My classroom neighbor is connected with a door between our rooms. Often she or I will knock and visit. One of those visits I talked about my weekly blog post of a photo, and she showed me photographs from her dance troupe. I was moved by the seeming still life of a dancer in flight. Kim got permission from both the photographer, Jon Rabalais, and the dancer, Lacey LeBlanc, for me to post this photo as a poem prompt. I hope you are inspired as I was to write about this amazing photo. Thanks to Jon and Lacey for sharing it with us.
My poem is a bit of word play, changing nouns to verbs. I enjoyed creating my poem. Please leave a small poem in the comments and encourage other writers with your comments. Honor the artistry of dance and photography with words.
I bird-dance
Margaret Simon, draft
fling-flash
my winged hands
I leg-lift
flamingo-stance
prance
I body-rise
The Kidlit Progressive Poem is gaining suspense in the garden. Check out today’s line at Carol’s blog: https://theapplesinmyorchard.com/
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret, your action-packed poem reflects the stunning photo in both words and shape! Wow!
with muscular grace,
the dancer leaps,
launches,
and
lands.
Jane Heitman Healy, draft
Beautiful alliteration!
Agree! Wonderful alliteration, Jane—I particularly love the image of “launches”!
Great action in your l-words!
“muscular grace” Wow, Jane. Yes, indeed, muscular grace. And I love that word “launches” because she really needs to do that to get air under her.
Margaret, I absolutely love how you’ve captured the movement from this fabulous still photo by using verbs as the distinctive nouns!
I will never be midair again
but know the memory
of flying arms attached but free
legs muscle-fierce cutting air
yet poised in perfect turnout
for one brief flash
of hot white time.
Carol Coven Grannick, draft
I love “muscle-fierce” and that brief flash of time. The flash of the camera echoed in your poem.
“legs muscle-fierce” is a fabulous description!
Carol, your poem shows you know about dancing. “flash of hot white time” is an amazing phrase.
Carol, Love “muscle-fierce” and the brilliance of the memory, the action and control of the dance–and the poem.
Wow. This is some photo! Love Margaret’s “my winged hands” and Jane’s “muscular grace” and Carol’s “muscle-fierce.” Kudos all… Mine feels like two pieces that don’t unite yet, but maybe that will come later…
Dancer
An angel alights
A warrior drills down
A wasp hones in
An osprey plunges
In twilight …
Her magnificent
fierce form
reflects light
in the shadows.
© Karen Eastlund, draft
I love these multiple and differing visions of the dancer, Karen!
So interesting that both you and Carol used “fierce.” I also like all the different perspectives.
Karen, these are such powerful and varying images for the dancer’s pose and form—and I love the last image of her “fierce form” reflecting “light in the shadows”.
Karen, so many wonderful images of what she looks like here. I see each of them!
Karen, each of your images is appropriate and imaginative. I love that the ending reflects light.
Your word play is delicious, Margaret.
Ready to pounce
This winged creature takes flight
Caught in time and place
Captured
Rose, what a wonderful take on the dancer’s readiness to “pounce” and then be “captured” in the stillness of the photo!
Rose, I love the two meanings of captured here. Lovely!
What a pairing, Margaret ~ beautiful photo, beautiful poem.
Margaret, your poem is so beautiful. I read it this morning, and it was enough! “I bird-dance” “I body rise” are just two of the beauties. Your poem is perfect for the image. Here is a small Fibonacci poem today.
Four
limbs
strong, whole–
launched up, then
grace alights and bows
What a nice fib! Love the grace bowing at the end.
Lovely!
Denise, I love the perfect sparseness of your poem.
Denise, I love “grace alights”—a beautiful match and image!
The photographer sent this poem:
Plié
Pointe
Extend
contract
PUSH
In that half second
The blissful bird takes flight
Forever suspended in mind
Forever suspended in time
Exhale
contact
grounded in achievement
Laughter
glee
with every flash begins
A new spark
a dream
a cherished time
with my friend
Thank you for sharing. The poem is as stunning as the photograph.
Oh, this is wonderful, Margaret! I love the addition of laughter and glee in this intense activity of the dancer!