My friend, Chere’ Coen is a travel writer. She posted some pictures this morning of a sunrise in Bay St. Louis, MS. My dear friend Nettie loved Bay St. Louis. She visited often and took me there once when we made a wrong turn on I10 and ended up going east instead of west. I remember the sense of peace we both felt as we walked the beach looking for driftwood. I still have that piece I picked up that day. Nettie died in October after a battle with colon cancer. Chere’s photograph made me miss her more and yet, feel at peace.
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On Friday morning at 5 AM, I received a text from my daughter Maggie. At first glance, I thought it was a screen shot of the weather app. I started my morning routine, fed the dog, turned on the coffee. After my first sip of coffee, I opened the text again. It wasn’t the weather app. It was an app for timing contractions. And the intervals were 3 minutes apart. My response, “Seem pretty close together. Are they getting stronger?”
“Yes.”
“Wake someone up. I’m coming.”
I met Maggie and her husband Grant at the hospital at 6:30 AM. My first grandson, Leo, was born at 11:22 AM. And he is absolutely perfect in every way.
I had heard from others that I would love being a grandmother. The feelings are taking a while to really sink in. The best feeling of all is being satisfied with being me. I’m not sure that makes sense, but I am just so plain happy.
All our lives we seem to be in search of elusive happiness and a sense of contentment. We are always seeking something, longing for something, wanting something. Being the mother of a mother makes me completely whole. I have done my work.
This feeling may pass, especially as Christmas approaches with all its obligations. Even so, I want to soak it all in. I want to look at Baby Leo and Be with my happiness.
Circle of soft thread
wraps this perfect gift of love
All is well, is well
One of the poets I am following for this month of daily haiku is Mary Lee Hahn. She posted this poem today with a link to an article Are we really all made of stardust? Fascinated both by this physics and my new grandson, I offer this #haikuforhope.
Nothing but hope
heart of a heavenly star
born as a child
(c) Margaret Simon
Poetry Friday roundup is with Elizabeth Steinglass
Laura Purdie Salas is one the most clever poets I know. In 2014, she invented a new form of haiku, the riddle-ku, when she decided to write riddle+mask poems for National Poetry Month. In Spring of 2019, a new book of riddle-ku poems will be available, Lion of the Sky.
I received an advanced copy at NCTE. For reading with small children, the illustrations give pretty strong hints to the answer to the riddle, so I didn’t show my middle grade students the illustrations until they “gave up.” I was surprised both by the ones they guessed and the ones they missed. Nevertheless, they had a good time playing along.
Then, of course, we wrote our own riddle-kus. I copied lines from Laura’s book onto popsicle sticks and let the students select a stick and decide how to use the line in their own riddle-ku.
Laura shared her webpage for this book which includes a padlet for students to post their poems.
Sprite+Mentos=Explosion
(This title is a shout-out to another of Laura’s new books, Snowman-Cold=Puddle)
Exploding red hot
lava oozing out on top
Dangerous! Don’t touch!
by Chloe, 3rd grade
Endless Parched Sea
Wide, curvy, golden
I am a sea needing rain
Memories within
by Madison, 5th grade
I wrote a few, too. The one above with the picture of burning sugarcane fields, but my favorite is this one. Can you guess what it’s about?
On the waiting page,
I flow from your colored pen
Word patterns counted
–Margaret Simon, (c) 2018
In the comments, take a guess for each poem. Thanks!
On this first Thursday of December, the Spiritual Journey bloggers are reflecting on our 2018 one little word. Way back in January, I chose the word Explore. Like previous words, Presence and Open, this word helped me to be more present to the world around me. Exploration is important in the life of a writer. To me exploring has a connotation of adventure and daring. While I find much comfort in just being at home, when I am more open to adventure, I reach out and invite joy in.
My students and I enjoy exploring different ways to look at common objects. The above image was taken through a Private Eye jewelers loupe in the school garden. The Private Eye asks the viewer to use figurative language to describe what you see. It looks like… and it also looks like…
A rose in bloom
flowing tutu in the sun
a garden dancer
Following NCTE in Houston, my friend Dani traveled home with me for a few days before heading back to Montana. We explored Avery Island and the Tabasco plant, a sculpture garden in New Orleans, and an old cemetery. Dani was fascinated by the above ground crypts. Since NOLA is below sea level, bodies are buried above ground to avoid floating away. Exploring is more fun with a friend.
Explore was a good word for 2018, but as this year comes to a close, I’m thinking about next year’s one little word. I feel the need to turn more toward reaching out to others and making some kind of difference. Explore was a more self-serving word, one that led me to adventures and new places, but didn’t send me outward to others. I’m ready to look inward to how I can become more generous to others.
#haikuforhope
Hope fills my waiting heart
Gently cradled in wonder
Exploring my world
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I am participating in writing a haiku-a-day in the month of December. Follow the hashtag #haikuforhope on Twitter to read and join in.
I had news of a tragic death by suicide this weekend. A former student. A creative soul. An enthusiastic friend who loved without condition. Why? No one knows. Not even the ones who were closest to him.
I wish there were some way I could remain a person in my students’ lives, someone they could call whenever they needed someone to talk to without judgement. They enter my heart when they are so young, 8, 9, 10 year-olds who know so very little about what lies ahead, but they are full of curiosity and longing. I love them when I have them, then I have to let them go. They continue to grow and change and become grown-ups. I may find them again on social media, but there are no guarantees. I have to trust that the world will be kind.
I don’t think the world was kind to Walt. He never fit in, conforming was not a part of who he was or who he could be. He wanted so much more than the world could give him. I really don’t know what could have gone through his head to make him choose death instead of life. I need to let go again. I have to trust that he is where he needs to be now, in the arms of an angel in heaven who can love him forever.
Sunday afternoon was so gorgeous we had to stop and take a canoe trip down the bayou. The temperatures were in the 70’s which we won’t likely see again for a while as December begins to roll in on cooler waves. I really believe that the cypress trees are more beautiful this year with their bronze needles that still cling to the branches. We stopped by a neighbor’s house and chatted with her while a fat water snake slithered from a nearby bush. Yes, it freaked me out, and I became jumpy. Everything became a snake: branches, leaves, jumping fish, scurrying squirrels. But soon my heebie-jeebies subsided, and I enjoyed the scenery. With the still water, the reflections were picture perfect.
December on Bayou Teche by Margaret Simon
Dusk, hawks are hunting,
Scouting a slithering snake.
Keep paddle moving.
Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. She is a retired elementary gifted teacher who writes poetry and children's books. Welcome to a space of peace, poetry, and personal reflection. Walk in kindness.
Reflections on the Teche 