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Slice of Life: How to Be Poems

Posted in Gifted Education, Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged animal poems, How to be poems, student poetry, teaching of writing, Things to Do Poem on December 17, 2024| 8 Comments »

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

I am a teacher who writes alongside my students. I show them my draft, the messy one in the notebook. We are writers together. This is my teaching philosophy and has been for years. Because it works for us all! I get time to write, and my students see themselves as part of a writing community.

I’ve been working my way through Ethical ELA’s new book 90 Ways of Community. Many of the prompts are tried and true. “How to Be” was posted by Sheri Vasinda. Her directions originated with Barry Lane’s Reviser’s Toolbox. I found the exercise to be similar to the “Things to Do” poem form. The prompt started us off making a list of 6-10 facts.

This way into a poem encourages us to think about and research the ways a chosen animal lives in the world. I asked myself and my students to push beyond just a list of facts, but to see how they could figuratively be applied to humans. How can you be like the animal?

I was reminded of my poem “Things to Do if You’re a Snapping Turtle” from my book Bayou Song. The poem and the prompt can be found here.

Yesterday I was thinking about owls. Owls are common here on the bayou. A friendly neighborhood one starts hooting before the sun goes down.

How to be an Owl

Lift your beak to the world
Whhhooot in the dimming light of winter
This is your time to fly–quiet and with intention
Sharpen your sight
Swallow whole
Spit out what you don’t need
Be a goddess of reason
Make wisdom your home

by Margaret Simon, draft

This was a fun prompt to start off our last week before the holiday break. Kailyn took her poem to a hilarious place. Here’s to a funny poem!

How to be a Capybara

Gain 150 pounds

Be the largest living rodent.

Be present in social gatherings.

Become committed to eating your droppings.

Have a jolly 10 years of living.

When swimming, look very pleasant.

Stick with the diet of plants.

When you see a Guinea Pig,

Give them a hug because you are family.

When you are a Capybara,

Don’t end up in a chimichanga.

by Kailyn, 6th grade (To leave comments for Kailyn, click here.)

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Poetry Friday: Count on Me

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged friendship, Golden Shovel, music mashup on December 13, 2024| 12 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise.

Linda is hosting today with a mashup of songs and poems. This reminded me that we did a similar activity in my class. I asked the class what song about friendship do they like. Kailyn said, “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars.

I stole the line “I’ll sail the world to find you.” to create a golden shovel.

My friend, I’ll
tell you again that I will sail
through a turbulent storm, the
end of the world
as we know it to
rescue you, comfort you, to find
safety in this place with you.
Margaret Simon, draft

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Slice of Life: Advent Pause

Posted in Writing on December 10, 2024| 4 Comments »

These characters usually live in a wooden bowl with a top that a grandchild used for storing such small softies. Among them live knit finger puppets.

As I was decorating, I rescued poor unclothed Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus to set them up on the coffee table, ready for the next visiting grand to play, rearrange, and hide the sacred characters.

During this season of waiting and preparing for Christmas, I pause, play a favorite song, and sing along.

Today I offer to you a small elfchen poem pause:

Space

Generous, old

As wooden floorboards

Creak with thumping rhythm

Sanctuary

@margaretsmn, draft

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This Photo wants to be a Poem: Roots

Posted in nature, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, advent, elfchen, live oak trees, Nature poems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on December 4, 2024| 16 Comments »

Here in the deep south, live oak trees are iconic. This root is old and has emerged over time from the ground. I took notice of its unique design. As no two humans are exactly the same, I imagine trees have their own personalities, too.

I started the year 2024 with writing daily elfchen. For this Advent season, I’ve picked up the form again. Here are the rules:

Grounded
Roots revealed
Begging us hear
The true language of
Connection
Margaret Simon, draft

Join me today in writing to this photo prompt. Come back to offer encouragement to other writers.

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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 #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on November 27, 2024| 9 Comments »

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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Slice of Life: Novel Coffee

Posted in Gratitude, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged Maine, Molly Hogan, Portland, Travel on November 26, 2024| 16 Comments »

My husband and I are on vacation in Portland, Maine. On Sunday my dear friend and fellow Inkling (writing group) Molly Hogan and her husband Kurt took us to the most photographed lighthouse.

The views were incredible, but the best part was seeing Molly in person and getting to know her husband. We talked for hours.

The highlight of our time here yesterday was the ferry cruise. We happened upon a ride that carries supplies and mail to the islands. There was a young man who did everything, and one of his jobs was to find us and tell us stuff about the islands. I’m guessing in the winter months there are fewer tourists.

I like some alone time in any given day, so after shopping at Reny’s (Molly was right; we found good deals), Jeff dropped me at the Novel coffee shop where one can read and have coffee. I picked up a copy of a book I didn’t know existed about a poem that few knew existed.

Walt Whitman’s Live Oak, with Moss is not the poem you think it is. The papers he wrote the poem on were torn and put back together into other more acceptable poems. Originally Whitman was writing a love poem to a man (or men).

The book drew me right in and I read it on the spot. Brian Selznick took an idea he had discussed with Maurice Sendak to illustrate the long hidden poem. Sendak never had the chance.

