Last Friday and into the beginning of this week, my students worked on heart maps inspired by Georgia Heard. To see their “maps” and poems, see this post.
I wrote an epistolary poem to the violin. Inspiration flowed when playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The violin is my favorite instrument. My grandmother was a violinist, though I never heard her play. When Jeff and I hear Cajun music, my favorites are the waltzes with dual fiddles. The instrument is universal to all kinds of music. In the poem, I used my One Little Word Still.
I have left a card on the kitchen counter for my husband. We’re in our 43rd year of marriage. I am blessed with long love. Here is the note (poem) I wrote for him.
Acknowledgement
“Acknowledge the many ways in which your life and relationships are good.” Enneathought of the Day 1/17/25
Life is good.
I don’t have to sit on the floor
for hours talking so you will understand,
but I would
and so would you.Even in the silence
of making the bed,
we hold each other.We can laugh at a photo
and bring it up later
with only a word;
giggles rumble
like rainbow bubbles
between us.We are not One.
We are Two
dancing a waltz
of life-is-good
together.Margaret Simon, draft
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope your heart is full. Take a peek at Carol Varsalona’s padlet. A few of my students are featured there.
Reflections on the Teche 
Acknowledgment can be a kind of gratitude, can’t it? Let’s hear it for long love!
I love that we both used inspiration from Georgia for our posts today, Margaret. “Dear Violin” was especially heartfelt to me as both my parents, as well as my sister and I, were all violinists. The violin will always hold a special place in my heart (although now I am learning the cello.) “Acknowledgment” is full of feeling – what a beautiful relationship you and your husband have! I especially loved “giggles rumble like rainbow bubbles.”
I’m impressed that you’ve played violin. My sister is trying cello. I’ve only ever played piano and I need to get back to it. My mother was a pianist. Thanks for picking out the one line that I thought was the corniest: “rainbow bubbles” is a reference to our grandchildren.
I love the violin too — your poem is beautiful. Thanks for also sharing your touching note to your husband. 🙂
Margaret,
Thank you for sharing both of these poems. and especially the one left for your husband. MY poem is one I wrote to mu. husband to day too. Your stanza:
Even in the silence
of making the bed,
we hold each other.
really choked me up. I can relate.
Cathy
Both of these are so beautiful!
“you travel miles to muse melody” is so beautiful.
Margaret, both of your poems are heartfelt and beautiful. Lines I especially love in Dear Violin are how you start with “your heart, muse melody, lifting strings from tones of fast fantasy / to enchanted lands of long ago.” I also like the ending and how you worked your OLW still in. In your husband’s poem I especially like the 2nd stanza “even in the silence of making the bed/ we hold each other, giggles rumble / like rainbow bubbles /between us.”
I especially love your poem to the violin because my youngest daughter has been played viola since 4th grade. Now, at 25 she graduated with her MS in music education, and she is teaching orchestra & lessons to 4th, 5th, & 6th graders. She also has a couple general music classes that she teaches to 4th & 5th graders. A few weeks ago, we traveled 3 hours to her school to see her conduct her students in their 1st concert. We are so proud of her! She loves her students!
I will look at your students’ heart poems. I love Georgia Heard’s heart map lessons. Also, maybe you might want to try learning violin. While my daughter, Heather was working on her MS, she taught string lessons to children and adults. She had two adult violin students. Heather says one of her instructors in college told her, when you learn at a young age to use both of your hands to do different things at the same time like in piano, strings, drums, then you learn other instruments easier than some people that play some band instruments. Therefore, you would probably learn violin quickly. Thank you for sharing.
How wonderful that your daughter enjoys teaching music. My mother was a piano teacher. I think I’ll stick with singing in the choir.
That’s wonderful that your mother was a piano teacher, and you are in a choir. I don’t have a good voice, either but my husband puts up with it the car. Both our daughters have good voices, though. Happy Valentine’s Day :)!
Both are so full of love for today, Valentine’s Day, Margaret! The love you show for the music of a violin feels like you are indeed the richer for its music. And, your love poem to your husband, sweetest words, lucky you!
My heart-instrument is classical guitar. I actually took lessons, even classes in the music school at university. I still have my guitar, but I’m only a listener now. I should write a love poem to my guitar…
Margaret, what lovely work to cheer up a bleak, verge-of-storm afternoon. I’ll have to be thinking of what my heart instrument is. Maybe the piano. I’m gaining a new violin appreciation after going to some classical-music concerts lately. And the cello? Knock me over with a feather.
Margaret, your two poems are so lovely. I love how music can “Still my worried mind.” Thank you for sharing your love poem with us too. I love the image of dancing partners at the end. Still two, becoming “life is good together”