While the news of the world has most of us down and wondering what will happen next, my fellow poets and I turn to nature. Molly Hogan lets her eye find solace in nature in her poem this week. Linda Mitchell has haiku to share. And Catherine Flynn shares “Making Peace”
by Denise Levertov, “The poets must give us the imagination of peace…”
For more links to poetry peace, click over to Sally Murphy’s site. Sally is an Australian author supporting #authorsforfireys on Twitter, an auction to help fire relief in Australia.
I was recently driving to New Orleans on a stormy day, but the closer I got to Nola, the clouds turned red from the setting sun and a rainbow appeared. Who doesn’t love a good rainbow to inspire promise?
But I was driving, so taking a picture was tricky, and writing a poem impossible. Later I tried dictating my idea into the notes app. Some of the words recorded. Enough for the idea to germinate into this draft.
A car wizzes past
going 85 or 90 miles an hour.
Weaving in and out, the driver
couldn’t have noticed the sun
drawing light into the clouds
like a bonfire on a cold night,
Or the rainbow that appeared
streaking more red than any
rainbow I’ve ever seen.
I slowed to snap a picture,
longing to forget the speeding car,
the violent news of the day,
and drive into the sunset
with the promise of a rainbow.
Margaret Simon, draft 2020
Reflections on the Teche 
What a rainbow! I do hope you pulled over to take that photo. I love these lines from your poem: “the sun
drawing light into the clouds
like a bonfire on a cold night”
I find such such solace in nature, but it’s tricky when I turn to nature for comfort and the natural world is being ravaged before my eyes. Thank you for leaving us with a hopeful note of promise.
When I saw “red” in your header, I came right over. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this… how unusual and beautiful! xo
Wow! Cool photo and poem. I’ve seen too many superhero movies because that looks like somebody’s hammer (or whatever) is shooting light out of the sky at somebody on the ground.
What a rainbow, Margaret & the poem, too, reflects your honesty to try and drive into that rainbow instead of worry about the news, again.
OH, my! how unusual….and beautiful. What a lovely inspiration for your poem. Thank goodness for voice recorders. They can really help out in a place like a car, when you are driving! I was just over on twitter and saw a photo of a sunrise and snowflakes at the same time. It was also unusual and I just had to stop and write something!
red rainbow! Who knew! Thanks for sharing this experience. And I can so relate to those moments of inspiration that come when driving and that urge to capture them – as well as my amazement when the cars around me seem oblivious tot he wonder.
That rainbow is incredible! Isn’t it amazing how one image can create such a hold on our thoughts? It’s been cloudy pretty much all week, but the clouds parted long enough for a few glimpses of a stunning full moon. Of course I had to write a poem about it. Here’s to the promise your rainbow holds.
The weather is and I suppose has always been an overwhelming presence. Seeing the poetry (and the rainbows) in it is a gift.
A magic moment–I like how the poem zooms in at 90 mph and then s l o w s way down for the red signal of the rainbow. Nice for Irene and for us!
Thanks for noticing. Quite by accident. But then maybe not.
wow! What a gorgeous rainbow and poem. I’m glad you were able to capture enough words to inspire this draft. Here’s to more rainbow promises for our world.
Love your longing to “…drive into the sunset
with the promise of a rainbow.”
So glad you were able to capture enough of your thinking to come back to create this poem!
What a lovely poem, Margaret. Sometimes ‘slow’ brings the most magical gifts.
Quite an image that red streak, perhaps a sign, and thank goodness for nature to distract us away from the din that lies at our ears each day. Thanks for this space of solace in your poem and image Margaret.
Margaret, I often get inspired by natural beauty as I drive and sights spark my writing. Your find is a unique one in my area. You captured it well in both a fleeting photo and words. It is unfortunate that a speeding driver distracted you. The news seems to be a huge distractor these days.