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Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Slice of Life Day 16: My sister is in India

Posted in Slice of Life, Travel, Writing, tagged , , on March 16, 2025| 9 Comments »

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

What’s app messages are exciting these days. My sister is in India. She traveled there last week with her husband, daughter, and mother in law. My brother in law was born in India, but he hasn’t been back since he was a small child. Their purpose is to leave his mother to live with her sister. But they have made it into a deep dive into the culture. Today they start a tour of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra.

Her pictures are so fabulous. I asked her if I could share a few.

Ceremonial welcome.
Mehndi, traditional wedding henna.
Colors of Holi
Holi shower of color

My sister asked me what souvenir I might like. I said the pictures are all the souvenirs I need. As you might expect, she was very anxious about this trip, so I love seeing that they are having the time of a lifetime. Saying goodbye next weekend will be tough. I suspect they may travel back next year. Maybe she will take her sister with her.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Lobster Trap Tree

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , on November 27, 2024| 9 Comments »

Lobster trap tree

As we end our vacation in Portland, Maine, we found the best place to eat lobster, Luke’s. Outside the restaurant on a peer overlooking the Old Port Harbor, there was a young boy putting finishing touches on the huge stack of lobster traps turned Christmas tree.

As we head back home to Louisiana for big family Thanksgiving, we are grateful for this time to relax and enjoy a different place in the world.

I invite you to leave a small poem of gratitude today.

An ordinary trap

Becomes a beacon of light

For traveling mercies

Margaret Simon, draft

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Poetry Friday: Elephant Pantoum

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on March 29, 2024| 13 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted this week by Tricia Stohr-Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Elephant family, July 2016 Tanzania, Africa

I was inspired by Michelle Kogan who wrote a pantoum for a hippo. I recalled the hippos of my Africa tour in 2016. I’ve been reading Margarita Engle’s verse novel Singing with Elephants. I collected lines from the verse and went to work on the pantoum form. This form is like a puzzle. Michelle fit hers together with rhyme. I didn’t use rhyme. When I googled pantoum, there doesn’t seem to be a rule about rhyme or line length. The rules show that each stanza is four lines with this pattern: (1,2,3,4) (2,5,4,6) (5,7,6,8) (7,3,8,1)

The Poetry Sisters respond to a challenge on the last Friday of the month. This month they are writing animal pantoums. Our host Tricia has more about the form and links to other Poetry Sisters posts.

The beauty of an elephant’s hum-hug,
a language as common as buzzing bees,
simple as spending time with kindness.
Elephants embrace us with their music.

With a language as common as buzzing bees,
I can catch good luck as it passes.
Simple as spending time with kindness,
these animals move like magical mountains.

I catch good luck as it passes:
Photo from Africa is a touchstone of memory.
These animals move like magical mountains
with a touch of heavy gentleness.

My photo from Africa is a touchstone of memory,
as simple as spending time with kindness–
A touch of heavy gentleness–
the beauty of an elephant’s hum-hug. 

Margaret Simon, with thanks to Margarita Engle and PÁDRAIG Ó TUAMA.
Only a few open dates!

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Mountain House

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , on January 3, 2024| 29 Comments »

Mountain House in North Georgia by Margaret Simon

Instead of Christmas presents, we gave our children and their families a house in the Appalachian mountains of North Georgia. This is a view of the house from the lake below. I don’t think I could have picked a more perfect spot. Today it becomes an image for inspiration. You may focus on the green moss on the log, the act of looking up, or the idea of a perfect place to rest. Happy New Year! I hope it brings you joy and renewal.

I am still ruminating on my One Little Word for 2024. It may or may not be the word at the end of this poem. I’ve been having fun playing with the elfchen (elevenie) form. The basis is 1 word, 2 words, 3 words, 4 words, 1 word. The magic of the form seems to happen when writing about the first word leads to a conclusion in the last word.

Tomorrow I will host Spiritual Thursday. We are writing about our One Little Word choices. Please join us.

Mountain House

Wood
chopped, stacked
the fire pit
where secrets are shared–
Connection

Margaret Simon, draft
Fire pit time, by Margaret Simon

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Poetry Friday: Word of the Day Elfchen

Posted in being mamére, Gratitude, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on December 29, 2023| 17 Comments »

The Poetry Friday round up is with Michelle Kogan today.

I wasn’t planning to post for Poetry Friday today, but I’ve been playing with the elchen form (also known as elevenie), a challenge from the Poetry Sisters. Mary Lee shared the Wikipedia definition of the form. I wrote one last week for This Photo Wants to be a Poem.

While my family has been vacationing in the mountains of North Georgia, coincidentally the words of the day in my email inbox have worked for elchen play.

slippers
warm toes
on cold mornings
this winter’s saving grace
hygge*

Word of the day: hygge- A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Pack
suitcase, car
drive all day
family voyage to mountains
viator*

*Word of the Day 12/26/23 Viator traveler, wayfarer

Light
still shines
in your eyes
sea glass blue joy
luminaria*



*Luminaria is a lantern typically used at Christmas.

