#beingmamére | Reflections on the Teche

Posts Tagged ‘#beingmamére’

Slice of Life: Birthday Twins

Posted in being mamére, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, birthday twins, grandchildren, smash cake on July 7, 2026| 10 Comments »

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

While most people were celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday, our family was tucked away at Minga’s pool. Minga is my mother-in-law and her birthday is July 3rd. She turned 95! Certainly a momentous occasion, but we also celebrated my youngest grandson Sam’s first birthday.

Stella, 5, Leo, 7, June, 3, Minga, 95, Martha with Sam, 1, and Thomas, 6.

All three of my daughters and their families gathered with us. We ate burgers and sausage prepared on the grill. There was a smash cake for Sammy and a creamy chantilly cake for my mother-in-law. My oldest daughter passed out Minga tattoos.

I stayed in the pool most of the time and watched the grandchildren. It was fun to invent pool games like mermaid poses with the girls and throwing-the-ball-while-jumping-in with the boys. We had a few bonks and dunks that led to crying, but for the most part, the day was joyous. At one point all three of my daughters were gathered around a small splash pool watching Sam play. Looking at him never gets old. We all agree he is the cutest.

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Poetry Friday: Singing

Posted in being mamére, Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, Inklings challenge, lullaby, Seamus Heaney on July 3, 2026| 21 Comments »

The Poetry Friday Roundup today is at Michelle’s place: More Art 4 All

Today is the first Friday of the month, so we have an Inklings Challenge. Catherine asked us to use a prompt from Audrey Gidman’s June list:

“Read “Digging” by Seamus Heaney. Think about something that has been handed down to you—from a parent, a grandparent, an elder in your life—that feels alive in you now. Think of how it is the same and think of how it has transformed in you. Notice how, for Heaney, it’s gardening and writing—two kinds of digging, but still the digging continues through the generations. Write a poem that digs into what was handed down to you and examines what you carry now.”

This summer I have been doing a good deal of babysitting for my grandchildren. This has been both a privilege and a challenge. I have a lullaby that was passed down to me that I sang to my children and continue to sing to my grandchildren (even to Leo who cringes every time).

Singing

Inspired by Seamus Heaney

My grandson asks for a lullaby
while he covers his head, hiding
beneath the blankets.

When my mother sang an operatic alto,
in a foreign language she’d never spoken,
I hid from her joy, let her vibrato shiver
my heart under a pillow.

I didn’t want to know opera
like her father taught her,
but she took me anyway,
read the plot before curtain call.

I made my body small
in the plush red theatre seat.

Now, I see her face in mine.
My voice cracks on the high notes.
My smile wrinkles into soft blush.
Singing was the last thing to go.

Here, I sit perched on the edge of the bed
leaning into a seven year old boy
claiming his independence
while wishing
for a song to cling to.

Margaret Simon, draft

Check out other Inklings poems below:

Catherine @Reading to the Core
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Mary Lee @Another Year of Reading
Molly @Nix the Comfort Zone

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Slice of Life: Think You Notes

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #KidlitProgressivePoem2026, haiku, think you notes on April 21, 2026| 7 Comments »

My grandson Leo is in first grade. Wait? What? Time flies, doesn’t it? He is a little sponge absorbing all of the learning. He doesn’t even realize how fast he is developing his verbal skills, but as a teacher and proud grandmother, I am keenly aware.

His mother has always been good about thank you notes. She’s passing that on to her children. He wrote me a thank you note for his Easter gift, but he wrote it on the envelope and put another envelope inside it for me to write back.

His misspelling of thank you to “think you” charmed my husband to say, “You should write him a think you note.”

Who knows if our correspondence will continue, but I wrote him a note about what I was thinking about. (I should have taken a photo.) And enclosed a self-addressed envelope.

I am writing poetry this month with Ethical ELA. Today’s prompt from Sharon Roy inspired us to write haiku about reading. I am reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. It’s my book companion when I can’t sleep, so I found this haiku.

Through my sleeplessness
gravity of rivers flow
hidden life below.

The Progressive Poem is with Irene Latham, originator of the idea, at Live Your Poem.

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SOLC25: Day 25: This Photo: Through the Window

Posted in being mamére, Photography, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on March 25, 2026| 3 Comments »

Stella sends me a heart through the window.

There’s a lot going on in the photo today. It’s not a great shot, but I love it for the action it conveys. I’m the shadow taking the photo. Stella, age 5, is showing me a heart through the glass. In the background, in typical fashion, Leo, age 7, is leaping. He was outside with his father helping with yard work (note the too big garden gloves.)

On Wednesday mornings I often have no real idea of what photo I will use as a poem prompt. I had forgotten about this one. What’s in my heart may not be in yours, but I hope you can find a way into writing. Please leave a poem in the comments and support other writers with your responses. All are welcome.

Your heart

Is in mine
nesting, nurturing,
urging me to capture
every moment
of your love,
through the window,
over my shadow
into my joy-glow.

Margaret Simon, draft

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SOLC26: Day 15: Where is your light?

Posted in Gratitude, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #40daysofgoodshit, #beingmamére, OLW, Pádraig ÓTuama, Rumi, Sacred, Simplicity on March 15, 2026| 6 Comments »

This morning I perused my inbox for inspiration, passing things by. It’s Sunday. I want rest and something spiritual to offer.

