine takes readers on a poetic journey through the state’s four distinct seasons. The collection of 150 haiku poems includes 49 of the author’s photographs as well as facts and symbols from The Pine Tree State. MY MAINE, Haiku through the Seasons is available in print and eBook formats. Take a peek inside and grab a copy at AMAZON.com.~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
Bette in her garden with one of the monarch butterflies that emerged from its chrysalis at the farmstead in central Maine.
Monarch butterflies offer an amazing view into the intricate nature of the wild. Their scientific name—Danaus Plexippus— Greek for “Sleepy Transformation,” gets part of the story right, but not the epic whole. Monarch butterflies embark on an amazing migratory phenomenon as they have the ability to hibernate and metamorphose. International conservation efforts to protect and restore monarch habitat are ongoing. These efforts may help improve the near-endangered/endangered status of the species; but we, as ordinary citizens, can easily help the monarch butterfly recovery right in our own backyards and gardens.
Resources for kids, families, educators and gardeners Download Bette’s FREE PDF“Fun & Learning with Monarch Butterflies” where you’ll find: ★ Monarch Butterfly Facts
★ Coloring Pages
★ Gardening
★ Video: How to Make an Origami Butterfly
★ Butterfly Teacher Guide and so much more…
★ How you can help protect our monarchs DOWNLOAD Bette’s FREE PDFhttps://4writersandreaders.com/fun-learning-with-monarchs-2/
AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch’s Tale (Award-winning Picture Book) by Bette A. Stevens—Purchase AMAZING MATILDA paperback and download eBook for #FREE
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” LUKE 2:11 (KJV) Bible
Christmas Eve Pondering
A Poem by Bette A. Stevens
The last cookie baked, the final gift wrapped.
Christmas Eve is upon us…
It’s time to relax.
Christmas music is gently reminding us why
Lord Jesus, the Christ Child…
Came down from on high.
He came as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Lived among us on earth…
God’s gifts to bestow.
Loving God, loving others —Christ bought with his life
He epitomized love…
Not anger or strife.
God’s love is a precious gift we’re to share
Not with just those we know…
But with folks everywhere.
Wishing you Joy, Peace, Love & Hope—Gifts of The Christ Child—at Christmas and always…~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
Christmas music in a 3 hours long playlist (tracklist below). Traditional Christmas songs & carols featuring piano, violin & orchestra – arranged and recorded by Peder B. Helland. Christmas songs in the mix: “O Holy Night”, “Silent Night”, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “In The Bleak Midwinter” & “Fairest Lord Jesus.”
The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Peace (World Peace Day) is celebrated on September 21 each year to recognize the efforts of those who have worked hard to end conflict and promote peace. I believe that the power to promote world peace lies within each of us. Together, we can transform the world!~Bette A. Stevens
“It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race. 2021 marks the 73rd anniversary of that landmark document.” — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
No matter the season, a daytrip from our farmstead in central Maine provides a getaway that is both relaxing and invigorating. A scenic drive over forested hills, across verdant valleys and along pristine lakes makes Maine a place like no other. Whether heading to the coast or inland, there is always something fresh and new on the horizon. The photo inspiring the haiku Lighthouses stand tall was taken by me aboard Schooner Olad out of Camden Harbor in late June. I invite you to read more MY MAINE haiku and to plan a trip of your own. To me, Maine is poetry. North, south, east or west, The Pine Tree State is a land that enlivens the spirit and soothes the soul—a special place to bask in the unspoiled beauty of inland and coastal cities, towns and villages all year long! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
“To me, Maine is poetry…a place that enlivens the spirit and soothes the soul.”
Bette with daughter Lori aboard the Schooner Olad out of Camden Harbor.
Curtis Island Light (upper right in photo) is located at the entrance to Camden Harbor, at the southeastern end of Curtis Island. It is an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation and is now owned by the Town of Camden. The lighthouse is a 25-foot tall, white, cylindrical brick tower with a light beam range of six nautical miles. There are 65 lighthouses along Maine’s coast, inlets, and islands.
Summer Songs
(excerpts from MY MAINE, Haiku through the Seasons by Bette A. Stevens)
Loons at lakeshore wail
Campers bewitched by the sound
Sacred summer songs
Waves play taps on shore
Tall pines salute by moonlight
Waking stars stand guard
Refined grains of sand
Calming the footfalls until
Shattered shells splash in
Lighthouses stand tall
Regaling stories of ghosts
From a bygone age
Highlands and ocean
Bound by granite cliffs sing of
Ageless adventures
Take a peek inside MY MAINE (Poetry & Photography Collection/150 haiku poems, 49 original photos + symbols and interesting facts about Maine) and all of Bette’s books at https://www.amazon.com/author/betteastevens
Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior; and picturesque waterways, as well as its seafood cuisine and its four distinct seasons.
“Maine’s Rich Seasons Make the State a Year-Round Destination
Whether you’re a leaf-peeper or a sun-seeker, there’s something for everyone…”
Check Maine.gov before visiting for the latest health and safety guidelines in place.
To find out more about Bette’sCelebrating Maine CLICK #WritingChallenge. You’ll discover HOW to write haiku and WHY writing poetry is good for you! Now, on to enjoy three wonderful haiku challenge entries from my readers.
More Maine…
Haiku by author Sharon K Connell; Photo: Portland Head Lighthouse, Cape Elizabeth, ME at Dusk by Mercedes Mehling @mrs80z (free Download) on Unsplash
Thanks so much for stopping by to enjoy “More Maine.” The wonderful haiku poems and photos shared by my talented guests today celebrate more of the boundless beauty and bounty of The Pine Tree State.
