Reflections on the Teche

Slice of Life: Trying to See the Positive

June 30, 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.

The heat is rising daily here in the Deep South. And along with it…humidity…that makes for a high heat index.

Today I want to forget about the heat that keeps me indoors and share some of the positive things about summer.

Butterflies!

I currently have 6 Gulf Fritillary chrysalises and at least 3 more caterpillars in enclosures, but the other day when I headed out for my walk, I saw a butterfly hanging on its chrysalis in the wild, on my potting table. I felt such joy to know that one had survived the birds and lizards and made it to adulthood (without my help).

Speaking of caterpillars, I found some beautiful black swallowtail cats. I’ve brought them into a porch and hope they will hang out there, literally.

My friend from Iowa brought back some flower seeds and gifted me a small pot with these sweet flowers that are new to me, lizzianthus.

And I was surprised by a second poetry exchange postcard from Colette. She remembers Sol Duc which is a place we visited while in Washington.

All these things help me escape the oppression of the heat (and the world).

What is helping you through?

Posted in Gratitude, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged raising butterflies, summer blossoms, summer caterpillars | 13 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Summer Walks

June 26, 2026 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday Roundup is with Tricia today at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

A Walk to Port Townsend

I hear
chirps of Pine Siskin hiding in the bushes,
watch seeds of cottonwood
fly like moths on fluffy wings—

Hold
the view of Pacific waters chanting
over wishing stones, calling me
to inhale.

Open
a door
to a free poem-of-the-day—
Here is Pádraig’s “Our Lady of the Garden”.

Thank you, universe, for all this time with you.

Poem found in a poetry box in Port Townsend, Washington.

This Mamére has been busy this summer. In early June, we took a trip with two of our three daughters and their families to the Pacific Northwest. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and cool. I found poetry everywhere, on trails, in town squares, and in poetry boxes.

This week I was in charge of Leo, my oldest grandson who is seven. Seven changes everything! He can read and write and walk 2 miles in the heat. We took a long walk to our local city park. He humored me by helping me write a poem about our walk. He illustrated. You can see a video of him reading the poem on my Substack.

Posted in being mamére, nature, Poetry Friday, Travel, Writing | Tagged #poemsofpresence, New Iberia City Park, Pacific Northwest, Port Townsend | 13 Comments »

For the Birds: A Slice of Wild Bird rescue

June 23, 2026 by margaretsmn

Please check out my post on Substack.

https://substack.com/@margaretsimon416644/note/p-203234235?r=k9y83&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged For the Birds of Acadiana | 2 Comments »

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Beach Storm

June 17, 2026 by margaretsmn

I am currently in Florida on a work trip with my daughter and her son, Thomas. Thomas and I had a fun day yesterday playing in the waves and making friends in the hotel pool. He makes friends so easily which is helpful to his babysitter grandma.

Yesterday afternoon a storm rolled in. I loved sitting on the safe balcony and watching the clouds.

Watching the Storm at the Beach

Becomes a pastime
when you’re with a grandson
who craves your constant attention.

Be open to the possibility of storms.
Stand in the rain
and let it cool your body
into shivers and shakes.

Then return to a warm bath
and Spider-Man pajamas
to watch Argentina play
in the World Cup
cheering them on, only because
you like the color blue.

Margaret Simon, draft

Please consider writing a poem today in the comments. I will be driving back to Louisiana and look forward to reading them.

Posted in being mamére, nature, Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing | Tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Florida, Sandestin beach, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel | 4 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Lupine

June 12, 2026 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday is being gathered today by Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise.

Our view of the Elwha River and Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles, Washington

When we first arrived in the Pacific Northwest and awoke to an amazing view of the Olympic Mountains from the AirBnB, I thought I would write poetry every day on our trip. That didn’t happen as we got busier with the family, day hikes, town shopping, river rock throwing (children love a good game of throwing rocks). However on that early June morning, I opened Audrey Gidman’s prompts and wrote a poem using a flower as the title, inspired by James Wright’s Milkweed. For the most part, I wanted to capture the essence of place in the amazing peaceful scene of the Olympic Mountains.

Lupine

While I looked beyond the window
lost in blue-green of Crescent Lake,
I sat in longing.
Tall Douglas fir scented the air
of Christmases long ago.

I look up now.
The view is changed.
What was color
is a wild warmth
seeking my sincerity—
a vision of bright red strawberries
sweeter than the sun.

Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in Poetry, Poetry Friday, Travel, Writing | Tagged #poemsofpresence, Audrey Gidman, James Wright, Olympic National Park, Pacific Northwest | 15 Comments »

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Olympic National Park Poetry Walk

June 10, 2026 by margaretsmn

Click the image to enlarge.
North Olympic Library System Poetry Walk

Last week I was on vacation with my family in the Pacific Northwest. One of our hikes, The Spruce Railroad Trail in Olympic National Park, included a Poetry Walk. I took pictures of the panels and wrote a found poem from them. I invite you to do the same. Found poems are fun. Write the lines that grab you in some way (an image you relate to, words you love to say) and write them in an order that is pleasing to you.

