Reflections on the Teche

SOLC26: Day 27: Poetry Friday Belonging (Ovillejo)

March 27, 2026 by margaretsmn

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write and share.

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Marcie Flinchum Atkins, who has a new book coming out on Tuesday, When Twilight Comes.

For the last Friday of the month, the Poetry Sisters offer a challenge. I wanted to give it a try. The form is Ovillejo, a Spanish form described here.

In Pádraig Ó Tuama’s Substack this week, he posted a poem from Rainer Maria Rilke that began with the line “God speaks to each of us as he makes us.” I love this idea of God, intimate and personal. To get started on the Ovillejo, I borrowed this line. As I worked with the syllable count and rhyme, it changed somewhat.

Belonging

After Rainer Maria Rilke

God speaks fondly to each of us,
makes each of us.

Birds respond to God’s call with song—
You belong.

Set the paddle deep into water,
my daughter.

Stop messing with what doesn’t matter.
Sit with God and speak in silence.
God knows your peculiar cadence.

Like each of us, you belong, my daughter.

Margaret Simon, draft

Our host, Marcie, asked us to post a favorite picture and poem of twilight to celebrate her new book. When I searched my blog history for a twilight poem, I found last year’s Kidlit Progressive Poem.

April Runs Over

Open an April window
let sunlight paint the air
stippling every dogwood
dappling daffodils with flair

Race to the garden
where woodpeckers drum
as hummingbirds thrum
in the blossoming Sweetgum

Sing as you set up the easels
dabble in the paints
echo the colors of lilac and phlox
commune without constraints

Breathe deeply the gifts of lilacs
rejoice in earth’s sweet offerings
feel renewed-give thanks at day’s end
remember long-ago springs

Bask in a royal spring meadow
romp like a golden-doodle pup!
startle the sleeping grasshoppers
delight in each flowering shrub…

Drinking in orange-blossom twilight
relax to the rhythm of stars dotting sky
as a passing Whip-poor-will gulps bugs
We follow a moonlit path that calls us

Grab your dripping brushes!
Our celestial canvas awaits
There we swirl, red, white, and blue
Behold what magic our montage creates!

Such marvelous palettes the earth bestows
When rain greens our hopes, watch them grow, watch them grow!

By the Poetry Friday community

Don’t forget to sign up for this year’s progressive poem. There are only a few days left.

In book news, today is my book launch party!

Posted in Books, Photography, Poetry Friday, Progressive poem, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged #KidlitProgressivePoem2025, #Poetrypals, Marcie Flinchum Atkins, Pádraig ÓTuama, Rainer Maria Rilke, Spiritual poetry, What’s That Sound? Birds of the Bayou | 7 Comments »

SOLC26: Day 26: Flowers

March 26, 2026 by margaretsmn

Spring is the season for flowers. A few days ago Denise Krebs wrote about native plants, how a friend was teaching her to cultivate a native plant habitat.

In the fall I attended a native plant habitat workshop by the Acadiana Native Plant Project (ANPP). The next day I traveled to their nursery to buy plants. They helped me to understand that the plants would not do much in the fall and winter, so I needed to be patient. I feel like the word Patience is the definitive word for gardening.

I started small, planting seeds in pots and a few seedlings in a front flower bed. It seems like overnight they have grown and are blooming. This pleases me so much because I have never thought of myself as a gardener.

These days with our temperatures starting out in the 60’s and slowly rising into the 70’s, it’s pleasant to be outside piddling around with plants. We’ll see if I can keep it up once the 90 degree mark rears its ugly head.

I also keep a few tropical plants around because I love their blossoms. I’ve decided that it’s okay to love both native and tropical plants. I just need to watch out for the invasive species that don’t belong here.

Are you a gardener or a plant enthusiast?

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged Acadiana Native Plant Project, gardening, spring flowers | 8 Comments »

SOLC25: Day 25: This Photo: Through the Window

March 25, 2026 by margaretsmn

Stella sends me a heart through the window.

There’s a lot going on in the photo today. It’s not a great shot, but I love it for the action it conveys. I’m the shadow taking the photo. Stella, age 5, is showing me a heart through the glass. In the background, in typical fashion, Leo, age 7, is leaping. He was outside with his father helping with yard work (note the too big garden gloves.)

