Reflections on the Teche

This Photo wants to be a Poem

April 9, 2020 by margaretsmn

This week as we continue to shelter at home, I’m encouraged by the families with young children spending quality time together. My neighbors have three boys (God bless them), and they live with her parents, so their house is full. I watch through my kitchen window each night as they emerge for their evening activities of bike riding, skateboarding, and chalk drawing.

When I saw Jen’s photo of her youngest covered in chalk, I asked permission to use it here. To me, it was begging to be a poem. This low stakes writing invites you to quick-write a poem of 15 words or fewer to capture your impression of the image. Leave your poem in the comments and try to come back to comment on other poems.

Chalk-a-bration*
Barefoot is best
when creating
a sidewalk
masterpiece.
Margaret Simon, draft
*This term was started by Betsy Hubbard of the Two Writing Teachers

Posted in Photography, Poetry | Tagged Betsy Hubbard, chalkabration, This Photo Wants to be a Poem | 17 Comments »

#NPM20 #verselove: Alice Paul

April 8, 2020 by margaretsmn

I have been following #verselove on Ethical ELA. On Tuesday, teacher-poet Gayle Sands posted a selection of photographs to use for prompts for ekphrasis, poetry about art. I love how looking at art or photography can lead you to a poem, and many times to something unexpected.

Linda Mitchell and I are writing partners in a Sunday night critique group. After I wrote my poem to an image of Alice Paul, I found her poem, a golden shovel about the same photo. I asked Linda’s permission to post her poem along with mine. I think it shows how poets can take a different perspective.

The photo reminded me of my great grandmother who died just shy of her 100th birthday. While mine was more descriptive of the photo, Linda included historical information about Alice Paul and the Sewall-Belmont House.

I always feel the movement is a sort of mosaic.

~Alice Paul to Woodrow Wilson May 2019

The gentlemen from Illinois and Texas, I
am certain, have lost their minds. Women have always
made way for men. It’s 1968. We feel
strength in Sewall-Belmont House since 1929. The
National Women’s Party movement
headquarters is a landmark, it is
not simply ground to lay gravel for a
new Senate driveway on Capitol Hill. What sort
of message does that send to the daughters of
our work? It would destroy the heart of our mosaic
© Linda Mitchell
4/7/20 #verselove

“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it.”
Alice Paul (1885-1977)
*Alice Paul at Belmont House, 1972.*

Alice Paul
Small but fierce
they’d say
about this woman
who wouldn’t be dared.
Hands on hips, head held
high as a carved marble statue
on a pedestal.
Like my great grandmother,
Alice Paul stood in white eyelet
eyes set straight, focused
on the photographer’s lens
like a beam of light daring
him to say,
“Smile!”
Margaret Simon, draft 2020

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing | Tagged #verselove, Alice Paul, ekphrastic poetry, Ethical ELA, Linda Mitchell | 2 Comments »

Slice of Life: Yesterday, Today

April 7, 2020 by margaretsmn

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

Yesterday I walked two miles with my dog, Charlie.
Today, I only made time for one.

Yesterday, I attended a Zoom yoga class.
Today, I’m burning incense.

Yesterday, I wrote three poems.
Today, I’m writing this Slice.

Yesterday, I watched a new Netflix series.
Today, I am watching a tele-conference with colleagues.

Yesterday, I bought groceries and a pot of flowers.
Today, my cat is trying to eat the flowers.

Yesterday, I saw hummingbirds at the feeder.
Today, I hear chickadees in the cypress tree.

Yesterday, I sent a Facebook birthday message.
Today two of my daughter’s friends had babies,
(Welcome Cameron and Georgia!)

Yesterday, we watched the news.
Today, I don’t want to.

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged Fancy, Yesterday Today poem | 17 Comments »

National Poetry Month: These Hands

April 6, 2020 by margaretsmn

Today’s poem is a response to this week’s prompt from Today’s Little Ditty. “For this week’s challenge, I’ve selected “These Are the Hands” (Chapter 39) from Part 3 of My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice. It’s a prompt about empathy— something we so desperately need more of in today’s world. The prompt was inspired by a poem by Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, titled These are the hands that could sand a wooden bench.“

Palm Sunday
These hands
weeding, discovered palms,
and wondered…
Will these old palms
make supple crosses?
These hands
cut long strips
of granite green.
A mind-memory of angle to knot,
thread through, criss-cross.
These hands
delivered simple gifts
to lonely, sheltered neighbors,
a churchless congregation
praying together.
@Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in Poetry | Tagged Today's Little Ditty | 5 Comments »

#NaPoWriMo #NPM20 Amber

April 4, 2020 by margaretsmn

For National Poetry Month, I am trying to write a poem each day following whatever muse I can find. Yesterday I tuned in to #verselove on Ethical ELA. Glenda Funk offered a prompt for writing an etheree. I’ve been seeing this form around the Kidlitosphere, so I wanted to try it out. It’s a 10-line form using syllable counts from 1-10.

