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Archive for the ‘This Photo Wants to be a Poem’ Category

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Glacier Park Falls

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on August 21, 2024| 17 Comments »

Photo by Dani Burtsfield

My friend Dani Burtsfield lives in Montana near Glacier Park. She sent me this photo from a hike she took with Allan Wolf, a poet who was visiting as a presenter for her reading conference. She had taken me on this same hike in the summer of 2018.

I don’t know the specific name for these falls, but I thought a postcard poem would be a good form. This week is Open Write at Ethical ELA and Jeania White led the prompt “Postcards from Places I’ve Never Been”.

Postcard from the Falls

Missing you
as I feel the spray
of cool water
on my face
remembering we took off
our shoes to put our toes in
and spread our arms out wide
to hold a Montana waterfall.

Margaret Simon, draft

Imagine this place on a postcard and write a small poem in the comments. Please respond to other poets with encouraging words.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Coffee Star

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , on August 14, 2024| 24 Comments »

Coffee Star by Margaret Simon

When a star appears,
I pay attention–
watch how it spreads
within the crystals of milk
reminding me to notice
daily miracles.
Margaret Simon, draft

Today’s photo prompt is brought to you by my morning coffee. I am no barrister, but I do enjoy heating and frothing oat milk for my morning cuppa. I’ve been to coffee shops and received the gift of a design in the top froth, but this was a pure accident. Not a miracle of great proportions, but a simple reminder to pay attention. As I’ve returned to a daily routine of waking early to get ready for a day at school, I needed this reminder. Find joy. Find delight in the simple things. Know you are loved.

Please write a small poem about a small noticing, a waking up of your mind to something you needed to see. Encourage other writers with your comments.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Open the Gate

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , on August 7, 2024| 44 Comments »

Gate, photo by Margaret Simon

This photo is a gate in my daughter’s yard. There is so much lush vegetation around that passing through feels like an adventure, a mystery. When the jasmine is in bloom, the scent itself will entice you to wonder. Join me today on a writing adventure. Leave a small poem in the comments and respond to others with encouraging words. 

First day of school--
open the waiting gate
create your own path.
Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Seneca Falls Bridge

Posted in This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on July 31, 2024| 13 Comments »

Bridge in Seneca Falls, NY, photo by Molly Hogan

I have traveled this summer vicariously through my friend and fellow Inkling Molly Hogan. She recently went to Seneca Falls with her sisters. She shared her trip on her Facebook page here.

This photo appealed to me for many reasons, the play of metal to shadows, and my curiosity about the placement of bells. When I googled it, there is, of course, a story. The bridge was made famous by “It’s a Wonderful Life”. The bells are placed in honor of lost loved ones.

I started today by trying a triolet form. I came up with a long list of words rhyming with ringing. Thus a failed triolet became this offering.

Echoes of bells
ringing
send my heart
winging
memories of you
lingering
a shadow of love
clinging

Margaret Simon, draft

Write a small poem in the comments and kindly respond to others.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: First Fig

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, tagged , , , on July 24, 2024| 11 Comments »

First fig, by Margaret Simon

We were given a fig tree and planted it this spring. We are now harvesting figs! One at a time. My husband joked that we were having our first annual Simon Fig Festival. I served the single fig cut into 4 pieces for our dessert last night. A small, but successful harvest.

Ethical ELA is holding Open Write this week. The first prompt came from Denise Krebs. She reminded me of a form that Jane Yolen created called the septercet. Each stanza has seven syllables and there are 3 lines per stanza. I wrote a septercet about my first fig.

Do you see rain and complain?
Everything wet in your path–
Grass and mud slide to the street.

I watch this single fig-fruit
turn from green to peachy-red
making rain into sweet juice.

You can decide the mood here.
Rain or shine, weed or flower
Fig tree loves enough of both.

@Margaret Simon, draft

You can choose to write a septercet about your own favorite fruit of summer. Leave a small poem in the comments and write encouraging responses to other writers.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Catching Raindrops

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , on July 17, 2024| 6 Comments »

Garden child (photo by Margaret Simon)

This garden statue was a gift from a friend for my birthday last year (or the year before?) She is nestled in a space with succulents. This morning there was rain and I was drawn to how she seems to be catching raindrops with her upturned face. Maybe she can inspire a small poem in you today.

