Once again, I am inspired by Molly Hogan’s photography. She starts each day with a blank canvas, or what would have been once called an empty roll of film. And she opens her lens for discoveries and wonder.
This photo appeared last week in my Facebook feed. The whimsy of it grabbed me. Molly thinks the duckling is a common eider, not a duck we have in the deep south.
Please join me in writing a small poem today, inspired by this image. Leave your poem in the comments. Read other poems and comment. Come back to read any comments you receive. Here there is no judgement; we hold each other up.
Flip-flap!
Splish-splat!I toddle
on my new legs,just like
Margaret Simon, flash draft
That!
Reflections on the Teche 
Oh, that is so cute! Love your sounds, Margaret!
Today?
The lake sings.
I flap.
I try.
I spread my wings.
In dreams,
I fly.
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
Such sweetness and yearning captured so sparely! That tiny guy does seem to be trying – and exuberant about coming into those wings. SO ADORABLE. Your verse brings the duckling’s little heart to life, Laurie. 🙂
Your mask poem extends my own. I love seeing them together.
Love the thoughts of baby eider growing up. Sweet.
Love the wistful nature of this 🙂
Laura*!
Molly does get the most amazing shots. This is so precious! You captured the sweet-baby newness, Margaret. I wanted to capture the little duck’s seeming wonder and joy as well … don’t know why the nonet form should come to mind first, but I’m going with it …
Oh! The sun’s so bright, water’s so wet!
Wanna see how wet I can get…
Oh! I can run! I can – flap!
But not fly. No, not yet.
Hi, Sky! You’re so blue
I’ll come to you
by and by.
Oh my!
Life!
ooooh this form does work! And, babies make us want to rhyme. Love by and by…it’s an old phrase. A very sweet poem.
I really like the nonet here and you definitely captured the wonder and joy 🙂
This form does work well. I like the conversation between duck and sky. Hi, sky has the innocent voice of a child.
One two
river blue
three four
goodbye shore
five six
Swimming tricks
seven eight
getting late
nine ten
home again
draft! I’m not happy with that last rhyme quite yet.
oh, and I never check my grammar/spelling enough before posting…that word, “swimming should NOT be capitalized.”
So cute – I felt like a child again myself, chanting that old “buckle my shoe” rhyme. Such happiness in it!
Oh, Linda. This is delightful. “River blue, swimming tricks…” Love the adaptation of the rhyme to this little duckling.
The form is perfect for your poem, Linda and I think the ending rhyme works well! Love it!
I love all the light-hearted verse responses! Here is my quick draft:
Oops!
Splish! Splash!
Teeter, totter!
Better get back
into water!
I love the whimsical rhythm of this; I could clap it with my grandsons.
Perfect! That little eider is just stealing our hearts today. Since I’m off fb, I do miss your photos terribly!
So so cute and fun – your verse captures the baby-ness of the duckling so well. I think we’re all drawn to nursery rhyme-like verse because the duck is so little and seems exuberant – so happy. This endearing photo pulls on the heartstrings!
Margaret, I just realized I never said how much I enjoyed your poem! It’s great to read aloud! I can just imagine you sharing it with your grandbabies!