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Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Letter to the Wind

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , on July 2, 2025| 9 Comments »

Photo by Molly Hogan

I subscribe to Georgia Heard’s newsletter. For the month of July, she invites us to write tiny letters. For July 2nd, the prompt is “Write a letter to the wind.” For the complete calendar, try this link.

I asked Molly Hogan, fellow Inkling who blogs at Nix the Comfort Zone, for a photo for this week. Molly is an amazing nature photographer who lives in Maine. She sent me a few to choose from, and I felt this one lended itself well to a letter to the wind.

Please share your small poems in the comments and support other writers with encouraging comments.

Here is my “quick write” letter to the wind:

Dear Wind,

Whatever the season,
you show up
soothe our suffering,
cuddle tree branches,
wrapping us up in your dreams.
Be kind to us, wind, we are struggling
through climate change,
through terrific
thunder storms. You give us breath,
breath of life,
breath of death.
Tend our tender hearts,
breath of daisy,
breath of desire.
Dear wind.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Slice of Life: Summer Walk

Posted in being mamére, Photography, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged , , on July 1, 2025| 9 Comments »

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write and share.

I am spending some time in New Orleans with my daughters and grandchildren. Soon a new grandson will be here. But in the meantime, I took a walk in the neighborhood. A city walk is different from my small hometown walk, so I took some pictures to set the scene. (Don’t forget to add 80+ temps and 60% humidity to your imagination.)

We took grandson Thomas to City Park and walked around the gardens.

Thomas, 5, looks for turtles in the pond.
Turtles, turtles…all around…
City Park stone bridge

My One Little Word for 2025 is Still. Even in the midst of city traffic and busyness, a moment of stillness can be found.

City Park Haiku

Turtles sun-basking
While heat rises from old stone
Bridges to stillness


Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Summer Storms

Posted in Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged on June 25, 2025| 8 Comments »

Summer Storm Clouds

This summer we have had lots of quick forming storms that dump rain. If you think about it, they’re nice because they water the flowers. They also help with high temperatures. The other side of the coin is you can get caught without an umbrella and get totally soaked. They also create violent lightning that may take out a smoke detector. (That happened in our house.)

Poetically speaking, however, the summer sun peeking out from a storm cloud is inspiring. Today, write a small poem that ponders summer storms. Please write in the comments and encourage other writers with your responses.

Summer Storm Shadorma

Like sea waves
cool my burning toes,
you pour out
suddenly
soaking me, summer shower,
holy water veil.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Summer Farmers Market

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on June 18, 2025| 9 Comments »

Madison, MS Farmers Market

My brother lives in Madison, MS, north of Jackson. My sister and I have been visiting. Yesterday he performed at the weekly farmers market. The theme was New Orleans, so he had a sax player join him, and they played New Orleans jazz tunes along with some favorites.

The afternoon had been the setting of a pop-up storm, but as soon as Hunter sang “When the Saints Go Marching In”, the sky opened up and “the sun began to shine.” My sister bought a box of fresh blueberries for us to enjoy for breakfast today.

What does a summer farmers market conjure for you? Please write a small poem in the comments and come back to support other writers with encouragement.

I am writing a nonet today, a form in which the syllable count goes up from 1-9. 

Come
enjoy
Jazz and juice,
plump blueberries,
tomatoes, peaches,
kids jumping for bubbles,
ice cream pops and cookie cake.
Fill your shopping bag with sunlight.
Take home golden garden groceries. 
Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Penguin

Posted in Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , on June 11, 2025| 2 Comments »

Penguin at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, LA.

On Saturday, I toured the Audubon Aquarium at the fast pace of a 5-year old. This penguin was right up against the glass as if it was posing.

I invite you to write a penguin poem. Join us in the comments and support other writers with your comments.

Today I decided to write a Zeno poem. It’s a mathematical form created by J. Patrick Lewis using the sequence 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1. Each one syllable line rhymes. When I decide to use this form, I start with the rhyming word. For this poem I wanted it to land on the word fly. I made a list of words that rhyme with fly (cry, spy, by, guy, high,…) Then I wrote the numbers down the left side of the page.

Next, compose a first sentence. You’d be surprised how many sentences are between 8-10 syllables.

Zenos are fun to write. Mine came out quite silly, but I feel like that’s the point.

