Poetry Friday | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for the ‘Poetry Friday’ Category

Slice of Life Day 7: Poetry Friday is Here: Hermit Crab Poem

Posted in Poetry Friday, Progressive poem, Writing, tagged 2025 Kidlit Progressive Poem, Aurora Forecast poem, hermit crab poem, Poetry Friday on March 6, 2025| 34 Comments »

I am hosting Poetry Friday. Please leave your links at the end of the post.

This month’s Inkling challenge came from Molly Hogan. “Write a hermit crab poem–a poem that takes the structure of an existing text like a recipe, job application, multiple choice quiz, script, or whatever! Here’s some more info https://jmwwblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/18/its-an-experiment-hybrid-how-tos-with-arden-hunter-hermit-crabs-part-1-of-2/“

I put this one off, I admit. I knew I had a week of break to prepare, but still I created this last minute. I went back to the poems I wrote for Laura Shovan’s February project using the theme of Space. I had a different poem in mind when I found one I had written about the Aurora Borealis. I had just talked with a friend whose daughter had seen the Northern Lights on a trip to Norway. He shared fabulous photos from his phone. Definitely a bucket list item for me.

I realized I could transform my poem into a weather forecast. The creation part took some time using Canva and playing with placement of lines. I tried to adapt some of the words actually used in a forecast. Forget time; I was in Flow. The image is a bit busy for my taste, but I had to get this post done for the early Poetry Friday posters.

To see how other Inklings did this challenge: Linda, Molly, Mary Lee, Catherine, and Heidi.

If you are interested in participating in the Kidlit Progressive Poem, click the link and leave a comment or email me your name, date chosen, blog name, and URL. Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!Click here to enter

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

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Kidlit Progressive Poem 2025 Sign Up

Posted in Progressive poem, Writing, tagged 2025 Kidlit Progressive Poem on March 6, 2025| 55 Comments »

Please sign up to add a line to the Kidlit Progressive Poem coming April, 2025. On your chosen day, you will copy and paste the previous lines of the poem to a blog post and add your own line. When you sign up, create a hyperlink to your home page. For example, Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Thanks!

April 1 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
April 2 Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect
April 3 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 4 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
April 5 Denise at https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/
April 6 Buffy at http://www.buffysilverman.com/blog
April 7 Jone at https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/
April 8 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 9 Tabatha at https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/
April 10 Marcie at Marcie Flinchum Atkins
April 11 Rose at Imagine the Possibilities | Rose’s Blog
April 12 Fran Haley at Lit Bits and Pieces
April 13 Cathy Stenquist
April 14 Janet Fagel at Mainly Write
April 15 Carol Varsalona at Beyond LiteracyLink
April 16 Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm
April 17 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
April 18 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
April 19 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
April 20 Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 21 Tanita at {fiction instead of lies}
April 22 Patricia Franz
April 23 Ruth at There’s No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town
April 24 Linda Kulp Trout at http://lindakulptrout.blogspot.com
April 25 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
April 26 Michelle Kogan at: https://moreart4all.wordpress.com/
April 27 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 28 Pamela Ross at Words in Flight
April 29 Diane Davis at Starting Again in Poetry
April 30 April Halprin Wayland at Teaching Authors

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Poetry Friday: February

Posted in Poetry Friday, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged being mamére, Heidi Mordhorst, Laura Shovan, space poems on February 28, 2025| 19 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Denise Krebs at Dare to Care.

Alma Thomas, *The Eclipse,* 1970, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.3

Each day this month I have written a poem. I know that this sounds impossible. It certainly feels impossible to me. I joined a group of like-minded poets arranged by Laura Shovan to celebrate her February birthday with poetry. Writing in a community can feel impossible. How can I meet the standards? Who am I to believe I am a poet?

But I did it, every day. This makes me believe that impossible things are possible. I have hope that we can exist in a world where poetry brings solace, hope, and community. Today, Heidi Mordhorst posted a similar art piece to compare our group to a circle of stars. I went to the linked page and found The Eclipse. There are different perspectives from each person in our galaxy. Some may see a circle, some see the dots of paint, and some focus on the dark center. However you view art, poetry, or time is yours alone. You get to decide.

But as Heidi so wisely said, “Some days, our circle was a parachute, lifting or sinking, catching or launching you. Some days our circle was the deepest well or mirrorest puddle, and maybe there was a day when our circle was a black hole of obligation, until the next day when you caught sight of a certain name, a certain voice, and our space became a sequin of possibility again.”

Tomorrow I will begin another writing journey, the annual Slice of Life Challenge from Two Writing Teachers. Today it feels impossible to write a blog post every day in March. If you read my blog, you are always welcome to swipe left and delete it. But I hope you’ll stick with me, cheer me on, and remind me that impossible means “I’m possible.”

Learning to write can seem impossible to a 6 year old. As I watch my grandson develop his reading, writing, and drawing skills, I am amazed at the capacity of our brains to learn. Here is a poem I wrote this month beginning with the space we make between words.

What space are you giving to yourself? How are you doing impossible things?