Here is a draft I wrote in my notebook:

Crescent Lake Found Poem

Stenciled on the petal of a bluebell
the earth remembered me
my thoughts
light as moths
smell like grass and salt
smooth home- the river.
Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing | Tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, found poem, This Photo Wants to be a Poem | 3 Comments »

Slice of Life: Pacific Northwest

June 9, 2026 by margaretsmn

“I mean hate and love and fear and wanting to live and wanting to see your children live,” she said. “Those are the things that shape our consciousness, not the material goods, not whether the tables are made of oak or synthetic plastic … The thing isn’t important. It’s the human emotion — and that, I believe, doesn’t change.” Geraldine Brooks

For a week, I had the privilege of watching my children and their children live and love and play. My son-in-law loves the Pacific Northwest. He and my daughter have been vacationing there each year for 5 years. This year, we were invited to tag along. Then my middle daughter Katherine decided to come along with her son, Thomas. We were missing my youngest daughter’s family so much that we are talking about making next year’s trip a full family one.

Highlights include short hikes to waterfalls…

Tidal pools…

Watching eagles, fire pit, views of Olympic mountains…

Watercolor painting with Stella…

In the airport waiting for our flight home

Throwing rocks…

And playgrounds…

New squid-themed playground at the Waterfront, Seattle.

At the end of our trip, we stayed a few nights in Seattle and met up with my husband’s brother and his family which includes a new great niece.

I’m happy to be home to my dog, my bird feeders, flowers, walks with friends, but I will carry the love and life and memories with me.

Posted in being mamére, Slice of Life, Travel, Writing | Tagged family vacation, Pacific Northwest | 5 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Pantoum with Pádreg

May 29, 2026 by margaretsmn

Mary Lee has the roundup today as well as a sign up for Poetry Friday hosts at A(nother) Year of Reading.

Pádreg Ó Tuama is a master at the Pantoum poetry form. In his newsletter last week, he offered sentence stems and a 1-8 line prompt. He suggested “Don’t stress over it: bring yourself generously to yourself.” The whole prompt can be found here. If you haven’t tried a Pantoum before, you should give it a try. This time I was pleased enough with the results to share my poem with you.

Time

Today, my mind wants peace
and I watch the white cat;
although yesterday I sang of grace.
As I write, I cling to memory

and watch the white cat.
When I was younger, I thought tears were weak.
As I write and cling to memory,
I couldn’t have known, terrible things would happen.

When I was younger and thought tears were weak,
I wish I’d known grief is a bitch.
I couldn’t have known how terrible things happen.
I had a dream I was a cloud.

Grief is a bitch anyway;
although yesterday I sang of grace.
I dream of clouds.
Today my mind offers peace.

Margaret Simon, draft

Releasing a Gulf Fritillary butterfly
May, 2026

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing | Tagged pantoum, Pádraig ÓTuama | 19 Comments »

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Resurrection Fern

May 27, 2026 by margaretsmn

After months of drought, we’ve recently had an onslaught of rain. One of the most miraculous plants in the South is resurrection fern. It has a symbiotic relationship with live oaks. When the air is dry and no rain falls, it’s hardly noticeable, brown and dead looking. However, when we have days and days of humidity and rain, rain, rain, the fern pops up with its bright green fronds covering the branches and living in beauty. It seems to say, “Ah, yes!”

I took this photo of our grandmother oak near the bayou. She is 250+ years old. Her arms drape wide and hold a rope swing that many a child (and adult) have ridden on. She is featured on a live oak tree bike tour that our friend Jim leads every spring.

She’s also made mention of in many of my poems. I never tire of taking her photo or writing about her.

Turning to a random page in “Dictionary for a Better World” by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, I chose a cinquain form. (2, 4, 6, 8, 2)

Sometimes
bravery looks
like fern on an old oak
coming to life only after
hard rain.
Margaret Simon, draft

Please write a small poem today and leave it in the comments. Respond to others with kind encouragement.

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing | Tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, cinquain, resurrection fern | 16 Comments »

Slice of Life: Listening

May 26, 2026 by margaretsmn

Liz invited me to lunch. She is a poet. My husband and I have met her and her husband on the dance floor. I was “tickled pink”, as my southern mother would say, that she asked me to lunch. We talked for hours. While the restaurant got quieter and quieter, we got louder. When she told me she was an Enneagram four, I jumped up and squealed! No wonder we have a connection.

Liz asked me a question, author to author, “What do you most identify yourself as?”

For a long time, I was a teacher. In retirement, I’ve become a teaching artist. In March, I released my first baby board book. But my answer to her question was “Poet!”

And it felt good to say it out loud.

Identity is a tricky thing. Of course, our vocation dictates our identity. I will never not be a teacher. Now that I have 5 grandchildren, I will forever be Mamére.

Claiming the title poet feels vulnerable. Am I worthy of this title?

What do you claim as your identity?

In church on Sunday, listening from the choir loft, I found a poem in the Psalm. May we all find the bravery to be who we are called to be.