Reflections on the Teche

NPM24: Progressive Poem is Here!

April 6, 2024 by margaretsmn

The Kidlit Progressive Poem originated from an idea that Irene Latham had to celebrate National Poetry Month in 2012, to bring a community of writers together as they collaborated on a poem. I began coordinating the effort in 2020. Each writer who volunteers creates a new line of the poem.

The poem has passed to me today. Patricia Franz started it off in the form of couplets. I’ve structured it into quatrains to see how it rides. The poem will take shape as it moves along toward 30 lines.

Thinking about this character who dreams of peace and lullabies of hope, he/she begins a journey across a border. Is this a literal border or figurative one? Irene set the character in motion with action. She also gave me a good word to rhyme; however, rhyme isn’t a rule in this ongoing pattern. I hand off this adventure to Marcie Atkins. The full schedule is on the sidebar. Stay along for the ride.

cradled in stars, our planet sleeps,
clinging to tender dreams of peace
sister moon watches from afar,
singing lunar lullabies of hope.

almost dawn, I walk with others,
keeping close, my little brother.
hand in hand, we carry courage
escaping closer to the border.

My feet are lightning;
My heart is thunder.
Our pace draws us closer
to a new land of wonder.

Posted in Writing | 22 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Haiku with Inklings

April 5, 2024 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday is with Irene at Live Your Poem

This first Friday of National Poetry Month, we have an Inklings challenge brought to us by Mary Lee Hahn. Mary Lee asked us to write a haiku sequence about poetry without using the word poetry.

I’ve been on an Emily Dickinson kick watching the surreal series “Dickinson” on Apple TV and reading through a dog-eared collection of her poems. When I read Mary Lee’s challenge, I decided to write individual haiku on slips of paper from the pile on the kitchen counter. That way I could arrange them in a logical/ illogical/ artistic/creative way.

I played with the order and this is what I have, for now. One of the best parts of writing poetry is revising, so I am open to rearranging and rewording or throwing it all into the flame.

Envelope opens
words release into hands
timeless treasure

2. Flame rises too high
under the white carnation
searing joy to ash

3. Whispers of wishes
within earshot of your eyes
written by my hand

4. Slips of paper
feathers folded in hope
message delivered

5. Metaphoric
company of lacewings
urging me to fly
Margaret Simon, draft

To see how other Inklings met this challenge:
Catherine @Reading to the Core
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Molly @Nix the Comfort Zone
Mary Lee @A(nother) Year of Reading

Today’s line is being added by Irene at Live Your Poem.

Posted in Creativity, Poetry Friday, Progressive poem, Writing | Tagged haiku series, Irene Latham, NPM24, poetry | 15 Comments »

NPM24: Spiritual Journey Miracles

April 4, 2024 by margaretsmn

Spiritual Journey Posts are gathered by Robert.

Robert selected the topic of everyday miracles for this month’s Spiritual Journey posts. Jennifer Jowett led us at Ethical ELA to explore a letter of the alphabet. Combining both prompts, I wrote about the letter M, my first initial that carries the legacy of my grandmother as well as the letter of my grandmother name, Mamère.

M is for miracle,
mountain of twin peaks,
how mothers are made, become Mamères
watching a boy learning to write his name-
“up, down, up, down”
ride the pen roller-coaster
how calligraphic M wears a fancy dress
to the letter party.
Maybe M moves mountains,
makes miracles, but most of all
M glows in the heart when your child mutters,
“Mom, I missed you.”
Margaret Simon, draft

I continue to find fascinating words to write about. Today’s word lulu means an outstanding example of a particular type of person or thing. Years ago we rescued a greyhound who came with the name Lulu. I had no idea that the name had this meaning. This poem is sometimes called taking a word for a walk.

Lulu is a luxurious word
we say with a lulling lilt
calling the lazy dog-
a lulu of a greyhound-
blond furry wind a blur
when she ran. She loved
lulu weather. We love our
Lulu memory.
Margaret Simon, draft

Leigh Anne Eck has the Progressive Poem today.