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Poetry Friday: Imperfections

Posted in Poetry Friday, tagged love poem, our house on February 21, 2025| 18 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Laura Purdie Salas.

Today is my husband’s birthday. I wrote him a poem. The poem came from a prompt from Georgia Heard during her Write Bites workshop with Ralph Fletcher. She shared Imperfection by Elizabeth Carlson. Elizabeth’s poem begins with the line “I am falling in love with my imperfections.” It’s a wonderful poem about accepting your faults. I turned my attention to the imperfections of our house. If you own your own home, you’ll understand. This week we had a water heater go out. Oh my, how we take hot water for granted until it’s gone.

Imperfection
after Elizabeth Carlson

I’m learning to love
the smell of dust gathering
in soft corners
how mold creeps in the crevices
of window sills.

I’m finding joy
in the left behind sliver of soap,
stash of tea-stained cups,
single smelly sock.

Our house has become a home
of imperfections. That door
never stays shut. That switch
doesn’t turn any light on.

We are ignoring the leak
streaking the living room wall. I’d rather sit
next to you on the sofa,
make space for the dog between us,
talk about the day behind, the future ahead.

Let the house be. Let the rain come.

Margaret Simon, 2025

*The Big White Castle* in the snow of January, 2025. (We call our house a castle because it has a turret, a unique mid-century modern architecture feature of the early 70’s.)

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Poetry Friday: Love Notes

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged epistolary poem, Love poems, One Little Word on February 14, 2025| 14 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted by Linda Baie at Teacher Dance.

Last Friday and into the beginning of this week, my students worked on heart maps inspired by Georgia Heard. To see their “maps” and poems, see this post.

I wrote an epistolary poem to the violin. Inspiration flowed when playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The violin is my favorite instrument. My grandmother was a violinist, though I never heard her play. When Jeff and I hear Cajun music, my favorites are the waltzes with dual fiddles. The instrument is universal to all kinds of music. In the poem, I used my One Little Word Still.

I have left a card on the kitchen counter for my husband. We’re in our 43rd year of marriage. I am blessed with long love. Here is the note (poem) I wrote for him.

Acknowledgement

“Acknowledge the many ways in which your life and relationships are good.” Enneathought of the Day 1/17/25

Life is good.
I don’t have to sit on the floor
for hours talking so you will understand,
but I would
and so would you.

Even in the silence
of making the bed,
we hold each other.

We can laugh at a photo
and bring it up later
with only a word;
giggles rumble
like rainbow bubbles
between us.

We are not One.
We are Two
dancing a waltz
of life-is-good
together.

Margaret Simon, draft

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope your heart is full. Take a peek at Carol Varsalona’s padlet. A few of my students are featured there.

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Spiritual Thursday and Poetry Friday: Open the Door

Posted in Poetry Friday, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged cherita, ekphrasis, Inklings challenge, public domain image, resurrection fern, spiritual journey on February 7, 2025| 23 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Carol at Beyond Literacy Link

On the first Friday of the month, Inklings (my trusty writing group) respond to a challenge. Mary Lee made it easy this month. She asked us to type a color into the public domain image archive and find a photo to write about. I chose lilac. I immediately got a photo I knew was telling a story. I imagined that Lilas and the bug are having a conversation.

“Unhappy the man who never had his eyes fill with tears at the sight of a particular flower. Such a one can have been neither a child nor a youth. He can have had neither mother, sister, nor affianced bride. He never loved.” This is the tone and tenor throughout *Les Fleurs animées* (The Flowers personified), a collection of floral — and sometimes florid — writing, featuring playful illustrations by J. J. Grandville (1803–1847), engraved and hand-colored by Charles Michel Geoffroy.

How Lilas Learns of Love (a cherita)

With draping lilacs for long locks,

Lilas questions Sir Ladybug,
“Where will my love grow?”

Love grows from a starter seed
planted small in your heart
until with wisdom, grace, and tender care…Blooms!

Margaret Simon, draft

To see other Inkling poems, visit their blogs:
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Mary Lee @ A(nother) Year of Reading
Molly @ Nix the Comfort Zone (and oh boy, did she ever…)
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Catherine @ Reading to the Core

Spiritual Journey first Thursday is gathered by Bob Hamera.

Bob suggested we ponder the idea that doors may close while another one opens, how focusing on the closed door may lead us to miss the open one. My father spoke about this in his firm belief that there is always a resurrection. Jesus showed us in a very real sense that when someone dies, it is not the end. I’ve always prided myself on a belief in the resurrection; however, when faced with an actual closed door, a death of something in my life that I put my trust in, whether it be a job, a friendship, a manuscript, I get lost and lonely and question. That is the rough part of the death/resurrection story arc.

I am following a path to a new journey to retirement. This is a door I’ve chosen, but even so, I have mixed feelings. So many of my days with my students are good, happy, and fulfilling. I will miss teaching, I know. I also know I’m a teacher through and through. I chose this career when I was 15 years old. I will find ways to still be a teacher. I keep telling myself this truth, but it’s not easy. When I tell people I’m retiring, I hear “Congratulations!” I wish I could feel excited. Is it the closed door I fear? Or the open one I’m unsure about?