Angel
face upturned
glittered with raindrops
holding morning clouds with
Hope

Today I chose to use the elfchen form. The directions for this form:

Consider writing today. Leave a small poem in the comments. Respond to other writers with encouragement.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sidewalk Monk

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 10, 2024| 15 Comments »

Franciscan monk feeds the pigeons, Dubrovnik by Molly Hogan

My fellow Inkling (writing group) poet-teacher Molly Hogan went on a fabulous trip to Croatia, Slovenia, and Ireland. She blessed me and all her Facebook friends with lots of amazing photos. I was compelled by this photo. It takes me back to my favorite musical of all time, The Sound of Music. It also reminds me of a kind monk I knew growing up. He was my father’s best friend. His Benedictine name was Brother Anselm. He was witty and wise and an incredible organist.

My poem is a narrative free verse. I wanted to tell a story. I have fond memories of visiting Bill (Brother Anselm) at his monastery in St. Benedict, Louisiana.

Consider writing with me today. Leave a small poem in the comments. Remember this is a drafting space, so kindly write encouraging responses to other writers.

Brother Anselm

Walking into the woods
surrounding the Abbey,
Brother Anselm and I spoke freely.
Our walk was a prayer.

We talked of nothing in particular
as his brown robes swished and swayed,
a comforting blanket of humble access
to a stream of still water.

He reminded me that the holy
is not always quiet. Our voices
echoed among the tall pines,
laughter shaking the ground.

He told me that time was our friend.
Use it wisely and with intention.
Bless the forest with reverent presence
and God will grant you peace.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Spiral Stair

Posted in This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on July 3, 2024| 20 Comments »

My grandson Thomas “Tuffy” (age 4.5) is visiting. I took him to get ice cream at a shopping center near the bayou. There is a gazebo that has a bayou lookout up a small metal spiral staircase. I was worried about going up and coming down, but Tuffy and I did it. Tuffy did it over and over, coming carefully down by sitting on each stair.

Photo by Thomas

I had my phone out to take pictures. When I gave it to him, he knew exactly what to do. Some of the shots were selfies of his face in different expressions. But one of them missed his head altogether and became an intriguing photo of the spiral stair. This made me think of the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…) that mathematically makes a spiral. Today I am echoing Langston Hughes’ line “Life is no crystal stair.”

Life
can
be a
spiral stair
anchored gracefully
to solid ground–imagining
a future full of open sky, pathway to purpose.
Margaret Simon, draft

Please respond with your own small poem. You can use the Fib form if you choose. Leave encouraging comments to other writers.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Heron Horizon

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on June 26, 2024| 31 Comments »

Great Blue Heron on Purple Creek, Ridgeland, Ms. by Margaret Simon

On a recent visit to Mississippi, I caught this flight of a great blue heron on my phone camera. The wingspan of these birds amazes me. They fly low across the water and perch near the water’s edge to forage for minnows and other small aquatics. This photo reminds me of a drawing my father did of a heron over the water.

Heron in Flight by John Gibson

I invite you to write today using these photos as inspiration. Leave a small poem in the comments and support other writers with your responses.

The Flight of the Great Blue Heron

Poised dawn glider
Horizon solitude
Regal wave to God

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Bubble Acrostic

Posted in This Photo Wants to be a Poem, tagged , , , on June 19, 2024| 17 Comments »

Grandson Thomas is fascinated by bubbles

This morning I am waking up with Thomas. His mother is on a work trip, so I am being Mamére. Thomas is fascinated by bubbles. He has a bubble blower and a collection of bubble wands. Early in the morning, this is his outside play time in between bites of cereal.

I wrote 3 poems for Two Truths and a Fib, an anthology by Bridget Magee. In that book, I have a bubble metaphor poem, acrostic, and Fibonacci poem. Since another fascination of Thomas’s is numbers, I decided to write another Fib poem. The syllable count follows the sequence, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 (and so on, if you choose).

Bubbles

Trapped
Air
circles
in the wind
caught in a rainbow–
A fascinating wonderland.

Margaret Simon, draft

I invite you to write a small poem today. Please respond to other writers with kind encouragement. Thanks for stopping by.

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