Yesterday I walked two miles with my dog, Charlie.
Today, I only made time for one.
Yesterday, I attended a Zoom yoga class.
Today, I’m burning incense.
Yesterday, I wrote three poems.
Today, I’m writing this Slice.
Yesterday, I watched a new Netflix series.
Today, I am watching a tele-conference with colleagues.
Yesterday, I bought groceries and a pot of flowers.
Today, my cat is trying to eat the flowers.
Yesterday, I saw hummingbirds at the feeder.
Today, I hear chickadees in the cypress tree.
Yesterday, I sent a Facebook birthday message.
Today two of my daughter’s friends had babies,
(Welcome Cameron and Georgia!)
Yesterday, we watched the news.
Today, I don’t want to.
Reflections on the Teche 
Your poem is uplifting on many levels, Margaret. Flowers, births, birds, writing – so many things to be thankful for. I love the structure, and by the way, I don’t want to watch the news anymore, either.
Love the rhythm and structure you created in this slice, Margaret! All the hopeful lines you wrote, only to end on the reality of what the news brings these days.
What catches my attention here is all the ways the days are different. Right now, my days seem really similar – they blend into one another. Here, you show that the details make the difference. I hope Fancy stops eating those flowers & welcome to those two new babies!
I didn’t realize the uniqueness of each day until I started writing this. I’ve gotten out the spray bottle to warn Fancy away from the flowers. Funny, though, I encouraged her to come near them when I was setting up the photo.
I love this, and it is a wonderful prompt. I especially liked the buying the flowers and the cat trying to eat the flowers. I wrote something similar once using a “In the morning…, in the evening…” structure. As Amanda says above, it’s an excellent way of focusing in on each day to find the differences and the similarities. Thank you.
The tried and true proves itself a classic under your hand, Margaret. A touch of beauty here, a dash of humor there – a true and compelling whole. I hope Fancy does NOT the gorgeous hydrangea. I love the incense (smelling it as I write – sensing the holiness it’s meant to impart) and I am not watching the news today, either. Today the windows are up and the sun is shining in.
Always love your mention of cypress.
I feel like the cypress tree or bayou make it into every poem I write. They are a mainstay.
I love this structure. Why haven’t I heard of it before. Sometimes the simplest things are the most powerful. Love your poem!
Great structure! Yesterday and today slice in one.
I love this format and am inspired to write my own. đŸ™‚
[…] comment from a Slice of a Life post found as I read Reflections on the Teche provided me with this idea for a […]
This structure makes such a nice poem! I love seeing the differences and similarities….You’ve made me want to sit down and examine my days to see if they have as many interesting little details as yours. đŸ™‚ ~JudyK
If I wrote a yesterday and today, I am not so sure I would find much difference in the two! Maybe I need to do a little more noticing in the differences!
Oh, I like this form, Margaret, all the lovely details that make life, good things like groceries and flowers and cats. Wonderful to hear about new babies, too!
The contrasts bring such depth to what seems like a simple structure. Glad there are some joyful moments to celebrate along with the heaviness of the news. And that picture! So fun!
I do like this structure (and that photo!). Every day feels exactly the same to me right now, and I think I need to write one of these to find the differences!
Such a great writing form to use – I will try it. I was thinking you could use it to describe life before the virus and life today – but maybe I’ll wait to do that until things are back to more normal. More encouraging that way. Meanwhile, I love the ways these identical days really do seem different when you narrate them like this.