Resurrection fern is grey when the sun is out, but turns to bright green after the rain. May God bless us with the knowledge and grit to survive the grey and thrive again after the rain.

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Poetry Friday: Tanku Conversation with Believe

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged #Poetrypals, believe, One Little Word, tanku, word poem on January 31, 2025| 13 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted by Jan at BookSeedStudio.

I don’t often join the Poetry Sisters challenge, but I felt this month’s was within my reach: a tanku which is a tanka in conversation with a haiku. I recently attended a workshop, Write Bites with Georgia Heard and Ralph Fletcher. Georgia’s writing prompt was to write about a word. One suggestion she had was to have a conversation with the word. That draft led me to create a tanku around one of my two words for this year.

Believe

What do I believe?
Remove my rear view finder
Need a reminder–
blinders to understanding,
“I don’t believe you heard me.”

I say to the wind;
It says, “I believe in you.
That’s true, you will see.”

Margaret Simon, 2025

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Poetry Friday: Another Snow Day

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, Erica Johnson, Ethical ELA, open write on January 24, 2025| 22 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.

This week has been weird. Weirdly wonderful. Here on the Gulf coast, we had a snowstorm that broke records all the way back to 1899. The snow fell all day on Tuesday and shut down the whole area for two days. Businesses opened up on Thursday, but we haven’t gone back to school. Our water systems are not built to handle this kind of weather and single digit temperatures, so water pipes have burst and water pressure is down. In Coteau, where one of my schools is located, they cut off water for 12 hours. But my students and my grandchildren have had a blast!

I can’t stop writing about it. On Tuesday, the Ethical ELA Open Write prompt was introduced by Erica Johnson. You can read the full prompt and lots of great poems here.

Enzo Blizzard 2025

It wasn’t until I walked in the snow
that I discovered
snow is wet. In the movies, actors
never seem bedraggled.

And now as a historic blizzard
pours down snow, I remember
my rain boots in the dusty box,
dig out the snap-on hood for the coat,
and place a towel by the back door.

And yet, snow is silent
surprising me with a steady
fluttering rhythm of soft white flakes.

I know this phenomenon is unreal,
ethereal, a moment I want to keep
in a photograph to cherish
and hold.

Margaret Simon, draft

The back of our house in the snow. photo by Maggie Simon LeBlanc.

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Poetry Friday: Shadorma One Little Word

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged Kelly Bennett, One Little Word, Rose Cappelli, shadorma on January 17, 2025| 13 Comments »

Poetry Friday is being gathered today by Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect

Last week I read Rose Cappelli’s post. She decided to write a poem each month using her One Little Word. I have actually picked two words: Still and Believe. I’ve been determined to train my puppy Albert “Al-Bear”. He is an 11 month old miniature golden doodle with a lot of energy. He’s been developing some bad habits. One of them is barking at us when he wants to play. I bought a collar with a vibrator on it, so I can give him a little buzz (remote control) every time he barks at us. It’s working…slowly.

I receive a prompt each week from Kelly Bennet called News from the Fishbowl. Last week she introduced me to a form I hadn’t heard of, Shadorma. It’s from Spain. There are 6 lines with a syllable count of 3, 5, 3, 3, 7, 5. The topic can be anything, but usually the poem is all one sentence.

Puppy Training

I believe
this puppy can learn
to be still
to cuddle
warming my cold morning lap–
blending our perfume.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Poetry Friday: Sometimes Acrostic Form Works!

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged acrostic poetry on January 10, 2025| 22 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Kat Apel. with a fun poem about cats and dogs.

My students have gotten off with a rocking (and sometimes rocky) start to 2025. I have become re-committed to giving them notebooking time and prompts to consider. When they get to “poem-ish” on their notebook page, they often turn to the good-ole acrostic. In fact, I asked them yesterday to tell me why they like that form so much. “It’s a curse,” one student piped up. “Everybody’s got it.”

This response made me laugh. The curse of the acrostic. Perhaps it’s also a crutch, a form they can depend on. When I looked closer at some of the poems they had written, though, I found some thoughtfulness as well as expression of emotion. It may be a curse, but sometimes it works.

Avalyn chose a quote that used the word Glow and wrote the following poem in her notebook.

Get up and
Love your freedom,
or love someone.
Wisely understand that you are a free bird.
Ignite that flame of love.
Never let your wings be pierced,
Gone, broken, or enslaved.
Avalyn, 5th grade

Carson was responding to the photo (This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Winter Drive). All week we have been wearing heavy clothes because of the freezing temperatures.

Just started on a New Year
An arctic blast is happening
Nature makes trees bare
Under the weather limit
All of us have jackets
Runny noses
You are frozen. Everybody is frigid.
by Carson, 3rd grade

I presented Mary Lee’s poem from last week and wrote my own notebook page about the prompt “What wisdom do you yearn for?”