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Archive for December, 2018

#HaikuforHope: Seeking

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , on December 5, 2018| 3 Comments »

 

Our paths turn and turn
we seek the light of knowledge
a labyrinth of faith

(c) Margaret Simon
#haikuforhope

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#HaikuforHope: Slice of Life: No explanation given

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged , on December 4, 2018| 13 Comments »

See more posts at Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life .

I am participating in writing a haiku-a-day in the month of December.  Follow the hashtag #haikuforhope on Twitter to read and join in.

I had news of a tragic death by suicide this weekend.  A former student. A creative soul. An enthusiastic friend who loved without condition. Why? No one knows.  Not even the ones who were closest to him.

I wish there were some way I could remain a person in my students’ lives, someone they could call whenever they needed someone to talk to without judgement.  They enter my heart when they are so young, 8, 9, 10 year-olds who know so very little about what lies ahead, but they are full of curiosity and longing. I love them when I have them, then I have to let them go.  They continue to grow and change and become grown-ups.  I may find them again on social media, but there are no guarantees.  I have to trust that the world will be kind.

I don’t think the world was kind to Walt.  He never fit in, conforming was not a part of who he was or who he could be.  He wanted so much more than the world could give him.  I really don’t know what could have gone through his head to make him choose death instead of life.  I need to let go again.  I have to trust that he is where he needs to be now, in the arms of an angel in heaven who can love him forever.

 

 

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#HaikuforHope: Keep Paddling

Posted in Poetry, Writing, tagged , on December 3, 2018| 3 Comments »

Sunday afternoon was so gorgeous we had to stop and take a canoe trip down the bayou.  The temperatures were in the 70’s which we won’t likely see again for a while as December begins to roll in on cooler waves.  I really believe that the cypress trees are more beautiful this year with their bronze needles that still cling to the branches.  We stopped by a neighbor’s house and chatted with her while a fat water snake slithered from a nearby bush.  Yes, it freaked me out, and I became jumpy.  Everything became a snake: branches, leaves, jumping fish, scurrying squirrels. But soon my heebie-jeebies subsided, and I enjoyed the scenery.  With the still water, the reflections were picture perfect.

December on Bayou Teche by Margaret Simon

Dusk, hawks are hunting,
Scouting a slithering snake.
Keep paddle moving.

(c) Margaret Simon

 

 

 

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Sunday Stillness: #HaikuforHope

Posted in Poetry, tagged on December 2, 2018| 5 Comments »

December morning by Margaret Simon

I am writing a haiku each day in December along with others in the kidlitosphere.  This morning I woke up to this beautiful view with the morning light creating perfect reflections in the bayou water.  It was calling for a poem.  The words became something between a haiku (5,7,5 syllable count) and a tanka (5,7,5,7,7 syllables)

Sometimes light rises
so illuminating, bright,
all life pauses
to look at its reflection.

(c) Margaret Simon

Yesterday on my morning walk I gathered fall leaves.  I don’t remember having such colorful leaves before, but maybe I just didn’t notice.  Linda Baie wrote about pressing leaves between waxed paper with her grandchildren recently.  She reminded me of this activity, so I pressed my leaf collection and taped it into my art journal.  This is the completed page.

A leaf turns yellow
falls without making a sound–
Earth’s hush releases.

(c) Margaret Simon

If you would like to join in the challenge, use the hashtag #haikuforhope and follow @MaryLeeHahn and @flynn_catherine and @LBaie on Twitter.

 

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