Slice of Life | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for the ‘Slice of Life’ Category

Slice of Life: Snarky Poet

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged American Sonnet, Ethical ELA, Glenda Funk, Terrance Hayes on July 21, 2026| 11 Comments »

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

I’m not usually a snarky poet, so I surprised myself with my response to Glenda’s prompt on Ethical ELA Open Write: Double Consciousness American Sonnet.

Glenda took inspiration from Terrence Hayes’ book American Sonnet for my Past and Future Assassin. “I lock you in an American sonnet that is part prison,
Part panic closet, a little room in a house set aflame.”

I borrowed the opening line to write about a parking lot annoyance of mine, backing in. The title is a play on words. My grandson asked me if “pissed” was a bad word. Then he playfully asked about “piston”.

Parking Lot Piston

I lock you in your white Ford truck backed in over the yellow line.
You are not my kind, hefty and trumped
on four jacked-up off-road tires
designed to crush little people like me
with your oversized parts.

I won’t hitch up my skirt to take a ride.
I park nose-front & take my time
not to cross the line. I return
the wire buggy to the cart-horse paddock,
flash a fake smile to the sweaty boy
maneuvering the train.

I hold my superiority under my side slung purse
where my soft belly holds verses of quiet fortitude.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Slice of Life: Summer on the Bayou

Posted in being mamére, nature, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #bayoulife, Bayou Teche, grandchildren on July 14, 2026| 10 Comments »

Today, I am featured in an interview with picture book author Joyce Uglow on her Substack series uGROnews. Please skip over to learn more about my process in writing What’s That Sound? Birds of the Bayou.

Our bayou life has slowed to the rhythm of summer. Because of the longer days, we were able to feed our hungry grandchildren, then head out for a jaunt on the bayou. Stella at age 5.5 likes to say she’s scared, but we encourage her with reminders like “Once you’re in the boat, you will have fun!” She doesn’t like the process of getting in. The canoe wobbles. Each time gets a little easier. This Sunday evening, she climbed in without crying. Her older brother Leo acts as an expert.

Loading up the canoe for a summer evening paddle.

I followed in my kayak. I am no expert at kayaking. I go slow, slow, back and forth. My arms tire out pretty quickly. Apparently Leo got worried about me. He said, “I want to go back to get Mamére.”

Kayak selfie with Leo, Stella, and Papére in the canoe.

That was sweet, but I was fine drifting about and enjoying the scenery. Later I showed Stella this photo and she said, “I didn’t see that!”

Perspectives are different. They were probably most concerned about seeing the alligator that our neighbor said was lurking about.

I’m happy we can play on God’s playground in a boat on the bayou.

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Slice of Life: Birthday Twins

Posted in being mamére, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, birthday twins, grandchildren, smash cake on July 7, 2026| 11 Comments »

While most people were celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday, our family was tucked away at Minga’s pool. Minga is my mother-in-law and her birthday is July 3rd. She turned 95! Certainly a momentous occasion, but we also celebrated my youngest grandson Sam’s first birthday.

Stella, 5, Leo, 7, June, 3, Minga, 95, Martha with Sam, 1, and Thomas, 6.

All three of my daughters and their families gathered with us. We ate burgers and sausage prepared on the grill. There was a smash cake for Sammy and a creamy chantilly cake for my mother-in-law. My oldest daughter passed out Minga tattoos.

I stayed in the pool most of the time and watched the grandchildren. It was fun to invent pool games like mermaid poses with the girls and throwing-the-ball-while-jumping-in with the boys. We had a few bonks and dunks that led to crying, but for the most part, the day was joyous. At one point all three of my daughters were gathered around a small splash pool watching Sam play. Looking at him never gets old. We all agree he is the cutest.

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Slice of Life: Trying to See the Positive

Posted in Gratitude, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged raising butterflies, summer blossoms, summer caterpillars on June 30, 2026| 13 Comments »

The heat is rising daily here in the Deep South. And along with it…humidity…that makes for a high heat index.