On Wednesday mornings I often have no real idea of what photo I will use as a poem prompt. I had forgotten about this one. What’s in my heart may not be in yours, but I hope you can find a way into writing. Please leave a poem in the comments and support other writers with your responses. All are welcome.

Your heart

Is in mine
nesting, nurturing,
urging me to capture
every moment
of your love,
through the window,
over my shadow
into my joy-glow.

Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in being mamére, Photography, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged #beingmamére, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem | 3 Comments »

SOLC26: Day 24: Sister Day

March 24, 2026 by margaretsmn

About 3 years ago, my sister Beth moved from Austin, TX to Baton Rouge, from 7 hours away to 1.5 on a good day.

On Friday we had a long phone conversation and decided that since we both had Monday free, I would drove over to Baton Rouge for the day.

Beth is immersed in an intense yoga training, so she used me as a guinea pig to practice her instruction. I was excited to get a free yoga class. She has even learned some of the difficult words.

For lunch we met up with one of her new friends from yoga training. They were cute as they talked about the energy of the chakra teacher. What I enjoyed about having a third person at lunch was it gave me and Beth the opportunity to tell some of our shared history. We talked about stories from our childhood in which we had different perspectives. Beth is seven years younger, so when I talked about the flood of ‘79, I spoke about trauma while Beth saw it as an adventure. We both recognized and learned that family and community are most important.

The spring day was a beauty with wisteria blooming on a trellis at the outdoor restaurant. Beth remembers wisteria growing near our childhood home. Wisteria is a strong growing plant that symbolizes a strength and resilience that Beth is feeling drawn to. We didn’t, however, sit near the hovering flowers because they were covered in bees.

We ended our day together by getting pedicures, a pure luxury.

I traveled home feeling refreshed and refueled. Totally worth the travel time.

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged friendship, sisters, spring flowers | 4 Comments »

SOLC26: Day 23: Analog Party Bag

March 23, 2026 by margaretsmn

Happy Monday. I am packing for Leigh Anne’s analog party. She invited Slicers to write about what they would take in a bag without devices. As we get more and more dependent on the darn things, I welcomed this invitation to keep the phone in my pocket and spend some time doing things that give me pleasure.

The first bag I grab whenever I am taking a long car ride or going to crochet group is my bag of crochet projects. I’m using this lovely bag that was hand stitched by my friend and writing group partner, Mary Lee Hahn.

Bag design by Mary Lee Hahn. In the circle is a blackout poem printed on the fabric and blacked out by beautiful stitches.

Most recently, I am making amigurumi birds to accompany my new board book. I’m taking the bird, book, and National Geographic Kids to visit with my grandchildren.

I can’t go anywhere these days without my calendar. In retirement I’m using a paper calendar rather than the one on my phone. The squares are big enough to write what I need to do on a given day and the margins are places I write notes to myself. For example, the address of the carpenter I need to send a check to.

I like using a small notebook, easy to carry. This style comes in packs of three, one to use and three to give away.

This last little notebook is wishful thinking. Ever since I read Amy Tan’s The Backyard Bird Chronicles, I’ve wanted to sketch and paint birds. I took a class with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and bought this small sketchbook. One of these days I will settle down and paint.

Have you written about your analog bag? Here’s a link to Leigh Anne’s blog where you can read about others and add your own link.

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged analog bag, hobbies, Leigh Anne Eck | 10 Comments »

SLOC26: Day 21: Mother Acrostic

March 22, 2026 by margaretsmn

Saturday was the first day of March’s Open Write on Ethical ELA. Anna J. Small Roseboro is leading the prompts around women for National Women’s History Month.

I wrote an acrostic dedicated to my mother, Dot Gibson. I am coming to a place 8 months after her death where I can remember her before Alzheimer’s took her from me.

My mother Dot in the center feeling joy with my brother, left, and “Elvis.”

Dedicated to the church
Open hearted
Teacher

Giving smiles through the doorway
Inviting southern drawl
Best friend
Sympathetic listener
Optimistic
Never leaving me

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged #openwrite, acrostic poetry, Ethical ELA | 4 Comments »

SOLC26: Day 21: Morning Walk

March 21, 2026 by margaretsmn

When I don’t know what to write, I take a walk. Yesterday, Albert (“Al-bear”) and I set out for our neighborhood walk, but there was a stray dog roaming around. Albert could not focus. He wanted to go play with this new friend. I’m wary when it’s a dog I don’t know, so I dragged him back home and decided to drive to City Park.

