Poetry | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for the ‘Poetry’ Category

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Fingers and Toes

Posted in being mamére, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, newborn, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on July 16, 2025| 3 Comments »

Baby Sam’s fingers holding Mamére’s finger.

This week’s photos may be a bit selfish on my part. I hope you can find a way into writing from your own life. Leave a poem in the comments and respond to other writers.

Two weeks ago my youngest daughter gave birth to my youngest grandchild, Sam. He is absolutely perfect. I marveled at him for days. All his tiny parts, especially his long fingers and his tiny toes. Two of his toes are webbed.

I can’t really write anything that isn’t sappy, but never mind, just dig right in to it. Grandmothers are made to be sappy.

Perfection Is

Ten fingers
ten toes
that treasure your gentle touch.

Fingernails
tiny and sharp—
His simple signature.

Two hands
two feet
fill a heart with love.

Margaret Simon, draft

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

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, epistolary poetry, Georgia Heard, letter poems on July 2, 2025| 9 Comments »

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: What is Normal?

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Ethical ELA, Tammi Belko on June 24, 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.

This past weekend was the Open Write at Ethical ELA. I am trying to write a poem every day, but it sure helps to have a good prompt. On Sunday, Tammi Belko led us to write in response to the question “What is normal?” You can see her full prompt here.

I was spending the morning with two of my grandchildren. As I sat with my tablet and notebook pondering her prompt, my grands Leo and Stella were drawing. Leo, age 6, has always loved drawing. Now he is old enough to add words to his drawings. Stella, his sister age 4, is following in his footsteps. Her drawings tell stories.

“The monster was walking in the forest. In the ocean, the whale was splashing.” By Stella

Kid-Time Normal

All they need
is a marker
and paper—
Imagination soars…
Dinosaurs
with super powers,
Bad guys
with two robot arms,
Magical crystal charms…
Transformed
Transfixed
Time stops
on paper.

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 #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Madison Farmers Market, nonet on June 18, 2025| 9 Comments »

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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Slice of Life: Waiting

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, Alzheimer’s Association on June 17, 2025| 9 Comments »

Waiting
for rain to stop
for lightning to pass
for time to walk

Waiting
for hen to return
for eggs to incubate
for ducklings to hatch

Waiting
for minnows to squirm
for ripples to fade
for wings to fly

Waiting
for water to break
for labor to start
for birth of a new grandson

Waiting
for swelling to abate
for injury to heal
for movement to return

Waiting
for her body to give up
for heaven to open
for another angel

My mother has been living with Alzheimer’s. Now she is dying. My siblings and I have told her she can give up the fight. She received her last rights. It’s a waiting game now. Her 89th birthday is tomorrow.

The Longest Day is a fundraising event for the Alzheimer’s Association. I am once again raising funds in honor of Mom’s birthday. The link to donate is here.

http://act.alz.org/goto/Dotgibson

My sorority ADK has made beautiful purple beaded bracelets. If you donate, I will send you a bracelet. There is little I can do to change my mother’s condition, but I can help the charge for more research and help for others.

Waiting…

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Poetry Friday: Today I Will Praise

Posted in Books, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged Angelo Geter, Iberia African American Historical Society, Phebe Hayes, UL Press, Were you There? on June 13, 2025| 5 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Ruth at “There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town.”

Last night I had the privilege of presenting poetry alongside my co-author, Dr. Phebe Hayes. Phebe talked about the life of Emma Wakefield Paillet who was not only the first Black woman, but the first woman to get a medical degree in the state of Louisiana. Emma was an unsung hero until Phebe uncovered her story. Years of research have led to release of our book, Were You There? A Biography of Emma Wakefield Paillet.

Historical marker commemorating Dr. Emma Wakefield Paillet in downtown New Iberia, Louisiana.

What struck me and my husband as we discussed the presentation was how Emma’s life personalized the history of the time period. Her tragedies were the tragedies of Reconstruction and Jim Crow laws, oppression of women and especially women of color, lynching, disease, etc.