Leo (5), Mamere, Stella (3), Thomas (4)

Wayward
wanders hopeful
small mountain town
ice cream with sprinkles
gallivant*

*Word of the Day 12/29/23 Gallivant: Go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Africa

Posted in This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , on July 19, 2023| 8 Comments »

Travel has not been on my summer agenda, but I have been enjoying travels of my friends by scrolling social media. Recently Mo Daley experienced an amazing trip to Kenya with infamous Kwame Alexander. I held down my jealousy and let her photographs take me back to a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tanzania in 2016. Mo’s photos taken from her iPhone were incredible. You should check them out on Facebook.

I was drawn to the zebras. On my trip with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, we often talked about which animal was our favorite. It was so hard to choose. The tall majesty of the giraffe. The fierce calm of the lions. The gentleness of the elephants. But the zebras! Zebras feel like a joke from God. The contrast of black and white reflects our natural day to night rhythm. They were always seen in herds, with their friends.

Zebras in Kenya by Mo Daley

I played around with the monotetra form this morning. Each stanza includes 4 rhymed lines, each line with 8 syllables, and the last line repeats the same 4-syllables. I took liberty to slightly change the repeated line. I think it adds more interest to the poem.

Monotetra for Zebras

For its black-white striped attitude,
God is laughing a beatitude.
I speak prayerful gratitude.
Erase bad mood. Embrace calm mood.

Margaret Simon, draft

Please play with words today and leave a small poem in the comments. Encourage other writers with your responses.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Portugal Portal

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on May 31, 2023| 43 Comments »

Summer is here! This is the time I travel vicariously through others. Because of circumstances keeping me at home this summer, I will not be traveling. But my 24 year-old niece recently toured Portugal and posted dreamy, beautiful photos. I asked her if I should put Portugal on my bucket list and her response was “Yes! The hills/stairs are killer but it’s so beautiful.” I’m having second thoughts, but maybe I can build up to it. My walking path is flat and the last time I did an elliptical, I couldn’t walk for a few days. This photo was taken by Taylor Saxena in Madeira, Portugal.

For this flash draft, I used my Insight Timer, an ap that offers a timer with ambient sounds as well as meditations. I’ve set the timer for 5 minutes. When you write today, consider a time limit and accept what comes.

Thoughts come and go. Feelings come and go. Find out what it is that remains.

Ramana Maharshi

Sometimes
I think about going.
Sometimes
I feel what it means to stay.
Stay near you,
listen to the sounds of your voice;
stay for what may be
the last time.
Margaret Simon, draft

Please sit and stay. Write what comes and place your words in the comments. They don’t have to be good or perfect, but they are yours for now, this moment. Reply to other writers with encouraging words.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Under the Pier

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on January 18, 2023| 29 Comments »

I can’t resist a good sunset photo. I don’t think I’m alone in this. A brightly colored sunset reminds us that things will be alright. I saw this wonderful photo on Mary Howard’s Facebook. She often posts sunsets from her new home in Hawaii, but this one is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She happily granted permission for me to use it.

 “I was in Myrtle Beach SC for a SERRRA presentation. Each night I’d walked the beach to get sunset photos. On this day I noticed that I could actually walk under this and it made for a perfect photo. I’m learning to pay attention to my gut!” Mary Howard

Please post a small poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging responses. I will be posting my own poem later today.

Sun reluctantly sets
in golden glow
sending us a message
of hope.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Poetry Friday: Thibodeaux Turns

Posted in Poetry Friday, Teaching, Travel, Writing, tagged , , on January 13, 2023| 13 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Susan at Chicken Spaghetti.

What is the greatest gift a poetry teacher can ever hope for? A student who keeps writing poetry, even though you are no longer teaching her. You may remember my student Chloe. She’s now in 7th grade and attending another school, but last week she sent me a poem. She told me that she was in Thibodeaux, LA for a gymnastics meet. Her father went to college in the town and showed her the route to where he had lived. He asked her to write a poem about it. And what father do you know encourages the poet-daughter? I was charmed, of course, and asked if I could post her poem here. Please leave encouraging comments for Chloe.

Thibodeaux Turns

Extravagant land that turns your world 

The world that grew with you 

That rested with you

That prayed with you

Never felt alone with this land 

These bodies of water mark journeys in our lives 

And heart

And minds

Traveling tree roots that build our homes and house animals that feed us 

This air that circulates our bodies and arms and legs

Blowing away our doubts and fears 

Bringing us to our pot of gold at the end of our Louisiana adventures 

Our sugar cane grounds desperately reaching for the water we provide 

Thibodeaux turns turn our history 

Our signs 

Our lives

Chloe Willis, 7th grade
Bayou Lafourche, Thibodeaux, LA.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Fountain at the Zoo

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged on December 7, 2022| 4 Comments »

A few weeks ago our family celebrated Stella’s second birthday by going to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. After a full day of rain on Saturday, Sunday dawned clear and mild. A perfect day for the zoo. The Audubon Zoo has a signature fountain as you walk in. Some of the sprays create an arch over the walkway. It is a place where families meet to take a photo.

Fountain at the Audubon Zoo

I’ll be writing later with my students and will add my poem here. Please consider writing today and supporting other writers with encouragement.

Avalyn and I wrote together using Rose’s poem as a model. Thanks, Rose.

Meet Me at the Waterfall

Meet me
at the waterfall
where elephants
play,
where penguins wiggle
toes
in a cold, icy sleigh.

Meet me
at the waterfall
where my dreams
come true,
and if you make a wish,
yours
will come true, too.

Mrs. Simon and Avalyn (3rd grade)

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