A whole new playground for my 2 year old doodle with many new smells to investigate and large ducks to chase.

I love a morning where the sun is refracted by fog. I spotted a wood duck perched in a tree above the pond. I could hear their distinct call of warning, “Dog. Dog. Dog.” “Eek. Eek. Eek.”

I felt rejuvenated. Who knows? I may take this route more often.

Posted in nature, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged New Iberia City Park | 11 Comments »

SOLC26: Day 20: Poetry Friday Book Baby

March 20, 2026 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday Roundup is with Tanita today at her blog—fiction instead of lies.

Yesterday I walked into The Pie Bar carrying my new baby, What’s That Sound? Birds of the Bayou. I was hoping to meet with the owner to ask him to place it in the gift shop. When I came in, there was Tammy from church having a glass of wine on the leather sofa.

Tammy said, “I want to get your book for my new grandbaby.” So the book I had in my hand went to her new baby, Joy.

“To Joy—Listen close!” I drew a little bird emoji, and handed my new baby to Tammy.

I went back out to my car. (Have books, will travel). This time I grabbed two just in case.

I was meeting my friend and fellow picture book writer Mary Beth for a critique session. Mary Beth doesn’t have grandchildren yet, but she works with young kids as an OT.

“Of course I want one,” said Mary Beth. “We have to support each other, and besides, it’s precious.”

I also caught the owner, and he said he would stock it in the gift shop. “I always want to support local authors.”

This baby has taken a while to come to life. Now that he’s here, I am pleased to pass him around for others to enjoy.

Signing books at our local independent bookstore, Books Along the Teche.

If you are interested in participating in the Kidlit Progressive Poem in April, please pop over to this post and comment. April is coming soon.

Posted in Books, Poetry Friday, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged UL Press, What’s That Sound? Birds of the Bayou | 23 Comments »

SOLC26: Day 19: Powerless

March 19, 2026 by margaretsmn

I was having lunch when I heard the loud Boom! I looked out the kitchen window beyond the peaceful bird feeder and whirlygig to see a huge truck, 18 wheeler, with the power pole and power lines wrapped around the incredible load. What happened?

When I first went outside, I saw smoke rising, so I called 911.

“What is your emergency?”

I explained as best I could that in the curve of the road, an 18 wheeler had taken down a power pole and there was smoke.

The neighbors gathered as we kept a safe distance. It wasn’t long before the first responders came.

But the true heroes of the day were the electric company workers. At one time I counted 7 Cleco trucks.

Brandon (we became pals through the ordeal) came to me and said, “It’s gonna to be a while.”

I imagined days, but he assured me they would finish before dark.

I said, “What was the truck doing here?”

Apparently, DOTD had given him the route to take and he’d already run into trees along the way. But this accident had knocked out power for a whole neighborhood!

A little before 6 PM, I was going to my car to go to choir practice, and Brandon walked up again.

“Everyone has power but your house. You have 3 way so you need to call an electrician.”

I texted my husband and called the company he suggested. After going through a long automated system, the AI person said it would be 3 days.

Brandon said, “Don’t worry about it. I know a guy.”

Soon, Fox was here, checking out our system. All the guys gathered around. I couldn’t help but think “How many Cleco workers does it take to power a house?”

By 7 PM we had power restored. Those guys are my new heroes.

Whew! What a day!

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged accident, CLECO, electricity, Slice of Life | 10 Comments »

SLOC26: Day 18: This Photo Wants to be a Poem

March 18, 2026 by margaretsmn

Each Wednesday I post a photo that appeals to my poetic senses. I invite you to join me in writing a small poem, poem of presence, in the comments and support other writers with encouragement.

Today’s photo is by a local retired teacher photographer Lory Landry. We do not live in the Bluebonnet state of Texas; however, we have a neighbor who has successfully planted bluebonnets in a ditch near the road. I’m tempted every year to stop and romp through the flowers. It appears that Lory did just that and took her camera along. It takes a steady hand and skills to capture a busy bee.