Photography | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

This Photo Wants to Be a Poem: Who Will Buy this Wonderful Morning?

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged 90 Ways of Community, Grandmother Oak, Linda Mitchell, Love, Oliver, photography, poem, poetry, writing on October 2, 2024| 8 Comments »

Bayou morning with rope swing, photo by Margaret Simon

I’ve been working through the new book 90 Ways of Community by Sarah Donovan, Mo Daley, and Maureen Young Ingram of Ethical ELA. Daily I’ve been reading a prompt to my students and writing alongside them. Today’s prompt comes from Linda Mitchell. Her original prompt suggests to find a list of words in our notebooks to write along to. Her sample poem is “Wishing Well Price List” which led me to think of the song from the musical Oliver, Who Will Buy?.

I took this photo at sunrise on Sunday morning. Hanging from our grandmother oak is a rope swing. I began to imagine how many people over the years have swung on that rope. My grandchildren don’t have the strength yet in their toddler bodies to hold on, but they love swinging the rope and running to keep it from hitting them, a game they made up.

This photo may take you on a journey to another place in your memory. Let it go and write a small poem in the comments. Respond to others with encouraging words.

Who will buy
this sunglow on water?

Who will buy
the fallsteam rising?

Who will buy
a twist of rope to swing on?

Who will buy
this changing of seasons?
I find a reason to keep my spirits high
wondering who will buy.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Leaf-like Moth

Posted in Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged found poem, Pandorus Sphinx Moth, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on September 18, 2024| 11 Comments »

My colleague Erica knows I like to raise butterflies. After recess, she came into my classroom exclaiming “You Have to see this moth on the playground!”

My students and I rushed out to find it. At first it was poised on the brick post of the pavilion. Then one of them stimulated it with a stick and it flew to me. Fascinating large creature that is camouflaged as a leaf. Who knew?

With my students, we researched and found out that it was a Pandorus Sphinx Moth. I wrote a found poem from the information on the website Insect Identification. In this poem, each word in the poem comes from the article in the order it was found.

Playground Discovery

Hawk moth
boasts– robust
fast fliers on
aerodynamic wings.

The Pandorus Sphinx Moth
blending in
inside woodlands
at dusk or dawn.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Swift Sunset

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, tagged Chimney swifts, fibonacci poem, Nature poems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on August 28, 2024| 32 Comments »

Chimney Swifts at Sunset, by Margaret Simon

Every evening after dinner, my husband and I take the puppy out for a walk. Last night my gaze was up at the sky watching small birds circle and swoop above us. I opened my Merlin bird identification app and found they were chimney swifts.

The sun was setting and coloring the clouds a deep purple and pink. After a few attempts, I captured some of these “swift” birds against the canvas of the sky.

Write a small poem today inspired by this photo. Please share it with us in the comments and respond to other writers. Thanks for being here.

A Swift Fib

Small
swifts
circle
purple sky
speckling the evening
with dazzling twittering delight
@Margaret Simon, draft

A fib poem has a syllable count that follows the Fibonacci series (1,1,2,3,5,8…)

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Glacier Park Falls

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged Glacier Park, Montana, postcard poem, small poems on August 21, 2024| 17 Comments »

My friend Dani Burtsfield lives in Montana near Glacier Park. She sent me this photo from a hike she took with Allan Wolf, a poet who was visiting as a presenter for her reading conference. She had taken me on this same hike in the summer of 2018.

I don’t know the specific name for these falls, but I thought a postcard poem would be a good form. This week is Open Write at Ethical ELA and Jeania White led the prompt “Postcards from Places I’ve Never Been”.

Postcard from the Falls

Missing you
as I feel the spray
of cool water
on my face
remembering we took off
our shoes to put our toes in
and spread our arms out wide
to hold a Montana waterfall.

Margaret Simon, draft

Imagine this place on a postcard and write a small poem in the comments. Please respond to other poets with encouraging words.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Coffee Star

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, morning coffee, small moments on August 14, 2024| 24 Comments »

When a star appears,
I pay attention–
watch how it spreads
within the crystals of milk
reminding me to notice
daily miracles.
Margaret Simon, draft

Today’s photo prompt is brought to you by my morning coffee. I am no barrister, but I do enjoy heating and frothing oat milk for my morning cuppa. I’ve been to coffee shops and received the gift of a design in the top froth, but this was a pure accident. Not a miracle of great proportions, but a simple reminder to pay attention. As I’ve returned to a daily routine of waking early to get ready for a day at school, I needed this reminder. Find joy. Find delight in the simple things. Know you are loved.