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing | Tagged alphabet poem, Ethical ELA, NPM24, spiritual journey, word poem | 1 Comment »

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Spider Lily

April 3, 2024 by margaretsmn

Spider Lily among cypress knees on Bayou Teche, Louisiana

I wanted this swamp lily to be a star lily, but research is telling me it’s a variety of spider lily. On Ethical ELA, the prompt by Wendy Everard asks us to explore the place of a favorite poet. I chose Mary Oliver and a striking line from her poem Fall: “what is spring all that tender/ green stuff”

I’m not sure what
heaven is
but amazement like spring
when all
green that
was hiding in tender
seed fills green
bridal bouquets blossoming beautiful stuff.
Margaret Simon, draft

I’m also writing a word poem each day. Today’s word is vernal which means of, in, or appropriate to spring. Today’s form is an acrostic.

Variety of colors
eagerly popping-
resurrection-
nature’s recital.
April, I
Love you.
Margaret Simon, word poem NPM24

Progressive Poem is with Janice Scully at Salt City Verse

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Progressive poem, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing | Tagged Bayou Teche, Ethical ELA, Golden Shovel, Louisiana, Mary Oliver, NPM24, spider lily, word poems | 8 Comments »

NPM 24: Toddler Play

April 2, 2024 by margaretsmn

Day two of the Kidlit Progressive Poem is with Jone today.

This National Poetry Month, I am writing word poems using random words that come into my life.

I’m taking care of my 4 year old grandson while his mother is on a work trip. Today’s elfchen is playing with the word shambles.

Shambles Elfchen

Shambles
of toys
on Mamere’s floor
a kingdom of pretend
Lightstep
Margaret Simon, draft NPM 24

I’m also following Ethical ELA prompts. Today’s prompt “The Magic Box” was an interesting practice in synectics, combining words together that normally would not be connected. The intent was to release some of the insecurity in writing, loosen our muscles so to speak.

Whistle While you Walk

Wisteria hangs like lavender bubbles
marching across the dog-ditch.
Like a child, blossoms whisper,
“I exist to please you.”

We are all monster trucks traveling
through construction, a long and dusty road.

Take me on a spring walk,
blow a dandelion–a train whistle
to the wild world.
Margaret Simon Magic Box

Posted in being mamére, Poetry | Tagged elfchen, Ethical ELA, Magic Box poem, NPM2024 | 3 Comments »

National Poetry Month 24: Here We Go!

April 1, 2024 by margaretsmn

To begin our National Poetry Month adventure, start here with the Kidlit Progressive Poem. Today’s first line is with Patricia Franz at Reverie.

At Ethical ELA, Kim Johnson invites us to introduce ourselves using a hashtag acrostic. I was challenged by the repeated letters of my name. Like the spelling of Mississippi, I’ve always enjoyed the way my name repeats when spelled out: M-a-r-g-a-r-e-t.

#Margaret

#Mother of three strong women
#Ask me to dance
#Romantic hopelessly
#Grandmother of four potential difference-makers
#Artist of poetry
#Reserved until I trust you
#Early riser
#Teacher of gifted children

I love a good form for poetry and one I’ve played with often is Heidi Mordhorst’s definito. It is a poem of 8-12 lines appealing to children that defines a word. The defined word ends the poem.

Feline flexibility,
a natural mystery.
That deliciously pink belly
bouncing when she runs
can’t hide a surplus of fat
designed to save her,
but try as you might
to touch this soft spot,
Watch out! She will bite.
Don’t touch a cat’s tum-tum…
primordial pouch.
Margaret Simon, draft

Posted in Progressive poem, Writing | Tagged #Margaret, definito, Ethical ELA, NPM2024, Progressive poem 2024 | 1 Comment »

Slice of Life: Diary of a Sunset Paddle

March 31, 2024 by margaretsmn

Inspired by Molly Hogan’s post, “Diary of a Maine Spring,” I am finishing the Slice of Life March Challenge with a diary of a sunset paddle on the Bayou Teche. I’ve lived almost twenty years on this bayou named “Teche” (tesh) for the Native American word for snake. Not so named because there are snakes (there are), but because of its winding shape.

With our busy lives, work, school, activities, dancing, grandchildren, we don’t paddle our backyard as often as we “should”. Saturday offered us a window of time and a perfect weather day, low 70’s and clear skies.

