Happy May Day! My daughter sent this message in our text group: “Friday the first of May is the most powerful day of 2026 so far…strongest full moon and it’s when the Fire horse begins galloping so it will force you to get rid of what you no longer need in your life bc Fire horse can’t gallop with baggage.”
I worked with first graders this week in a workshop called “Chalkabration.” I think I love first graders. We wrote poems with the line “Summer is…” using all of the senses, “I hear…I see…”
Today is also the first Friday of the month which means Inklings Challenge. Heidi challenged us to “Celebrate May by writing a poem that Maykes use of the verbs may, might, could, can, ought.”
First Graders Cheat at Mother, May I
When lines are drawn
rules are made,
Or where there’s an “ought to”
seven year olds will push,
split, cross, test.
Mother nature made us to question
boundaries, “Who am I?”
A galloping competitor or a friendly companion?
Choices might change everything.
Margaret Simon, draft
To see how other Inklings met this challenge:
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Catherine @Reading to the Core
Molly @Nix the Comfort Zone
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Mary Lee @Another Year of Reading
The Progressive Poem is new hit wonder of The Land of Poetry. See the final poem here.
Reflections on the Teche 
Your title almost made me spit my tea! And that last line. Oof. This poem is perfection!
Margaret, your first paragraph made me want to run to my attic with a trash bag and start the ol’ heave ho. First Graders Cheat at Mother, May I is adorable and so accurate!! ❤
Again, I envy your work with students Margaret. They can be so accurate – even when they don’t know it! What fun! I’m glad you had the chance to experience first grade joy!
I love first graders, too! And your poem is spot on. Thank you!
This chalk creativity is bright & full of Light, Margaret. Your poem idea of those small feet pushing forward across the start line in “Mother, May I…’ make me smile.
[I recently looked at several blogs comparing Amazon, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press & another named one I’m fuzzy brained about at the moment… perhaps Blurb? I can send you the links in email if you’d like in case they are helpful for your many many more great future book projects. The summary was that with IngramSpark, there was the hope of live chats, live emails & even a real People Person on a phone, onece, if I remember correctly. One blog writer guessed that AI was answering some of the author-customer Qs for one of the printer-publishers….
this is an add from Jan to previous thoughts…
Margaret, my fuzz- brain just discovered the fantastic news that the bayou bird board book is from a University Press! Many melodies of marvelousness, sung to creative you, for this great wonderful goodness!
Oh your poem reminds me of working with youngers so much! I might have to buy chalk and have a chalk-a-bration with second graders when I sub in June.I’m sorry about Amazon.
Oh, wonderful! I love that Fire Horse has shown up today with your first graders and MAY! Wheeeeee! The energy is palpable in the photos and the testing of boundaries. I gave eighth graders some indoor snowballs today and just giggled at how they turned into little kids again. Aren’t we all in the end?
I love how you fit that firehorse in your last line and the pushing and testing throughout the poem, terrific! The pics are wonderful so full of life and joy, thanks for all Margaret!
Margaret, what a fun post. I love the photos and joy in Chalkabration. Your poem is great and captures some of the challenges of being seven! Nice use of the “Maykes” prompt using Mother, May I? and the idea of children questioning boundaries.
Margaret, I love your photos (is it summer there already?) and your poem, with its fantastic title, turns so interestingly into a firehorse moment of choice. Well done!
Margaret, as I read and reread your poem, I thought back on little first graders and their ability to push,
split, cross, test. Your connection of thoughts from daughter to children, puts a strong light on the Fire Horse at the end of National Poetry Month and the power of choice.
Your poem title (which I love!) suggests a light hearted poem, but you managed to pack in quite a hefty message. Well done! I love seeing how creatively you’re using your time during retirement. PS I’m going to linger with the idea from your first paragraph that “fire horse can’t gallop with baggage.”
First graders and CHALK may be the best!
I love Heidi’s challenge and love those first-graders, too, Margaret! This is wonderful.
I’m also ready to shed some baggage — thanks for the Fire Horse’s encouragement. 🙂