Here are some pages:

In every vacation there are the things you plan and the happy happenstances. This little treasure was waiting for me, I believe.

Happy Thanksgiving! May you find a small moment to treasure in your heart.

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Poetry Friday: My Place in the World

Posted in being mamére, Gifted Education, Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged "my place in the world" poem, #bayoulife, #beingmamére, student poetry on November 23, 2024| 11 Comments »

Poetry Friday is gathered by Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town.

My students and I are reading Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. In the book, there is a poem “On the Road with Arley” that begins with line “Here’s the way I figure it, my place in the world is at the piano.” It’s been fun to find music of the time period and write alongside it. My students worked hard to create poems using this beginning line. I asked them to use imagery to create a tone. I wrote a model poem about my place in the world.

In a Canoe

Here’s the way I figure it,
my place in the world is
on the bayou
lazing about in a canoe
with you.

I’m just a mamere
wanting the best time
to be outside
watching for eagles
slipping through slow current
listening for Mr. Owl
to cook-cook-for-you!

My place is in open toes
among cypress knees
sniffing catfish air
hearing cicadas buzz
when the sun goes down.

Here’s the way I figure it,
my place in the world
is in a canoe with you.

Margaret Simon, draft

Photo by Nitin Arya on Pexels.com

Here’s the way I figure it,
my place in the world is
out of it.

My place is in a different place,
far away from here.
In a mythical world,
or one that is crumbling
even more than mine is.

With my favorite characters
I venture
for escape.
Escape.
My feet will beat the ground,

in my head a pound,
and then I settle down.
In a bed or a chair,
I wind

wind

wind

down.

I read, and I am free.

Here’s the way I figure it,
my place in the world is
seeking distraction from it.

Adelyn, 6th grade

Where is your place in the world?

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Slice of Life: Name Acrostic Best and Worst

Posted in Poetry, Writing, tagged acrostic, Ethical ELA, name acrostic on November 19, 2024| 5 Comments »

Today I am envious of all the hype leading up to NCTE because I won’t be going for the first time in ten years. I hope all of you who are attending have a wonderful conference and send out some ELA love into the universe.

This morning Emily led the Ethical ELA Open Write with an invitation to write an acrostic about the best and the worst of yourself. I usually avoid looking too closely in the mirror for fear of what I might see. And of course, I have a long name with repeated letters that added an even harder challenge, but this is what I got in the wee dark hours of the morning.

At my best,

Mood smooth like malbec wine
A steady
Rock you can lean on
Grounded in my faith
Alert to nature
Ready for a long talk
Empathetic with my tears
Trust me with your pain.

At my worst,

Moody
Arrogantly
Reserved
Guarding my soul
Assailed by doubt
Reactive
Enneagram four evading reality
Torturing myself…

But I’ll always love you with intensity.

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Poetry Friday: Perspective

Posted in Poetry Friday, Teaching, Writing on November 15, 2024| 12 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted by Karen Edmisten.

With my students, I am using the recent Ethical ELA book 90 Ways of Community for writing prompts. This week we used two different prompts. The first was from Leilya Pitre about taking a break, a walk, and writing a narrative poem.

Veteran’s Day Walk

Finally, a chilly wind
blows my white hair
into my eyes
reminding me that winter
is on its way.

Leaves dapple the playground mulch
like confetti left over from a football game.
This is how fall is…
coming in on a wind
soothing my severed soul
into a peaceful,
place of presence.

Margaret Simon, draft

The second prompt I used was from Jodi Opager asking us to step into the shoes of another person or object. Avalyn has been exploring putting tone and emotion into her poems. She wrote from the POV of the TV. This poem she wrote breaks my heart for her, but she assures me that she is OK and handling things.

Broken Memories

I turn on again
watching the mom
and her daughter.

I remember it
as clear as day.

I remember how the daughter cried
because her mom was fussing
for the third time
that day.

I remember how the dad
stomped upstairs
packed his bags
and left

but everything was fuzzy
because now
I sit in the hallway
empty
dead
waiting to be fixed.

by Avalyn, 5th grade

My sister texted me this photo of my mother from the 70’s. I remember this photo and that my mother was pretending to sleep. My perspective writing is from her point of view with memories of a life full of love.

I remember holding Raggedy Ann
pretending to sleep
next to you
after story time.

I remember riding in the backseat
of the Delta 88 because you
got carsick through the curves
of Zion National Park.

I remember roses blooming
on the “island” alongside our cypress tree,
how your father sketched all day
watching our heron fishing.

I remember you
when you come,
I smile and say,
Thank you.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Slice of Life: Book Character Day

Posted in Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing, tagged Book Character Day, Peter Reynolds, The Dot on November 12, 2024| 9 Comments »

I teach at two schools, so I have a hard time keeping up with special dress-up days on the calendar. Yesterday, I got a free dress coupon from my second school, so yay! I could wear jeans and a t-shirt. I chose my Peter Reynold’s Dot Day t-shirt and my happy face sweater.

In morning carpool duty, I opened doors to Harry Potters and Belles. I asked my colleague what was going on. He said it was Book Character Day. Ha, serendipity! I was dressed as The Dot!