Mr. Penguin invites you in—
the water is
fresh as
pie.
That fishy scent
by and
by.
Secret power
makes him
fly.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Festival Umbrella

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , on June 4, 2025| 30 Comments »

Stella at the Festival

This is my 4 year old granddaughter Stella. This photo of her was taken at a local music festival in April. She certainly captures the festival vibe with her mismatched clothes, bare feet, and easy smile.

Today I chose a tricube form: 3 stanzas, 3 syllables each line. I don’t think the lines have to rhyme, but I wanted to give the poem a song-like feel. Please join me in writing. Leave a small poem in the comments and support other writers with your comments.

Festival Stella
Umbrella
together
with Stella

Little girl
and a twirl
fun unfurls

Hear the beat
of bare feet
toe-tap-greet

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Ode to Gladiolas

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , on May 28, 2025| 6 Comments »

May is a month for flowers. Last week sunflowers. Today, gladiolas. My friend Mary brought me a full bouquet with a variety of colors.

I am following Georgia Heard’s calendar and on Sunday, the topic was “what quiet sounds like.”

An ode is a poem of praise. I was also inspired by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater’s Ode to Seeds “Seedsong” from Poetry Friday.

Ode to Glads

Oh, the silence
in your lavender
touched by white
laced around a tall stalk.
It’s hard to believe
how you grow
perfectly perched
upon the soil,
now delighting
my kitchen table
with joyful obedience.
I love you.

Margaret Simon, draft

Please join me in writing a small poem of praise about May flowers. Leave your poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging words.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sunflower

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on May 21, 2025| 31 Comments »

Sunflower at Petite Anse Farm, May 2025

This weekend was You-Pick Day at the Petite Anse Sunflower Farm. My daughter Martha was visiting with her little family, so we headed out Saturday morning to fill a vase for my book signing. The bright May sun was shining, and, with Martha’s help, we filled a vase of beautiful sunflowers. I love this annual event. Jennifer and Andy welcome visitors with buckets, clippers, bug spray, and conversation.

Sunflowers are living examples of the Fibonacci series, so I feel a fib poem is an appropriate small form. The syllable count is 1, 2, 3, 5, 8. Today on Georgia Heard’s inspiring calendar the prompt is “a letter to a place.”

Let’s celebrate May and warmth and flowers today. Please leave a small poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging comments. Thanks for being here.

Dear
fire red
sunflower,
Thank you for your face
flaming from a stalk of grace.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Bleeding Hearts

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , on May 14, 2025| 7 Comments »

Bleeding Heart vine

This beautiful bleeding heart vine was a small single branch when I took it inside for the winter. Last summer it didn’t bloom, but I saved it anyway. I’m learning this about gardening; As long as you see green, don’t give up on a plant. I didn’t give up, but I also didn’t have much hope. And now look! Not only is it thriving, it’s blooming. The blossoms seem to be hiding shamefully under the big leaves.

Google told me the symbolism of the bleeding heart flower is compassion. I think about the simple compassion I gave to this plant. It wasn’t difficult. Compassion should not be hard to give to others. I think it should come naturally.

Write a small poem inspired by the bleeding heart flower. Where are you needing compassion? How is your heart bleeding today?

You Belong

You belong
among white flowers
where stillness
grows heartwings
holding you in compassion,
acceptance, and love.

Margaret Simon, draft

My poem today is prompted by Georgia Heard’s calendar “Where you belong” and is written in the Shadorma form (3, 5, 3, 3, 7, 5)

Write a small poem in the comments and give encouraging feedback to other writers.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Fairy Door

Posted in nature, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , on May 7, 2025| 16 Comments »

Fairy Door by Kim Johnson

“Walking in the woods today, I came upon a fairy door,” wrote my friend Kim in a text. She suggested I use it here for a poetry prompt.

From Wikipedia: “A fairy door is a miniature door, usually set into the base of a tree, behind which may be small spaces where people can leave notes, wishes, or gifts for the fairies.”

An open invitation for imagination. I’m curious about the R on this door. Is it part of an alphabet trail? Is it the first or last initial for the person who made it? Is there a fairy with that initial?

Today I am choosing to write an elfchen. Somehow a fairy door calls for an elfchen poem.

Fairy
holds wishes
in the forest
Delicate balance of presence
Oracle

I invite you into this magical forest to let go of concerns and be imaginative. Write a small poem in the comments. Join me on Instagram during the month of May writing #smallpoems, #poemsofpresence. Tag me @margaretgsimon.

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