I am currently writing in a hotel room in SandDestin, Florida. We are being completely quiet to not wake up my sleeping grandson. My daughter has business here, so I came along to help with Thomas. (His daycare is on a summer break.) The beach views are wonderful, but I can’t take Thomas out on the beach because he hates the way the sand feels on his feet. We spent more time playing in the kiddie pool. He also enjoys running down the hotel hallways and hearing his voice echo. Oh, the joys of being a toddler!
I took a few beach pictures on my phone, but I flipped back to Hope Dublin’s Instagram photos (@hopesview2021) and found this amazing one of flying seagulls. My summer days come to an end this Friday when teachers return to school.
Please join me today by writing a small poem in the comments. Support other writers with comment replies.
Sand tickles my toes
Margaret Simon, draft
while seagulls float on air
sing an August song.
Reflections on the Teche 
What would it be like
to relax my whole body
feet dangling
arms spread wide
and let the wind do all the work?
Sending lots of positive thoughts for a school-year filled with joy and creativity!
Ah yes! Let the wind do all the work.
looooooovely–I don’t have flying fantasies often, but seagulls always make me wish….
I wonder too!
Yes! I love the image of freedom here – relax and let something else do all the work.
Wow, what a great image and question poem. I thin it would be amazing.
oh, I love that pic of Thomas! He’s such a beautiful child. How funny that sand is not good for him right now. Maybe he’ll be a neat kid.
Yes, let’s sing an August song! So far, nice here…great walks in the evening.
one ocean
three gulls
+ infinite cumulocirrus clouds
= perfect flight to memory
Oh love an equation with this sum, perfect flight to memory.
I hope you do have those memories to return to, Linda! I do love an equation poem.
And equation poem! I especially like the line “+infinite cumulocirrus clouds” and am reminded that poetry & science really belong together.
Linda, I love you equation poem especially “+ infinite cumulo cirrus clouds.” I love watching the clouds especially in the summer.
Two excellent photos! All the best for a safe start to your year.
we dip our heads in ocean ink
and write FLIGHT
on the sky with our beaks
Love ocean ink. These poems all converse so well with each other.
Heidi, wow to “ocean ink” any your personification!
I love the idea of writing FLIGHT
Love “ocean ink”
Wishing you well in the coming year, Margaret.
Up in the air
as free as can be—
What do you wonder?
What do you see?
I felt compelled to also write something to go with the sweet picture of Thomas. Love that he knows his initial and yours.
knowing who you are
begins with
knowing who you love
Love your little ditty rhyme but your poem for Thomas warms my heart.
I, too, saw freedom in this picture. Your questions are spot on! I also really like the little poem for Thomas – simple and perfect.
Rose, nice rhyming, questions, and repetition. I love “knowing who you love.”
Oh, my goodness….that’s such a perfect little poem for Thomas! love it.
“August song” indeed! I’m listening to that song through the wind in the trees at a lakeside cottage right now.
We’ve got a few more weeks before back to school and I’m thinking a lot about being a little more free, a little less “good” as we go back with covid still dogging us. Maybe that’s why Mary Oliver slipped into my thinking when I saw the picture – so I went with a golden shovel
Golden Shovel from Mary Oliver “You do not have to be good”
High above, as you
do whatever it is you do
at the beach, you watch seagulls become not
simply squawking scavengers. Now you see that they have
white plumage and black heads and jaws designed to
unhinge and swallow life; now, between you and the blue sky, they be-
come soaring emblems of all that is good.
And that picture of Thomas is so cute that I had to write him a poem, too. This time I went with an acrostic.
Thomas at the computer
This world, sweet boy,
Holds moment after moment
Of unfettered delight. You are
Made for learning
And bound for discovery.
Savour it all.
Amanda, you picked my number one favorite line of poetry. I repeat it as a mantra as self-compassion. I love the poem you built around it and how it speaks to the symbol of freedom we often see in gulls. Thanks for the Thomas acrostic. I need to start a little notebook for him and save this.
Amanda, how I love Mary Oliver’s poetry! Your poem is beautiful and true for me. I love your poem about Thomas especially these word choices: “holds moment after moment, unfettered delight,” and “savour it all.”
Margaret,
What a sweet time with Thomas for you. At least you got to have a little tour tickling in the sand. Lovely images, all, in your poem.
Those birds reminded me of feeding chips to seagulls somewhere in my past. They were so cheeky and demanding that I became a bit intimidated. This is the only poem I have today.
One
One, two
One, two, three
Three gulls above
Intimidating
The picnickers below
Hover and wait for handouts
Ready to grab any stray bites
Handsome in their tuxedos of flight
Denise, I resonate with your poem because it happened once to my cousin’s family and our family on a crowed Cape Cod beach. A seagull stole the sandwich right out of her toddler’s hands! I love to watch the gracefulness and ingenuity of seagulls at the ocean.
I love your personification “handsome in their tuxedos of flight.”
Ha! Tuxedos of flight….gives new meaning to the idea of a flight suit.
Oh my, Thomas is so precious. He seems to become cuter with every photo. I am glad you’ve had this interlude with your grandson before school starts. Sending you happy thoughts for your new school year. I love the images in your poem especially “sand tickles my toes.” Thank you for your inspiration. Here’s my draft in Thomas’ voice:
T For Thomas. M For Mamere
Seagull cries pierce the day,
seagull footprints wash away,
sand sticks to my toes, no way.
No sand in the pool, yay.
Mamere and I splash today.
Let’s run down the hallway.
L for love. P for play.
Thomas loves to play
with Mamere, everyday.
Gail Aldous
Wow! A personalized poem for the pair of Thomas and Mamere…that is very special. I hope Margaret prints these out for him.
Linda, thank you. I HAD to write about Thomas. I love when Margaret shares news and photos about her grandchildren.