Poetry Friday Round-up is here today!
This summer I have been thinking a lot about images, how images can fuel writing and creativity. I made a six-image memoir in response to a prompt by Kevin Hodgson on the Make Learning Connected site. Kim Douillard’s posts on Thinking Through my Lens make me think about the images I take responding to a theme. This week, Kim wrote about water, “Like water, there is power in writing. Power to connect, to heal, to think and reflect. We sometimes forget that writing in unexpected places creates new urgency and agency for our writing. So go outside, find a place by a river, on the curb, under a tree, or even sit on the car bumper and see what writing comes when you change your lens.”
I climbed the high rock on the beach at Deception Pass on Whitbey Island, Washington on Tuesday. I took my notebook with me, a little pocket-sized one. Here is my journal entry:
You have to know the tides. Deception is easy looking off at the horizon reflecting on blue water, showing Mt. Baker–snowtopped snowball. The rocky beach offers smooth stones for your collection, stones of every color & size. We don’t have rocks like these at home in the south where the beaches are sand & shells, Gulf, not Pacific. Yet, I can close my eyes & breathe in the salty air, listen to the soft hum of the waves.
Beaches are like this–offering to us along with a sense of adventure, danger, of deception, the feeling of comfort, peace, of all being right with the world. I have my place on top of this huge jutting black rock. I can see Canada from here. I taste the seaweed & salt.
God wants us to marvel every day, to be alert, pay attention. Be still and know. I am grateful for this gift of sea, air, smooth stones, and a space to sit, reflect, write, and know that even though I am a mere speck of sand or a single stone, I have a name.
This entry became a poem for Carol Varsalona’s Gallery Collection “Reflect with Me Summer Serenity.” This is only draft three, so you can offer revision suggestions.
Deception Pass, Whidbey Island, July, 2014
The clouds always keep us guessing,
so you have to know the tides.Deception is easy, looking only
at the horizon line. Sometimes masked as a cloud,the snow-topped mountain in the distance
deceives us, too.The rocky beach becomes my foot hold,
a path of colorful stones washed smoothby the constant lapping of the water.
I close my eyes to the salty air, listento the hum-swish of waves crashing the shore,
hear in them the possibility of danger.Guided by the presence of the moon,
the sea gives and takes.In the grit on my tongue, I can taste
the unleavened bread of sacrifice.Be still and know is all I must do.
Marvel at the wonders of rock and air and sea.Margaret Simon, all rights reserved
Join in the Poetry Friday fun with your link. Use Mr. Linky. Don’t forget to come back and check out the links. I hope to comment to everyone (at least that is my goal.)
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret, this post is filled with beautiful photos and thoughts-a true tribute to reflection. I am grateful to you for mentioning my new venture and for allowing the community insight into your musings. Your images take me to the site you visited but what struck me is the message embedded in the post. It is penetrating and has a spiritual feel to it. “Be still and know is all I must do. Draft 3 of your poem has a beautiful flow and rhythm. Perhaps the last line leads me to believe that this natural sight does not deceive the onlooker because it is masterminded by a guiding spirit.
My offering for Poetry Friday is entitled Word Crafting focusing on the magical power of language. It can be found at http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2014/07/word-crafting.html. Thank you for posting this for me and assisting me with the process of accessing Mr. Linky.
I look forward to seeing your poem evolve and a continued virtual friendship.
Margaret, I want to comment on the power of this line, “and know that even though I am a mere speck of sand or a single stone, I have a name.” Do you think that thought can be incorporated into your poem?
Thanks for your suggestion. I also like that line. I may have to tweak the theme of the poem a bit to make it work.
Margaret, may I invite the Poetry Friday community to consider reflecting and writing about summer serenity for the upcoming gallery that I will unveil at the end of August. Some have already sent me posts. You mentioned one way to access. Another post to review is http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2014/07/exploring-summertime-serenity.html. Thank you for allowing me to send this notice via your blog site.
Gorgeous photos and beautiful words, Margaret. Love “hum-swish of waves.” I think I need to find myself a few unexpected places to write as well! I’ll come back to post my link later this evening.
Hi, Margaret. The sensory images in your poem spoke to me. I especially liked how the rocky beach is a foothold in this wild, familiar place.
Thanks for taking us with you on your journey! And thank you, of course, for hosting! xoxo
Gallery worthy images from your camera. And the poetry is transporting. I am especially pulled to enjoy the way your observation noates made onsite, inform the completed piece.
Thanks. I posted your link for you since you left a comment on my site.
[…] Poetry Friday…this week’s links are at Margaret Simon’s blog, Reflections on the Teche. […]
Wonderful journal entry and poem–I especially liked this thought: “even though I am a mere speck of sand or a single stone, I have a name.” Thanks for hosting!
Hi, Margaret–thanks for hosting! Your photo of the stones is soooo soothing.
Lovely poem. Lee Bennett Hopkins once told me to take out as many of these words as possible: “the,” “and,” “a.”
It’s amazing how much more poetic my poems become when I do that.