When I was writing, I looked down to see the bracelet I was wearing. Last summer we cleaned out my parents’ home when they moved to a retirement home. We found all kinds of treasures. One was a box of jewelry from my godmother whom I didn’t know well. She died years ago. My parents had inherited some of her treasures.

In the box was a broken necklace of amber beads. My sister-in-law is talented at making bracelets. She took the beads and other beads from a necklace of my mother’s to create a new bracelet for me. And now I muse over it.

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged amber bracelet, etheree poem, Ethical ELA | 5 Comments »

Poetry Friday: #ShelterinPoems

April 3, 2020 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday round-up is with Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe.

For this first Friday of the month, my Sunday Poetry Swagger group writes together to a shared prompt. This month Linda Mitchell suggested the Poets.org #ShelterinPoems project. I decided to do an “after” poem from poet Barbara Crooker’s April poem that she posted on her Facebook page. I love Barbara’s writing, how it flows beautifully line to line.

BIG LOVE
I’d been traveling and missed this spring’s shy
unfolding. So when I returned, it was as if
a magician had walked around the yard
with a glossy black wand: Pow! Lilacs,
purple, white, wine-colored; scent to rock you
back on your heels. Bam! Dogwoods,
a cotillion of butterflies on bare black branches.
Shazam! Peonies exploding, great bombshells
of fragrance and silk. Tada! A rainbow row
of irises, blossoms shooting from green stalks.
Azaleas! Rhododendrons!. Everywhere I look,
the yard is ready to send its bombs bursting in air.
So push down the plunger! Let every twig and stem
erupt into flowers. Soon, it will be June, and all
of this opulence will be spent confetti littering
the lawn. I’m standing here, slack-jawed
and gob-smacked, shell-shocked into love.
Out by the bird bath, one by one, the poppies
slip their green pods, slowly detonate
into silent flame.
~Barbara Crooker

Backyard Spring
I’ve been sheltering and missed this spring’s green
beginning. So when I walked out, it was as if
Jack had been by with his magical beans: Bada-bing! Cypress
needles feathered like peacocks showing wings; emerald
out of the blue. Bravo! Clover, a-dime-a-dozen flaunting
purple lily-like miniatures. Good heavens! The wisteria vine
drapes around, around. Everywhere I look,
the yard is ready to dance the day away.
So grab your partner! Take a two-step (six feet apart)
and let the green lawn party commence. I’ll invite
the wood ducks, squirrels, and herons. Set up
swing-back camp chairs. Out by the bayou, we’ll watch
the sunset draw orange curtains
into silent flame.
Margaret Simon, after Barbara Crooker

Clover on the lawn (photo by Margaret Simon)

Swagger Group #ShelterinPoems

Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core

Check in on the Progressive Poem with Jone today.

Poem read aloud on the bayou with ideas for writing your own poem.

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Writing | Tagged Barbara Crooker, Sunday Poetry Swaggers | 19 Comments »

This Photo wants to be a Poem

April 3, 2020 by margaretsmn

I have a confession to make. I forgot to post this today. When I started this weekly prompt, I decided to do it on Thursdays because that’s the day Laura Purdie Salas would post her 15 Words or Less prompt. Thursdays felt right.

In this time of every-day-is-just-like-the-last, I forgot it was Thursday. The good news is my caterpillar has started to pupate. This monarch caterpillar was hanging on to a milkweed plant I bought last weekend. When I found the little thing, I put the whole plant into the butterfly net. Yesterday I couldn’t find the caterpillar. I looked and looked and finally saw that it was curled up under a leaf.

Please write a small poem (15 words or so) in the comments. Support other writers by commenting on their poems. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a definite kinship with this caterpillar.

Curled up
in the blanket
of your love,
I will emerge
renewed.
Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in Photography, Poetry | Tagged monarch caterpillars, This Photo Wants to be a Poem | 15 Comments »

Spiritual Journey Thursday: Psalms

April 2, 2020 by margaretsmn

image created by Carol Varsalona
Read more Spiritual Journey posts at Donna’ Blog, Mainly Write.

Fear is the opposite of Love, so how do we live through this fearful time with Love?

