I miss traveling. I usually have a trip or two planned for the summer. A few summers ago my husband and I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest. The beaches there are very different from Gulf Coast beaches. For one thing, the temperatures are colder. With our heat rising to 95 or more degrees these days, I wish for the cool breeze of a Northwest beach.
My friend, JoAnne Duncan lives in Washington state within driving distance of beautiful mountains and beaches. She’s traveling near Seattle this week. She’s been posting some gorgeous photos of her trip on Facebook. This one just begged to be a poem.
I am a feather
Margaret Simon, draft
tethered
to blue stones
tossed from sea.
Notice me
before I fly.
Take a minute to look outside at this image, look inside to your heart, and put down a few words, 16 or so, in the comments as a small poem. Please encourage other writers with your comments. Poetry is balm.
Reflections on the Teche 
Lovely imagery and image Margaret–I can imagine feather lifting off,
“untethered” and flying free…
Thanks for sharing this striking image! Here’s what came to mind:
Feather
undulates
towards sky–
Proud remnant
and reminder of
proud peoples
still fighting
for indigenous
rights
Michelle Kogan
Love the nod to indigenous rights.
Michelle–I love the direction you took with your poem. Proud symbol, indeed!
Michelle, wow! Your words are powerful and nice alliteration. Love this!
This is a beautiful photograph, Margaret! I love the personification and internal rhyme in your poem. Here’s my quick response:
Amidst a melody
of blues,
one single feather,
earthbound,
retains the memory
of flight.
Nice. I love the idea of being the one.
Memory of flight amidst the blues sums up how I’ve been feeling lately.
Your bittersweet poem reminds me of something lost and refound, and your alliteration m moves the poem along nicely.
Molly, my last comment was for you. Sorry. I thought I replied my your name.
“notice me” brings our eyes right to the feather…all our attention. Well done.
sky
foaming tide
wind blast
strength last?
pray
stand
fast
Your single word lines along with the rhyming words create a word image of the feather.
Linda, love your rhyme and all of your words, especially, the image of, “foaming tide!”
Here’s hoping we can all “stand fast”! The concrete look of your poem works well, too!
Margaret, what a beautiful photo and poem! Great personification! Your lines, “ Notice me/ before I fly, make me think of how important little pieces of nature are and how we need to install that in children. Look at the the bits in nature that bring one peace before they fly away. My mind went all over on this one until I looked back at your words, “look inside your heart.” Thank you!
gulls cry
warm sand
waves bubble
rejuvenation
I love how you found your way in with “rejuvenation!”
Thank you, Margaret. The ocean, a mountain, a forest, or a wee bit of nature, children, poetry…rejuvenate me.
I also like the ending on rejuvenation. Notes of positivity are always welcome these days!
Thank you, Molly. Absolutely, whatever and wherever you receive positivity or peace.
Wow! I love how you change the mood to positivity. “Amidst a melody/of blues” and “retains the memory/of flight” spoke volumes to me.
Thanks, Gail 🙂
[…] In a few free moments last night I wrote a poem to the photo prompt Margaret Simon posted Wednesday night, THIS PHOTO WANTS TO BE A POEM… Thanks Margaret! Go check out the other poems written to this gorgeous and mysterious feather prompt at her blog REFLECTIONS ON THE TECHE. […]
[…] not know this, but Margaret also offers up a weekly poetry prompt each Thursday morning titled “This Photo Wants To Be A Poem”. It’s fun to participate, sharing quick responses and commenting on those of others. This […]
This photograph is hauntingly beautiful. I love your tension between feather and tethered, both in the sound and the idea of lightness and flight being anchored! Here’s a quick attempt to convey what it says to me:
Here I stand
in an alien land, grounded
after flight.
Stiff with the salt
of my own tears,
I must not falter
or fear. Stand
with me.
“Stiff with the salt of my own tears” is so touching. Yes, I’ll stand with you. Thanks for writing.