Slice of Life | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for the ‘Slice of Life’ Category

Slice of Life: Saints Marching In and Out

Posted in being mamére, Gratitude, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, mothers, saints on July 15, 2025| 10 Comments »

Twelve days ago, this beautiful boy came into my world. Wrapped in the stitches I crocheted for him, he sleeps. While he sleeps, I breathe his newness and want to hold onto that feeling that all is well with the world.

Six days ago my mother, Sam’s great grandmother, died. She slipped out of this world that had been her home into a new one, where we will all be someday. I like to think it’s a better place, a warm welcoming embrace.

I got a phone call message from my aunt, Alabel. She was once married to my mother’s brother, and she has remained a part of our family. Her message said, “I have been so privileged to be a part of your family. I’m glad your mother is now free and happy and seeing Johnny (my father)…I hear you have a new grandchild. That’s how it works, the saints are leaving and the saints are coming.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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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Slice of Life: Summer Walk

Posted in being mamére, Photography, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, haiku, New Orleans City Park on July 1, 2025| 9 Comments »

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.

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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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 »

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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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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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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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

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Slice of Life: Six Year Old Activist

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, early writing, Earth Day, Leo, literacy on May 6, 2025| 8 Comments »

The week of Earth Day was a spring break for my grandson Leo. Because he has working parents, he went to his former daycare for the week. We are not sure if that is where he learned about Earth Day, but he came home and wrote in his special journal (the one with the soft cover). Leo is in kindergarten, so he is new to reading and writing, but this grandmother/ teacher/ writer sees the potential of his writing. If nothing else, it will go in the archives of his earliest writing.

My interpretation: “How Do You Help The Earth”

Do not litter.
Do not throw trash on the ground.
Do not pick the plants.
Do not kill the plant.
Do not kill the environment.
Do not cut the trees because the trees help us breathe.

How do we help the people?

We can help people walk and help people get things if they can’t reach it.
We can help do the remote when people can help people keep up the house
and we can all help people get ready for a party.
We can help people if they have a broken leg.
You can help people if they are not tall enough to put up the lights.

How do you share?
You can give away something.

Keeping the world good.
by Leo, age 6 (kindergarten)

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

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National Poetry Month Day 22: You Matter

Posted in being mamére, Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #EthicalELA, #verselove, musical lyrics, National Poetry Month on April 22, 2025| 8 Comments »

I’ve been writing this month with Ethical ELA’s #Verselove. On Sunday, Susan Ahlbrand led us in a prompt called “Lingering Lines.” We could choose a song from a musical to use as inspiration. One of my favorite musicals is Waitress by Sarah Bareilles, and my favorite song is You Matter to Me. Try to listen to it without crying. I can’t.

This weekend my daughter was visiting with her son, Thomas, who is now 5 and a half. How time flies! He is the sweetest boy with an active imagination and crystal blue eyes. He loves me without condition which warms my mamére heart. I borrowed the song lyric and wrote a short poem for Thomas.

You Matter to Me

I find sea glass treasure in your eyes.
You look in my heart as a mirror
and smile for the picture frame.
You matter to me.

I sing a lullaby love song
and you think I’m magical.
You say “I love you” like they’re
the easiest words to say.

I know your love is true
innocence of a 5 year old
simple and free, no baggage
or judgement. You see
You matter to me.

Margaret Simon, draft

Kidlit Progressive Poem Update: Patricia had a family emergency, so Rose is taking her line today (at Imagine the Possibilities). That is one thing I love about this community. We can lean on each other.

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National Poetry Month Day 15: Sunrise

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Progressive poem, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #EthicalELA, #griefpoem, #nature, #poemsofpresence, #sunrise, #verselove on April 15, 2025| 8 Comments »

I am writing daily poems with Ethical ELA’s #verselove. Today’s prompt is with Brittany Saulnier.

Visiting my mother is filled with emotions for me. Bittersweet is a good word because she’s still here with us, but in many ways she is far from us. Her Alzheimer’s is advancing slowly at this point. Each visit she’s thinner and less able. Yet, she knows me and loves me and tries so hard to talk to me. This morning I will visit her before I drive back to Louisiana. Will this be the last time? Who knows?

At the hotel, I looked out at a beautiful sunrise. It reminded me of days sitting on the back porch with Mom and Dad looking at the lake behind their house. How I long for those easy days. There was always a heron that came to perch. All of these thoughts came when I read Brittany’s prompt to write about nature using 3 different colors.