I read an article from Time magazine that helped. The Bible does not turn away from fear. God’s word embraces the fear in us and replaces it with love. N.T. Wright says that we should turn to Psalms. Within the Psalms, God grieves with us. The psalmist draws us into the lament so that we are comforted by the connection, person to person.

The point of lament, woven thus into the fabric of the biblical tradition, is not just that it’s an outlet for our frustration, sorrow, loneliness and sheer inability to understand what is happening or why. The mystery of the biblical story is that God also laments.
N.T.Wright

I turned to Psalm 22 which typically we read on Maundy Thursday as the altar is stripped. As a congregation, we won’t be reading together this year. Yet, the lament is more real now than ever before.

The poetry prompt from Ethical ELA by Glenda Funk is to write a Blitz poem. I felt this form would work for a psalm-like poem based on Psalm 22.

Forsake me
Forsake my words
My words roar
My words cry
Cry in the day
Cry at night
Night is holy
Night I trust
Trust our God
Trust deliverance
Deliverance from evil
Deliverance from scorn
Scorned people
Scorned me
I am a worm
I am a child
A child in my mother’s womb
A child on my mother’s breast
My mother’s breast comforts
My mother’s breast gives hope
Hope is a garment
Hope is far from me
Far as a raging lion
Far as help
Help my soul
Help my darling
My darling hears me
My darling calls my name
My name praises
My name vows
Vows of worship
Vows of my heart
My heart loves
My heart seeks
Seeks food
Seeks a seed
A seed serves
A seed is planted
Planted in the soil
Planted in praise
Praise for a kingdom come
Praise for a will be done
Done to us
Done for us
We see salvation
We declare righteousness
Righteousness of God’s world
Righteousness to those born
Born of God’s hands
Righteous to live and love
Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing | Tagged Blitz poem, Ethical ELA, Psalm 22 | 6 Comments »

#NaPoWriMo Day 1: A Prayer

April 1, 2020 by margaretsmn

Welcome April! My favorite month of the year when skies are blue, flowers are blooming, and poetry abounds!

I am committing myself to writing a poem a day this month, but I am not committing to a prompt. I will get inspiration from where ever the muse takes me. Last night as I was settling down for the night, I found NaPoWriMo. The early bird prompt posted on March 31st was to write about your favorite bird.

Here is my first draft:

A Prayer
Everyone was supposed to pray with the pope tonight,
but I got struck silent while watching
a hummingbird at the feeder
hovering as on angel wings
disappearing into the green like a spirit.
Where does our spirit go when we die?
Does it hover like the hummer
watching and waiting
for the lift off?
I wonder if the pope even knows?
We pray what?
What should I say?
There is nothing to be done
but stare at the feeder
and wait for another sighting of wings.
Margaret Simon, 2020 draft

Hummingbird at the feeder in my backyard. Taken August 30, 2016. Photo by Margaret Simon

The first line of the Kidlit Progressive Poem is a multiple choice from Donna Smith. The progression of the poem is in the side bar of my blog. Scroll down.

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual Growth | Tagged #NaPoWriMo, #NPM20, bird poems, spiritual journey | 9 Comments »

Slice of Life: Still Serving

March 31, 2020 by margaretsmn

Tuesday morning has changed somewhat. Each week I go to Solomon House before going to school. Now that school is closed and safe distancing orders are a must, the scene at Solomon House has changed.

Safe distancing pose in homemade face masks

We are still giving out groceries weekly, but the staff and volunteers are wearing masks and gloves. Our clients pull up with their cars or bikes and wait for a volunteer to carry the groceries out and place them on the curb for pick up.

Glen happily hops down the driveway with a cart load.

I’m happy we are able to continue this service to our community, but I miss greeting people with a smile and calling them by name.

Our hearts are still there,
still reaching out,
still caring.

A volunteer made some attractive cloth masks for us to wear. These beauties cheered us all!

Solomon House director Ellen hasn’t lost her sass behind her mask.

Fran Haley wrote a blog post about a friend making masks for their family. I wrote this cinquain poem found from her post.

Masks
Shielding
Love-gifts, blanket
of self-care and service.
We will survive this trouble time.
Thank you!
found cinquain by Margaret Simon

Our mission is still serving,
still strong,
still important.

To view our website and make a donation, click here.

Mission Statement:
Solomon House, an outreach mission of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, in keeping with the teachings of Jesus Christ, strives to meet the needs of the community by providing spiritual enrichment, support, and guidance through the challenges of daily life.

Posted in Writing | 9 Comments »

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