TeachingAuthors have been talking about books we’re reading this summer. In today’s post I list 3 FAB audiobooks…and a poem about listening to audiobooks in the car:
http://www.teachingauthors.com/2014/08/3-fab-audiobooks-poem-for-poetry-friday.html
April, thanks for the advice. I tend to overuse the. I’ll give it a try. Love your posts and writing advice. I’ll post your link in Mr. Linky.
Loved reading the beautiful journal entry, and then the poem. Also, I picked up some inspiration from Kim Douillard’s idea of ‘changing your lens’ while writing. Great advice.
Kim’s site has been very inspiring to me this summer. She is now doing a daily photo challenge for August. You should check it out. http://thinkingthroughmylens.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/in-search-of-the-unexpected-augusts-photo-a-day-challenge/
Thanks, Margaret, I will. I’ve been neglecting my camera for too long.
Margaret, your poem speaks to me of mindfulness in this line – “Be still and know is all I must do.” The poem really connects the place name with the deceptiveness of the calming effect we get from lapping waves. I feel a sense of warning in the poem and also acceptance.
Thanks for your comment. I felt that there was this sense of danger yet all I could feel was an overwhelming calm.
Thanks for hosting PF, Margaret! I love the line:
“Be still and know
is all I must do.” – it is exactly what we all must do. Thanks for the reminder. = )
Thank you for hosting this week, and having this up extra early. Like everyone else, these are my two favorite lines:
Be still and know is all I must do.
Marvel at the wonders of rock and air and sea.
Being still is a gift.
I loved your pairing of the journal entry and the poem, Margaret. How nice that you brought us all to that place through your words. I’ve been on both coasts and love each one for the uniqueness, have a bowl of those stones in my home. Thanks for hosting too!
The photos and poem are marvelous! I want to be there!
[…] And for all of today’s Poetry Friday links – and a draft of a beautiful poem she’s writing – be sure to visit Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche! […]
Margaret, This is a beautiful post. Like several others, I especially love those last two lines. Such big truth. And so hard to live. Thanks, too, for the gorgeous pictures.
Hi Margaret! Thanks for hosting 🙂 I especially like “In the grit on my tongue, I can taste/ the unleavened bread of sacrifice.”
Thanks so much for hosting! I love and agree with the idea of changing our lens to give our work a new perspective.
I am in this week with a Stanley Kunitz poem.
And, I’m not really offering revision suggestions, but I had fun breaking your journal entry into lines — the journal entry itself is so lovely!
You have to know the tides.
Deception is easy
looking off at the horizon
reflecting on blue water.
The rocky beach offers smooth stones
for your collection.
We don’t have rocks like these at home
where the beaches are sand & shells,
Gulf, not Pacific.
I close my eyes & breathe in the salty air,
listen to the soft hum of the waves.
Adventure, danger, deception.
Comfort, peace,
all right with the world.
I have my place on top of this jutting black rock.
I taste the seaweed & salt.
Be alert, pay attention.
Be still and know.
Gift of sea, air, smooth stones.
Even though I am a mere speck of sand or a single stone, I have a name.
Thanks for this, Karen. Sometimes when I write a poem from my journal I overwork it and I should just keep it natural and fresh.
Oh, no, I love the poem version, too!
Thank you for hosting!
Thank you for hosting. I love this line: In the grit on my tongue, I can taste
the unleavened bread of sacrifice.
I love how sensory your poem is, Margaret–lovely! Happy Poetry Friday!
Be still and know. Thank you.
The poem and the pictures create a wonderful swirl. All of my senses are pleased.
Thanks for hosting.
Margaret, I can understand why being in a place called Deception Pass got you going—and what a beautiful place! We do all deceive ourselves into thinking we have only one or two clear lenses at our disposal, but sometimes the blurriness of an unfamiliar lens clears the vision. Right?
very beautiful
Thanks for hosting.
My selection is “Poem runs: baseball poems and paintings” by Douglas Florian.
Margaret, I just realized that, for some reason, my comment never went through…but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your poem! I can’t offer many suggestions to improve it…although it might be interesting if you drop the last 2 lines. What do you think about ending it with “bread of sacrifice?” It’s such a powerful stanza I don’t think you need more…but that’s just my 2 cents! Have a great weekend!
(tapping a the door, very late for the party…) – Margaret! Thanks so much for hosting this week. What gorgeous photos and writing, too. The nice thing about coming in so late to add a comment is I can kind of say, “Yes – that’s what I thought, too!” to the previously written ones!
Buffy picked my favorite phrase – “even though I am a mere speck of sand or a single stone, I have a name.” April shared that LBH advice that I also was fortunate to hear in a workshop he led years ago, and I hear it every time I write a poem! And Karen’s twist on making a poem more directly from the journal resonated with me – I love the voice of your journal entry. So interesting to see your process – the poem definitely has more “grit” and danger and drama, and that makes it interesting for sure! – and I can see two terrific poem possibilities; one perhaps highlighting the danger/deception aspect, and the other more quiet and deep, like a prayer. All so wonderful – thank you for sharing!
Thanks for coming in, even if you are a few minutes late. Thanks so much for your comment. This community of writers is always so supportive that I am learning more and more to trust my own voice and get that mind control thing out of the way. Thanks for the advice to make two different poems.