“A nature-filled land that enlivens the senses and soothes the soul—to me, Maine is poetry.”
–Bette A. Stevens
There are over 4,600 islands off the coast of Maine not to mention some inland too. My author friend N.A. (Noelle) Granger has taken up my #MaineHaikuChallenge to help us celebrate the beauty and bounty of The Pine Tree State. Here is her lovely Maine haiku tribute!
Check Maine.gov and search COVID Restrictions for Visitors before visiting The Pine Tree State for the latest health and safety guidelines in place.
Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior; and picturesque waterways, as well as its seafood cuisine and its four distinct seasons.
Meet N.A. Granger
N.A. GRANGER is a Professor Emerita at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. After forty years of research and teaching undergraduates and medical students, plus earning her EMT license, she decided to use her knowledge of human anatomy and emergency medicine in mystery writing. In addition to the Rhe Brewster mystery series (Death in a Red Canvas Chair, Death in a Dacron Sail, Death by Pumpkin, Death in a Mudflat), she has written for Coastal Living and Sea Level magazines and several times for the Bella Online Literary Review.
She recently published her first historical fiction novel, The Last Pilgrim, about Mary Allerton Cushman, the oldest surviving passenger on the Mayflower. The book has been long-listed for the Devon and Cornwall International Book Prize. Another Rhe Brewster mystery in the works—Death at the Asylum. The mystery series has its own website: http:www.na-granger.com.
You can find more of her writing and musings at saylingaway.wordpress.com. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband and a Maine coon cat who blogs, and she spends a portion of every summer in Maine and Plymouth, MA, researching for her books and selling them, too.
I had the pleasure of meeting up with Noelle a few years ago in Boothbay Harbor at Sherman’s Maine Coast Bookshop/Maine’s Oldest Bookstore where she was signing books from her Rhe Brewster mystery series (one of my favorites) for fans that summer. I’m delighted that Noelle joined #MaineHaikuChalllenge. Thanks so much for stopping by to celebrate The Pine Tree State with us!
Today’s poem was inspired by the famous poem, Television, by Roald Dahl. In this poem, Roald Dahl takes a humorous look at the problem of children watching excessive amounts of TV and no longer reading.
My poem, called The grandparents, isn’t about as important a topic, but it takes a humorous look at the significant role of grandparents in our modern world. Many of us rely heavily on grandparents to help us raise our children in double income and busy homes.
About The grandparents
I wrote this poem about all the grannies and granddads that help their children to bring up their grandchildren in this crazy modern world of ours. I frequently see them at the school, filling in when mom and dad can’t be there and helping out everywhere they can. God bless grannies and granddads everywhere.
The grandparents
You’ll find them everywhere you look,
quietly observing from every cranny and nook,
drinking tea with friends in a local tea house,
in a pet store showing the children a mouse,
cheering on the team at a school hockey match,
in a chicken coop, helping the chicks to hatch,
at the hospital, bringing flowers to a friend,
at a play, watching until the very end.
They take the grandkids overnight,
they help resolve a sibling fight,
they build a pirate island in the sand pit,
they search and find a missing soccer kit,
they teach our children not to stare,
and soothe them after a horrid nightmare,
they help us with our daily grind,
to our pressures and stress, they are not blind,
they support us through our daily toil,
although their comments can make the blood boil.
Their selective hearing can be hard to take,
you shout so loud, the dead could wake,
“No need to shout”, they say,
“we heard you clearly”,
sometimes it’s lucky for them,
we love them so dearly,
the dinner is too salty,
the cake is too sweet,
“Where did you find such frightfully tough meat”,
it’s easier to sit back and let them cook the dinner,
although watching them makes you feel like a sinner,
and their criticism of our parenting style,
is enough our delicate feelings to rile.
There are so many positives to their involvement,
you couldn’t possibly bear any resentment,
I salute the moms and dads of the post war generation,
who changed the world with their determined inspiration.
BOOK BLURB
Open a New Door is a poetic peep into the life of poet, Robbie Cheadle, who lives in South Africa.
The book is divided into four categories: God bless Africa, God bless my family and friends, God bless me and God bless corporates and work. Each part is sub-divided into the good, the bad and the ugly of the two poets’ experiences, presented in rhyming verse, free-style, haiku and tanka, in each of these categories and include colourful depictions of the poet’s thoughts and emotions.
The purpose of this book of poetry is encapsulated in the following tanka and haiku poems:
What drives me to write?
To share my innermost thoughts
The answer is clear
It’s my personal attempt
To make some sense of this world.
Inspiration blossoms
Like the unfurling petals
Of the Desert Rose
About the author
Roberta Eaton Cheadle has published nine children’s books under the name of Robbie Cheadle.She has branched into writing for adults and young adults and, in order to clearly separate her children’s books from her adult books, is writing for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle. Roberta Eaton Cheadle has published two novels for YA and adult readers and has contributed to seven anthologies.
Thanks so much for stopping by to support my talented friend Robbie Cheadle, #RRBC SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR of the month. Robbie and I would love to hear from you. ~Bette A. Stevens
Welcome to 4writersandreaders
I’m a writer inspired by nature and human nature. You’ll find great books, authors, writing tips and more right here. I advocate for kids & families, childhood literacy and the protection of monarch butterflies and their habitat.Happy reading & writing!~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
Written
on 04/15/2022