A writer inspired by nature and human nature

Posts tagged ‘Central Maine’

Aside

MY MAINE (late winter) excerpts from Bette A. Stevens’s Poetry & Photography Collection


 

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 Seasons by 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.”

The Eastern white pine tree appears on the state flag, its state quarter and, as of 2017 , 89.1 percent of the state was covered in forest, making it the most tree-covered state among the 48 contiguous US states. 

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

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 02/17/2022

Aside

Enliven the Spirit and Soothe the Soul…


Respite from the Doldrums?

Maine is calling…

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

 

Poem and photo CAMDEN LIGHTHOUSE by Bette A. Stevens“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

[Visit Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 07/31/2021

Aside

MY MAINE “Winter Tales” (Haiku selections) from Bette A. Stevens’s Poetry & Photography Collection


This collection of haiku reflects the Maine I know and love. Here is a sampling of several stanzas from the section Winter Tales. I hope you enjoy them and would appreciate your comments. I plan to edit and format the collection during the holiday season, and hope to publish my first poetry book—MY MAINE, Haiku through the Seasons. ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author 

Winter Tales

(Selected samples from MY MAINE, Haiku Through the Seasons by Bette A. Stevens)

Winter genie waves
Its icy crystal scepter
Dawn’s magic appears

Silvery branches
Read a charmed folktale
A spellbound story

Pine cones and tassels
Mirrored in moonlight upon
White weighted branches

Chickadees dozing
Nestling, captive till
Morning sets them free

Shovels and snow plows
Storm’s ravings unraveled
Till the next arrives

Soups, stews and chowders
Stories told round the table
Favored winter fare

The sundial declares
Dwindling days this season
When nightfall looms large

Neighbors helping hands
Gifts from the heart most cherished
As storm clouds gather

Families and friends
Make merry through this season
Knee deep in snow

Thanks so much for taking time to read these selected verses from MY MAINE, Haiku Through the Seasons. The collection is availble in print and eBook formats. Take a peek inside and grab a copy at AMAZON.com . ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 11/28/2018

Aside

Fresh Fallen Crystals —Poem by Bette A. Stevens


fresh-fallen-crystals-poem-bas-2016

A Season of Wonder

Early December at the Farmstead in Central Maine—finally have a covering of snow and temperatures cold enough to keep the white magic around for a while. Conifer branches adorned in winter’s white called out to this writer: “Capture a photo, we’re all spruced up in our new attire!” from near the barn’s entrance. I simply had to pen their remembrance in a poem—
Fresh Fallen Crystals.

Wishing you all a Season of Wonder!

~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Written

on 12/07/2016

Aside

Cricket Choir, A Seasonal Poem by Bette A. Stevens


Wildflowers & cricket poem 4 blog BAS 2016Happy September!

Another Labor Day Weekend and the crickets here at The Farmstead in Central Maine are singing about it. I snapped this photo on the day their chorus began (three weeks ago). As Grandma would say, “Only six more weeks ’til frost.” And that was three weeks ago.

Needless to say, nature inspired me to pen a poem for the occasion.

~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

 

Save

Save

Save

Written

on 09/03/2016

Aside

SENSATIONAL SUMMER: A Monarch Butterfly Poem by Bette A. Stevens


Illustrations for Sensational Summer are from Bette's award-winning children's picure book, AMAZING MATILDA.

Illustrations for the poem “Sensational Summer” are from Bette’s award-winning children’s picture book, AMAZING MATILDA.

Much like a Monarch butterfly, the summer is quickly flying past us here at The Farmstead in Central Maine. In fact, it won’t be long before these amazing butterflies begin their great southern migration to Mexico, where they’ll aggregate (cluster in dense tree cover) to keep warm, enabling this generation of monarchs to winter over before they mate and begin the next generation’s migration north for the 2017 season.  Matilda (a Monarch butterfly and the main character in my picture book AMAZING MATILDA) and I wish you and yours a sensational summer! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator 

We invite you to take a look inside AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch’s Tale and check out other books by Bette A. Stevens

AM HighResolution BW Border

[EXPLORE BETTE’S BLOG]

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Written

on 07/31/2016

Aside

Season of Blossoms a Haiku by Bette A. Stevens


Inspired by nature

Apple Blossom HAIKU bas 2015Spring has sprung and apple trees are shouting about it here at the farmstead in Central Maine. After a long winter’s nap their branches are bursting into bloom. With temperatures in the 70s and sunshine in full array (Oh, but rain predicted to be on its way…), this writer is shouting about it too. Inspired by another of nature’s wonders ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author illustrator

What’s inspiring you this spring?

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 05/13/2016

Aside

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!


MOTHERS DAY 2016 Butterfly basWishing everyone a Happy & Blessed Mother’s Day.
~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

Author Bio

Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies (milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Stevens’s children’s book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO! was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012.  AMAZING MATILDA , Stevens’s second children’s book, self-published in 2012 won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children’s Literature – Ages 6 and older category) and also placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List for Self-published Children’s Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England in a family whose poverty and alcoholism mark him as a target for bullying by young and old alike. This short story is a prequel to Stevens’s début novel DOG BONE SOUP released January 2015.

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 05/07/2016

Aside

May your day be filled with wonders!


Inspiration on a cold winter's day: Late summer roses from our Farmstead in Central Maine

A winter day’s inspiration: Late summer roses at the Farmstead in Central Maine

Thanks for stopping by my blog for a visit. I’m a writer inspired by nature and human nature—one who needed an extra bit of inspiration on a cold winter’s day. These roses are a vintage variety from last summer’s garden (originally dug from the edge of the woods and transplanted by us in 2006) at our Farmstead in Central Maine. May they brighten your winter’s day! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 01/27/2016

Aside

Autumn’s Lament HAIKU by Bette A. Stevens


Autumn’s Lament

Haiku by Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

AUTUMN LAMENT Haiku bas 2015

By late November autumn’s vibrant deciduous tree leaves have settled in for the soon-to-arrive Maine winter, ready to read their own bedtime stories for a season. At least that’s the tale they told me. ~ Bette A. Stevens

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 11/25/2015

Tag Cloud

%d bloggers like this: