This Photo Wants to be a Poem | Reflections on the Teche

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: The Path

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Inklings, Mary Lee Hahn, Molly Hogan, sympathy cards on July 30, 2025| 7 Comments »

I am feeling uninspired, tired, and sad. Yesterday a dear friend died. Just last week she sent me a sweet card giving me sage advice about the death of my mother.

“I’m sure your emotions must rotate from one to another. I don’t need to remind you to take care of yourself. Sending you positive energy and caring thoughts.” Betty LeBlanc

I’m trying, Betty.

This card featured today came from my Inkling friend Molly Hogan. I’d also like to share a poem that another Inkling, Mary Lee Hahn wrote for me:

And if the darkness is not
a hallway, perhaps it’s
a bridge
a reflection
an eye into your soul
or into the mystery
that comes at the end of a day
or a life.
Mary Lee

If you are so moved, write a poem in the comments and encourage other writers with your comments. Thanks for walking by.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Red Hot Poker

Posted in nature, Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, triolet on July 23, 2025| 5 Comments »

The flowers I planted for the pollinators are loving all the rain we’ve been having. This one is called Red Hot Poker. Unfortunately, the stem weakened and it is now flopped over, but before that happened, I took this “portrait mode” photo.

I hope this invitation to write finds you in a place of peace. Please write a small poem in the comments and encourage others with your responses.

For each photo poem, I give myself a challenge. Today, I am trying a triolet. It is a poem of eight lines in which line one repeats in lines 4 and 7, line two repeats in 8. The rhyme scheme is abaaabab.

Red Hot Poker Triolet

Torch lily towers and shines
for the day will be hot and wet.
Butterflies float to its wine.
Torch lily towers and shines.
Summer firecracker’s a sign:
sweet nectar steams like a jet.
Torch lily towers and shines
for the day will be hot and wet.

Margaret Simon, draft

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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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Summer Storms

Posted in Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged shadorma on June 25, 2025| 8 Comments »

This summer we have had lots of quick forming storms that dump rain. If you think about it, they’re nice because they water the flowers. They also help with high temperatures. The other side of the coin is you can get caught without an umbrella and get totally soaked. They also create violent lightning that may take out a smoke detector. (That happened in our house.)

Poetically speaking, however, the summer sun peeking out from a storm cloud is inspiring. Today, write a small poem that ponders summer storms. Please write in the comments and encourage other writers with your responses.

Summer Storm Shadorma

Like sea waves
cool my burning toes,
you pour out
suddenly
soaking me, summer shower,
holy water veil.

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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Penguin

Posted in Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged Audubon Aquarium, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, zeno poem on June 11, 2025| 2 Comments »

Penguin at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, LA.

On Saturday, I toured the Audubon Aquarium at the fast pace of a 5-year old. This penguin was right up against the glass as if it was posing.

I invite you to write a penguin poem. Join us in the comments and support other writers with your comments.

Today I decided to write a Zeno poem. It’s a mathematical form created by J. Patrick Lewis using the sequence 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1. Each one syllable line rhymes. When I decide to use this form, I start with the rhyming word. For this poem I wanted it to land on the word fly. I made a list of words that rhyme with fly (cry, spy, by, guy, high,…) Then I wrote the numbers down the left side of the page.

Next, compose a first sentence. You’d be surprised how many sentences are between 8-10 syllables.

Zenos are fun to write. Mine came out quite silly, but I feel like that’s the point.

Mr. Penguin invites you in—
the water is
fresh as
pie.
That fishy scent
by and
by.
Secret power
makes him
fly.

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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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Ode to Gladiolas

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater, Georgia Heard, poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on May 28, 2025| 6 Comments »

May is a month for flowers. Last week sunflowers. Today, gladiolas. My friend Mary brought me a full bouquet with a variety of colors.

I am following Georgia Heard’s calendar and on Sunday, the topic was “what quiet sounds like.”

An ode is a poem of praise. I was also inspired by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater’s Ode to Seeds “Seedsong” from Poetry Friday.

Ode to Glads

Oh, the silence
in your lavender
touched by white
laced around a tall stalk.
It’s hard to believe
how you grow
perfectly perched
upon the soil,
now delighting
my kitchen table
with joyful obedience.
I love you.

Margaret Simon, draft

Please join me in writing a small poem of praise about May flowers. Leave your poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging words.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sunflower

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, fibonacci poem, flowers, New Iberia, Petite Anse Farm, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on May 21, 2025| 31 Comments »

This weekend was You-Pick Day at the Petite Anse Sunflower Farm. My daughter Martha was visiting with her little family, so we headed out Saturday morning to fill a vase for my book signing. The bright May sun was shining, and, with Martha’s help, we filled a vase of beautiful sunflowers. I love this annual event. Jennifer and Andy welcome visitors with buckets, clippers, bug spray, and conversation.

Sunflowers are living examples of the Fibonacci series, so I feel a fib poem is an appropriate small form. The syllable count is 1, 2, 3, 5, 8. Today on Georgia Heard’s inspiring calendar the prompt is “a letter to a place.”

Let’s celebrate May and warmth and flowers today. Please leave a small poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging comments. Thanks for being here.