I hope this post finds you happy and healthy and enjoying the last dog days of summer. My friend, fellow teacher-poet Molly Hogan has been getting outside and taking amazing photos in nature. I borrowed this photo from her Facebook page. She identified the flower as phlox. The water droplets transform this image into something new entirely. I’ve been watching a great white egret appear on the bayou each day, so my haiku turns the image to the egret. Use your imagination and write a small poem in the comments. Be sure to read others and encourage with your responses.
White wings drape water,
Margaret Simon, draft
bloom droplets of crystal grace
Egret makes no waves
Reflections on the Teche 
gentle rain
the world is turned
upside down
PS — thank you for your lovely egret, standing without making waves.
Even with a gentle rain, the world can be changed. We’ve finally had a few drops here and slightly lower temperatures. Thanks for dropping by to write today.
ahh…yes! I see that egret now, hanging by his toes 🙂
I feel the cooling, refreshing relief in this poem, Mary Lee.
I see the egret upside down 🙂
“gentle rain” – so soothing
I see the upside-down egret, also! I also thought if you live in an area like I do that has been receiving record breaking rainfall in a summer, then you might mean gentle rain can turn into tons of rain flooding creeks, rivers, houses, tearing up roads… “the world is turned/
upside down.” I like both interpretations.
Just sooo beautiful photo and poem!
Jo Taylor
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And I wonder what the egret might think of such a temptress!
bejeweled, baubles
drip, dangle like lazy days
phlox calls old egret
We could make this a haiku conversation. Love how the phlox calls to the egret.
“Baubles” is such a perfect word — almost bubbles, but not quite!
love the idea of a conversation
I love your poem full of sounds, “lazy days” and a phone call between two friends! I adore the line “phlox calls old egret” great imagination.
I really like how this plays with Margaret’s image – and I love the line “dangle like lazy days”
vivid word choices and enticing alliteration creates fresh imagery, Patricia!
Margaret, your haiku is so beautiful in every way, using such evocative imagery. Here’s my draft
water droplets on
white phlox petals
reflect,
contain,
hold
an entire garden
Jane Heitman Healy, draft
I love how the reflection in the droplets look like a whole garden.
droplets of hope! 🙂
Agree!!
I love that garden reflection. Thanks for including it in your poem.
I love the idea of the droplets reflecting, containing, and holding an entire garden!
Thank you, all!
Thanks for the invitation to use imagination, Margaret. Where you saw an egret, my mind went to my mother dressing for an evening out, perhaps dancing. I loved watching her get ready.
the final touch
before evening elegance
crystal beads
dance from each ear
sealing the memory
What a lovely memory!
Lovely memory.
Rose, such a beautiful poem and memory! I love the crystal beads dancing “sealing the memory.”
Oh, the crystal beads, dancing!
love “crystal beads/dance” –lovely, Rose
Crystalline beauty
Drops from morning’s white petals
Exquisite release
Amanda, such a beautiful haiku; I love it. I love your use of “crystalline beauty /
drops from morning’s white petals.” Great surprise ending.
Lovely!
Beautiful haiku.
ooh! beautiful with a surprising last line, Amanda
Margaret, I see your beautiful egret. I love your haiku especially this line, “bloom droplets of crystal grace.” Great surprise ending. I love Molly’s beautiful photo that is perfect for poems. I saw a veiled woman praying or holding a crystal or crystal ball and a praying bride with crystals in her gown. Maybe I saw a woman praying because a student I’m tutoring read a book with a praying mantis in it, which led to a good discussion.
veiled, gowned in crystals,
garden phlox gives a
crystal ball to full moon
I thank both Molly and you for the inspiration. 🙂
Someone praying is a beautiful image,Gail.
Thank you, Rose, so you see someone praying, too. Such an amazing photo!
Having seen the full moon last night, I like the personification of the phlox.
Thank you, Margaret; I love to play with personification.
This is magical, Gail!
Thank you, Jane; that photo is magical. Molly definitely has a photographer’s eye!