As we finish the two wonderful weeks of #writeout with the National Writing Project and the National Parks, I offer two poems I wrote during the week. The first was inspired by Kim Douillard’s poem “Wishing”.
Wishing
On butterfly wings,
flutters around marigolds
while white chrysalises
line the doorway,
waiting.
Wishing on egret’s silhouette
for fresh water,
open, untouched
by empty styrofoam
and sinking plastic bags.
Wishing for a future
of ecological awareness,
more scout heroes,
preservation
of the wild ones
we love.
Margaret Simon, draft
This second poem was inspired by a prompt from Audrey Gidman. I chose 6 words from a poetry book by my friend/ fellow Louisiana poet Liz Burk, “Learning to Love Louisiana.”
Look
In the window,
a reflection—
rippling golden light,
mossy dank threads
spun like crepe paper
careening haphazardly
over branches
building a scene
of an old steel mirror
of autumn’s grace.
Margaret Simon, draft
Margaret, your poems speak to my heart today, especially Wishing, middle stanza, hoping for a day when there is less pollution of our waterways. I read a study this week about the lakes in Georgia and their high levels of contaminants, and I fear for our fish and other water critters AND for those eating the fish. It’s seems everywhere has toxicity whether it’s air or water. Your poem reminds us to be part of the solution.