My husband steers the canoe. I sit in the front and paddle most of the time. He allows me, encourages me rather, to stop and take photos. He even pulled the boat closer to the shore to take a photo of the white spider lily which is blooming now. I’m glad you can’t smell the huge dead garfish that was also on the bank caught up in cypress knees.

I nurtured my inner peace (One Little Word ’24) for a few hours of the evening. I let go of all and let God show me Creation at its most beautiful. An Easter vigil, of sorts. A perfect end of a perfect spring day. A sure sign of resurrection and life.

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Photography, Slice of Life | Tagged Bayou Teche, canoeing, Holy Saturday, sunset | 9 Comments »

Slice of Life: The Age Thing

March 30, 2024 by margaretsmn

I wasn’t going to bring it up. But she did. In our long conversation in the Lowe’s Garden Center, we reminisced the days when our girls were young and going to a “sweet school” that will close its doors this year.

I didn’t want to talk about it. She said, “I’m feeling afraid. I’ve lost three friends in the last week. I just came from another funeral.”

I tried to hold back the tears. “I know,” I said.

She brought up her own ailments, a torn up shoulder, an aching back. I said, “Oh, no. You are younger than me.”

“I’m 62,” she said.

“Me, too.”

The age thing… I wanted to switch the topic quickly, but wasn’t sure how.

Then Suzy walked up and hefted a huge bag of dirt. “Can we help you with that?”

“No. I got it.”

Then Suzy talked about her upcoming birthday. On Easter Sunday, she will be 83.

I want to be hefting bags of dirt and building a fountain and taking care of great grandchildren. Suzie gave us hope in this aging thing.

Aging Elfchen

Age
ticks by
before you realize
a lifetime has flown–
Dance-on!

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

Posted in Writing | 11 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Elephant Pantoum

March 29, 2024 by margaretsmn

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.

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Travel, Writing | Tagged #Poetrypals, African elephant, elephant pantoum, Michelle Kogan | 13 Comments »

Slice of Life: Blue Dog Grammar

March 28, 2024 by margaretsmn

George Rodrigue was born in New Iberia, LA and is famous for the Blue Dog. I never met him, but our town celebrates him with a pocket park on Main Street. The Bayou Teche Museum acquired a display of his studio.

Our students will be touring an exhibit of George Rodrigue’s work today at the Hilliard Museum in Lafayette, LA. To prepare my students for this field trip, I shared the story of the Blue Dog and let them choose a work of his art to write about.

John-Robert chose a painting with a gravestone for Tiffany. We googled the words “Tiffany + George Rodrigue” and found out that Tiffany was Rodrigue’s pet whom he based the Blue Dog on.

Oh Tiffany
where have you gone
after all you’re right here

under That Lovely Cyprus tree
Why are you still hiding from me
I’m just A Blue dog

I go to the village
THEY SHUN ME AWAY
“Leave evil spirit!”

They see me and run
why
even when I adore the limbs of humans they run

So I have left to roam near only friend
to protect her in the stone box from them
all I want is to see her again no matter when

Oh Tiffany
where have you gone
after all I’m back from the hunt
so when is when
John-Robert, 6th grade

As a teacher of this bard, I hesitate to criticize at all. This is JR’s first and only year in my class. He has been writing poems every day in his notebook. None of them have capital letters or punctuation. When it comes to essays, I talk to him about the grammar choices he makes (or doesn’t make), but I still leave his poems alone.

I wish you could hear him recite them. He sounds like he’s reading from his very soul. I’m often left speechless. In my opinion, and I’m hoping it’s the right one, his creativity is a delicate thing. I want him to keep writing long after he’s been with me.

JR is my Emily Dickinson, writing far above my level of understanding. I think I will continue to leave him alone with his poems. He tells me he “knows” the grammar rules. He doesn’t know why he doesn’t use them. It’s as though his thoughts won’t allow for the crowding of periods and commas, capital letters, etc.

What’s an ELA teacher to do with that?

Posted in Gifted Education, Poetry, Writing | Tagged Blue Dog, George Rodrigue, grammar | 9 Comments »

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