There's a little bench, somewhere
In the Flemish countryside;
Where you can sit so pleasantly,
And enjoy a view so wide.
For company there's only cows
Lazily grazing the days away;
And sometimes, high up in the sky,
A buzzard hovers over its prey.
All around are verdant meadows,
A sea of deepest waving green;
Speckled with some lonely houses,
Lost within a long forgotten dream.
The skyline is always changing color,
Depending on the weather.
Wind and clouds play hide and seek -
Their game goes on forever and ever.
In the distance church bells chime
As if they want to say:
"Remember, weary passer-by",
"It's the Lord who made this day!"
It's oh so quiet, so peaceful there;
Your thoughts feel light and free.
All your worries seem to disappear -
There's no place you'd rather be.
Time stops as you're sitting there
Alone, or with a spouse or a friend;
Simply admiring God's creation,
Wishing the moment would never end.
There's a little bench, somewhere
Between earth and sky…
Where you can sit so pleasantly,
And you feel like you can fly.
From time to time you'll find me there
When my senses need a fill;
There on that little bench in Flanders,
Where the world is standing still.
This poem won second place for the
August 2022 poetry contest