Today I want to forget about the heat that keeps me indoors and share some of the positive things about summer.

Butterflies!

I currently have 6 Gulf Fritillary chrysalises and at least 3 more caterpillars in enclosures, but the other day when I headed out for my walk, I saw a butterfly hanging on its chrysalis in the wild, on my potting table. I felt such joy to know that one had survived the birds and lizards and made it to adulthood (without my help).

Speaking of caterpillars, I found some beautiful black swallowtail cats. I’ve brought them into a porch and hope they will hang out there, literally.

My friend from Iowa brought back some flower seeds and gifted me a small pot with these sweet flowers that are new to me, lizzianthus.

And I was surprised by a second poetry exchange postcard from Colette. She remembers Sol Duc which is a place we visited while in Washington.

All these things help me escape the oppression of the heat (and the world).

What is helping you through?

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For the Birds: A Slice of Wild Bird rescue

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged For the Birds of Acadiana on June 23, 2026| 2 Comments »

Please check out my post on Substack.

https://substack.com/@margaretsimon416644/note/p-203234235?r=k9y83&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

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Slice of Life: Pacific Northwest

Posted in being mamére, Slice of Life, Travel, Writing, tagged family vacation, Pacific Northwest on June 9, 2026| 5 Comments »

“I mean hate and love and fear and wanting to live and wanting to see your children live,” she said. “Those are the things that shape our consciousness, not the material goods, not whether the tables are made of oak or synthetic plastic … The thing isn’t important. It’s the human emotion — and that, I believe, doesn’t change.” Geraldine Brooks

For a week, I had the privilege of watching my children and their children live and love and play. My son-in-law loves the Pacific Northwest. He and my daughter have been vacationing there each year for 5 years. This year, we were invited to tag along. Then my middle daughter Katherine decided to come along with her son, Thomas. We were missing my youngest daughter’s family so much that we are talking about making next year’s trip a full family one.

Highlights include short hikes to waterfalls…

Tidal pools…

Watching eagles, fire pit, views of Olympic mountains…

Watercolor painting with Stella…

In the airport waiting for our flight home

Throwing rocks…

And playgrounds…

New squid-themed playground at the Waterfront, Seattle.

At the end of our trip, we stayed a few nights in Seattle and met up with my husband’s brother and his family which includes a new great niece.

I’m happy to be home to my dog, my bird feeders, flowers, walks with friends, but I will carry the love and life and memories with me.

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Slice of Life: Listening

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged found poem, identity on May 26, 2026| 12 Comments »

Liz invited me to lunch. She is a poet. My husband and I have met her and her husband on the dance floor. I was “tickled pink”, as my southern mother would say, that she asked me to lunch. We talked for hours. While the restaurant got quieter and quieter, we got louder. When she told me she was an Enneagram four, I jumped up and squealed! No wonder we have a connection.

Liz asked me a question, author to author, “What do you most identify yourself as?”

For a long time, I was a teacher. In retirement, I’ve become a teaching artist. In March, I released my first baby board book. But my answer to her question was “Poet!”

And it felt good to say it out loud.

Identity is a tricky thing. Of course, our vocation dictates our identity. I will never not be a teacher. Now that I have 5 grandchildren, I will forever be Mamére.

Claiming the title poet feels vulnerable. Am I worthy of this title?

What do you claim as your identity?

In church on Sunday, listening from the choir loft, I found a poem in the Psalm. May we all find the bravery to be who we are called to be.

A Poet Listens to the Psalm and Hears

You marched—
skies poured
gracious rain,
refreshed goodness.

Sing, mighty voice,
to holy places!

Blessed be!

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Slice of Life: Moncus Park Prairie

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Travel, Writing, tagged Ethical ELA, farmers' market, found poem, Lafayette Louisiana, Melissa Bonin, Moncus Park on May 19, 2026| 8 Comments »

On Saturday, I went to Moncus Park for the Lafayette Farmer’s Market to sell books. I definitely spent more money on food than I made in book sales, but the spring day was breezy and the park was full of people. A former neighbor stopped by, all grown up and married, hoping for a baby someday, so he bought a book.