Please write a small poem about a small noticing, a waking up of your mind to something you needed to see. Encourage other writers with your comments.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Open the Gate

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, small poems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on August 7, 2024| 44 Comments »

This photo is a gate in my daughter’s yard. There is so much lush vegetation around that passing through feels like an adventure, a mystery. When the jasmine is in bloom, the scent itself will entice you to wonder. Join me today on a writing adventure. Leave a small poem in the comments and respond to others with encouraging words.

First day of school--
open the waiting gate
create your own path.
Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: First Fig

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, tagged #poemsofpresence, septercet, small poems, summer poems on July 24, 2024| 11 Comments »

We were given a fig tree and planted it this spring. We are now harvesting figs! One at a time. My husband joked that we were having our first annual Simon Fig Festival. I served the single fig cut into 4 pieces for our dessert last night. A small, but successful harvest.

Ethical ELA is holding Open Write this week. The first prompt came from Denise Krebs. She reminded me of a form that Jane Yolen created called the septercet. Each stanza has seven syllables and there are 3 lines per stanza. I wrote a septercet about my first fig.

Do you see rain and complain?
Everything wet in your path–
Grass and mud slide to the street.

I watch this single fig-fruit
turn from green to peachy-red
making rain into sweet juice.

You can decide the mood here.
Rain or shine, weed or flower
Fig tree loves enough of both.

@Margaret Simon, draft

You can choose to write a septercet about your own favorite fruit of summer. Leave a small poem in the comments and write encouraging responses to other writers.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Catching Raindrops

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged elfchen poetry form, garden art, Poems of presence, small poems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on July 17, 2024| 6 Comments »

This garden statue was a gift from a friend for my birthday last year (or the year before?) She is nestled in a space with succulents. This morning there was rain and I was drawn to how she seems to be catching raindrops with her upturned face. Maybe she can inspire a small poem in you today.

Angel
face upturned
glittered with raindrops
holding morning clouds with
Hope

Today I chose to use the elfchen form. The directions for this form:

Consider writing today. Leave a small poem in the comments. Respond to other writers with encouragement.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sidewalk Monk

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Franciscan monk, free verse, Molly Hogan, narrative poem, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on July 10, 2024| 15 Comments »

Franciscan monk feeds the pigeons, Dubrovnik by Molly Hogan

My fellow Inkling (writing group) poet-teacher Molly Hogan went on a fabulous trip to Croatia, Slovenia, and Ireland. She blessed me and all her Facebook friends with lots of amazing photos. I was compelled by this photo. It takes me back to my favorite musical of all time, The Sound of Music. It also reminds me of a kind monk I knew growing up. He was my father’s best friend. His Benedictine name was Brother Anselm. He was witty and wise and an incredible organist.

My poem is a narrative free verse. I wanted to tell a story. I have fond memories of visiting Bill (Brother Anselm) at his monastery in St. Benedict, Louisiana.

Consider writing with me today. Leave a small poem in the comments. Remember this is a drafting space, so kindly write encouraging responses to other writers.

Brother Anselm

Walking into the woods
surrounding the Abbey,
Brother Anselm and I spoke freely.
Our walk was a prayer.

We talked of nothing in particular
as his brown robes swished and swayed,
a comforting blanket of humble access
to a stream of still water.

He reminded me that the holy
is not always quiet. Our voices
echoed among the tall pines,
laughter shaking the ground.

He told me that time was our friend.
Use it wisely and with intention.
Bless the forest with reverent presence
and God will grant you peace.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Heron Horizon

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #imagepoems, #poemsofpresence, haiku, John Gibson, poems of nature, purple creek, small poems on June 26, 2024| 31 Comments »

Great Blue Heron on Purple Creek, Ridgeland, Ms. by Margaret Simon

On a recent visit to Mississippi, I caught this flight of a great blue heron on my phone camera. The wingspan of these birds amazes me. They fly low across the water and perch near the water’s edge to forage for minnows and other small aquatics. This photo reminds me of a drawing my father did of a heron over the water.