I read a few poems interspersed with Phebe’s talk. One of the poems I wrote for the book is a Praise poem after Angelo Geter, a modern spoken word poet. It’s a hard one to get through without my voice cracking because at this time my mother is at the end of her life. I’m emotional when it comes to mothering. Today, I dedicate this poem to her.

If you are interested in a signed copy, please send me an email. Our fellow Poetry Friday writer Linda Mitchell wrote the educational guide.

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Slice of Life: Poem Porch Picnic

Posted in Blogging, Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, Georgia Heard, Kim Douillard on June 10, 2025| 4 Comments »

Blogging in this space has led to many friendships over the years. Over the weekend I noticed that one of my online blogger-teacher-poet friends was in New Orleans for a National Writing Project conference. I am in New Orleans babysitting my middle grandson Thomas, so I reached out to Kim Douillard, and we met for lunch. I promised Thomas a visit to the aquarium after lunch, so he was cooperative. Kim and I visited like old friends. Her husband Geoff was with her, and he made the comment, “For two people who have never met, you seem so comfortable.” That’s the magic of meeting face-to-face someone you have been writing with for years.

Me and Kim Douillard of “Thinking Through My Lens” at a restaurant in New Orleans. Matching shirts were serendipitous.

Writing with others, even if it’s over screens, can be a powerful connector. If I read your words and you read mine, we get to know each other on a level that may be as deep as taking a long walk together.

Yesterday I dropped Thomas off at day camp and had some time to myself. I decided to take my notebook and current book of poetry, “The Stafford Challenge 2024-25 Anthology” to City Park for a Poem Picnic as suggested by Georgia Heard in her June newsletter. Today I am sharing the resulting poem. If you take a poem picnic, let me know. I’d love to read what you wrote.

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Spiritual Thursday: Summering

Posted in Gratitude, Poetry, Spiritual Growth, tagged #poemsofpresence, Georgia Heard, Mary Oliver, nature poem, spiritual journey, stillness on June 5, 2025| 9 Comments »

Ramona is gathering Spiritual Journey: First Thursday posts at Pleasures from the Page.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” John 14:27

When Ramona suggested that we write about “summering” for our Spiritual Journey posts this month, I turned to two passages that bring me peace. Too often, I have a long “to do” list for summer that usually includes cleaning out closets and such dreaded chores. These kinds of chores are good for me but are not what I want to do. I’d rather have lunch with friends, go on long walks, and binge watch a show or two.

The poem “Wild Geese” from Mary Oliver reminds me that all I should do is love what I love and let the wild geese call to me. On these early June days, it’s not wild geese, but buzzing cicadas that call to me. The heat of midday sends me inside for a glass of La Croix with ice. I am settling into a routine and trying hard not to pressure myself to do more.

In May, I was inspired by Georgia Heard’s calendar of prompts for small poems. In June, her newsletter held an invitation to porch poems. You can sign up to receive Heart Beats on her website. Porch poem #3 asked “What happens in stillness?” Here is my poem response.

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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 Festival International, tricube on June 4, 2025| 30 Comments »

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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Slice of Life: What the Tree Knows

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, Georgia Heard, wisdom poems on June 3, 2025| 4 Comments »

Once again, Georgia Heard’s newsletter delivers a wealth of prompts for writing. On Sundays I tutor a young writer. She is such a delight. This week she was eating cherries from her own cherry tree. I knew we had to include this in her poem, so I turned to Georgia’s poem “What the Trees Know.”

When writing poetry from the heart, you must turn to what you know. Amoret knows cherry trees. As I wrote beside her, I wrote about cypress trees. What tree would you write about?

I am pleased to share Amoret’s poem today. Her writing fills me with poetic-teacher joy. She has few inhibitions about putting words to paper and was happy for me to share her poem.

What Does the Cherry Tree Know?

A cherry tree knows how
To dance in the wind freely
And joyfully. The cherry tree knows
How to drink from its
Roots. To us, how it drinks
May seem fast, but to the tree
It’s like a walk in the
Park. The cherry tree
Gets showered by a hose
Rarely, but mostly the
Rain. When we say “Oh no,
It’s a-raining!” cherries are
Showering and drinking.

By Amoret, 9 years old