When I was teaching, my students and I looked forward to the National Writing Project’s Write Out. It’s a yearly event in cooperation with the National Parks. We would make special “Write Out” journals and spend more time writing outside. I miss those days, but I enjoy the luxury of a long walk through the park each morning. I enjoy having time with a cup of coffee and my notebook. I enjoy sharing coffee with a friend. Retirement is wonderful, but I miss writing in community.
Write Out leader Christina Cantrell has created a community online for us to share our writing in the NWP teacher studio. Every other day there is a prompt/ writing challenge. Kim Douillard of the San Diego Writing Project’s is posting on her blog. So I am finding a virtual community to write alongside.
Tuesday’s challenge was to write from kilo, a Hawaiian traditional practice of observation. You can see a short video here.
Kim suggested we share a Google doc of prompts. I have been reading Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s book The Wonderment. I added a prompt using her poem “For This I Walk Outside.” I love the conversational tone and accessible language of Rosemerry’s poetry. I borrowed a line from her poem as the title for mine.
Outside Everything is Teacher*
Setting into soil
a golden marigold,
I noticed a white chrysalis hanging
on the edge of the pot.
I spoke to it in a whisper,
“Sorry to disturb your rest.”
As I gently placed the pot
near a metal pumpkin,
the chrysalis moved,
bent toward the edge
as if hiding,
curling into protection.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a chrysalis move,
shape-shift, be alive.
Tomorrow I hope to witness
an emerging butterfly.
Proof that magic
still lives.
Margaret Simon, draft
*line from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Margaret—what beautiful poem that flew from the chrysalis of the kilo. I also love writing in community—with my students and with you too!
Beautiful poem, proof that creativity itself is magic!
Your poem fulfills the promise of the title, Margaret. Lovely!
I love the whole idea of outdoors being the teacher! You poem is so beautiful. My son and his daughter found a chrysalis. They were so inspired they researched the kind and how to protect it til next spring when it opens. You inspire me every time I read your posts.
I’m glad you have writing communities still, Margaret.
Your “curling for protection” and “shape-shift, be alive” are so lovely.
What a magical experience, and you expressed it beautifully in your poem. I imagine when the butterfly emerges you’ll write another poem. 🙂
Margaret,thank you for your background information on kilo. Observing nature opens eyes to be in the moment. That you did so well.
Oh, wow! What a neat experience into poem. That writing at your table stage…you are also a chrysalis. “Proof that magic still lives” is a great ending for an October poem of butterfly, marigold, pumpkin. Lovely.
I really enjoyed the video about Kilo. I usually do this out in nature but never had a name for it. Such a great skill to slow us down and notice the little things, as you did. You’ll have to share a pic of the butterfly when he emerges. Thanks for such an informative post
What a great example of kilo. I, too, speak to my plants and to the birds. I love this last line, “Proof that magic still lives.”
Magic? Meaning spring in autumn? Is it normal for a chrysalis to form in October? That feels like magic to me!
Is it only outside that everything is teacher, or is that outside we are more attentive, awake, available to be taught? You know what I think! “Sorry to disturb your rest.” : )
Huzzah for virtual communities! (The PF community means to world to me.) ❤️ And huzzah for this lovely poem. I loved the surprise of your seeing life and movement in the chrysalis!
What a moment, captured so beautifully in your poem!