A nearby booth had these exotic birds that were pets. They were bright and beautiful, but I don’t remember their breed. I was struck by how they perched and begged for petting.

On the way to my car which was parked a long way from the market, I noticed the new walking path my friend had told me about.

The developers of Moncus Park have been intentional about planting only native Louisiana plants. The reclaimed prairie was full of life.

Moncus Park Prairie, Lafayette, LA

On my walk I found a sign dedicated to a family that included a beautiful painting and poem by my friend, artist Melissa Bonin. I took a picture of it, then used the image and words in a found poem, prompted by Jessica Wiley and Erica Johnson on Ethical ELA.

Moncus Park Prairie
after Melissa Bonin

sugar harvest sky
lights speckles of goldenrod, cotton weed
tucked inside a worn pocket.
A dragonfly wraps its wispy-thin legs
atop black-eyed Susan’s eye.

Your place is on the gravel path
listening to red-winged blackbirds,
catching buttercup pollen
on the tip of your nose.

Stories smudged on rock
gather for the retelling,
soft laughter of prairie grass
speaking to the wind.

Margaret Simon, draft

Here are more Moncus Park photos:

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Slice of Life: Should you touch student work?

Posted in Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing, tagged creative teaching, watercolor painting on May 12, 2026| 7 Comments »

Should an instructor touch a student’s work? As a teacher, this can be an “it depends on the situation” question.

Last week I was with my grandson who is nearing the end of kindergarten. For homework, he had to write a sentence about the story he was reading. He knew what he wanted to write, but the line given was short, and he didn’t think it would fit. I debated. Could I write the sentence he dictated to me?

I decided not to. Obviously, he was not only supposed to practice comprehension, he also needed practice in writing. The option I came up with was to write the sentence he dictated on a notepad and let him copy it on the back of the paper since the line wasn’t long enough. This is what he did, but he completely filled the back of the paper (with no lines) and creatively elongated the tail of the letter p and the top of the letter h.

I have never been a kindergarten teacher, so I was keeping my fingers crossed that I did the right thing.

Recently I have been taking a watercolor class. The instructor is an artist. His teaching method is demonstration. So on both the first and second lessons, he came to my side and painted on my painting to demonstrate a technique. I felt defeated. I had a taste of what Thomas might be feeling when his teacher writes on his paper. The art piece I left with was not mine to claim. Was the art teacher wrong?

I talked with my daughter about this, and she suggested that I ask him to demonstrate on a scratch paper. But still, yesterday he did it again. This time, he asked permission. What was I going to do? I did want to see how he would darken the tree and how he would draw a piece of grass, but again, I have a work of art that is not truly mine. I refuse to sign these pieces.

One of them I cut up into a collage. Another I’ve tucked away. It’s hard for me to totally throw them in the trash. Do I just need to relax and be a good student?

What do you think?

Here is the only painting from the class that I did all on my own. I decided to sign it.

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Slice of Life: Think You Notes

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #KidlitProgressivePoem2026, haiku, think you notes on April 21, 2026| 7 Comments »

My grandson Leo is in first grade. Wait? What? Time flies, doesn’t it? He is a little sponge absorbing all of the learning. He doesn’t even realize how fast he is developing his verbal skills, but as a teacher and proud grandmother, I am keenly aware.

His mother has always been good about thank you notes. She’s passing that on to her children. He wrote me a thank you note for his Easter gift, but he wrote it on the envelope and put another envelope inside it for me to write back.

His misspelling of thank you to “think you” charmed my husband to say, “You should write him a think you note.”

Who knows if our correspondence will continue, but I wrote him a note about what I was thinking about. (I should have taken a photo.) And enclosed a self-addressed envelope.

I am writing poetry this month with Ethical ELA. Today’s prompt from Sharon Roy inspired us to write haiku about reading. I am reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. It’s my book companion when I can’t sleep, so I found this haiku.