In Padràig ÓTauma’s substack newsletter, he posted a Rumi poem.

Here are my responses to Rumi’s questions.

What kind of hunter?

Where is your flower?

Where is your light?

Stella making bird art, a test run for my book release party.

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SOLC26: Day 6: Poetry Friday Becoming

Posted in being mamére, Poetry Friday, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, haiku sonnet, Inklings challenge on March 6, 2026| 18 Comments »

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Karen Edmisten.

I did not do my own assignment. I kept putting it off with excuse after excuse. This month I posed what I thought would be a simple, easy challenge for my Inklings writing group, “Write a poem using the word becoming.”

I searched my notebook, my Google Docs, and no miracle there. I simply had not written to my own prompt. Last night I decided to take inspiration from fellow Inkling Linda Mitchell and write a haiku sonnet. (She had shared hers at our meeting last weekend.) Form does not always become a poem.

Is it cheating to use a repeating line? After playing with the title “Becoming Spring”, I wrote the title “Becoming Beautiful”. Almost daily, my youngest daughter sends new photos of my newest grandson. Yesterday she sent this one with the text, “Someone had a cute spurt today.” We all marvel at how this baby just gets more and more adorable.

Nevertheless, here is my down-to-the-wire draft of a haiku sonnet for this cutie.

Becoming Beautiful

You are born with it
in the deep blue of the sea
you glisten like gems

You are born with it
eventually you smile
at your mother’s stare

You are born with it
shine like the full blood moon
a friend to the sun

You are born with it
because that is who you are
someone’s true love

No need to apologize
Be beautiful as you are

Margaret Simon, for Sam, draft

Check out the brilliant ways Inklings responded to this prompt:

Mary Lee @ A(nother) Year of Reading
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Molly @Nix the Comfort Zone
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Catherine @ Reading to the Core

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Slice of Life: Did You Kiss?

Posted in being mamére, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, Laura Shovan, Leo on February 10, 2026| 12 Comments »

“Did you kiss?” Seven-year old Leo asked when I said we went dancing.

“No, we danced.”

“But did you kiss?”

“Not while we were dancing, but we can now.” Jeff walked over to me and kissed me.

Leo stopped asking.

What does he know of love? A long love?

On Monday, my daughter asked me to babysit Leo and Stella because they were not feeling well. When I arrived, Leo was set up on the sofa with a blanket, a stuffie, and a bucket, but it wasn’t long until they both perked up and were ready to craft Valentines.

Leo wrote (unprompted by me) in his journal:

Their energy increased, so we took the bikes out to the park nearby. I wrote this poem for Laura Shovan’s February project. Our theme this year is mysteries and the topic was secrets. I decided to ask Leo if he had any secrets.

True story

I asked him if he had a secret
while he shimmied down the fireman’s pole.
I love Abby he said.
Does she know?
I helped him write the Valentine
and tuck it in an envelope.
When his mother saw it, she said “How sweet! I’ll put it in the mail.”
Who is Abby?
I imagined a girl on the school playground running from my grandson’s chase.
Oh, don’t be silly.
He loves Abby, the dog.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Slice of Life: My Daughter’s Desk

Posted in being mamére, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, Georgia Heard, ordinary object, Slice of Life on February 3, 2026| 10 Comments »

I’m sitting at my daughter’s desk in New Orleans. She is on a work trip, and I’ve gotten her son Thomas to school. He’s in kindergarten. Our morning went so smoothly that I am questioning myself. I have rechecked her list, and we did everything. Nevertheless I’m worried.

Thomas has been struggling lately. The classroom environment overwhelms him, and he has meltdowns. My daughter is doing all the things. I am really proud of the way she is taking charge of the situation and working hard toward a solution. As an educator, though, I wish I could be a fly on the wall in his classroom to see the whole picture. As a grandparent, all I want in the world is for him to be happy.

At my daughter’s desk this morning, I read Kim Johnson’s SOL post about falling in love with ordinary things. Thanks, Kim, for the nudge to write a poem inspired by Georgia Heard’s February newsletter.

I’m sitting at my daughter’s work desk
falling in love with the winter slant
of sunlight
and the small pink framed photo of her
as a wild child, holding Pongo, the rat terrier.

Her smile is wide and open,
blonde hair flustered by the wind.
Is there a stain of chocolate on her chin?

Her wide smile,
that joie de vivre, is living
in her six-year old son today.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo wants to be a Poem: The Earth Snake

Posted in being mamére, Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #beingmamére, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, art by Leo, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on December 24, 2025| 5 Comments »

Yesterday was a full day of being Mamére with Leo, 7, and Stella, 5. We went on a walk in our neighborhood. There is a vacant lot where a new house will be built soon. They had done some dirt work, so there was a mountain of dirt. In the mud, Albert, my dog, had sniffed out a small snake, thankfully dead.

Being Mamére, I allowed Leo to carry the snake home. He gave it a bath and wanted to show everyone. When I brought them home, he opened his gift from my sister-in-law who came with me specifically to see the kids open their gifts from her.

He opened a huge set of paint markers and a new art tablet and immediately drew this illustration. He also wrote this story.

Of course, he made this writer grandmother proud. Today, I am pulling from his writing a small poem. The elfchen form includes 1 word topic, 2 words, what topic does, 3 words, where or how, 4 words, what do you mean, and 1 word, outcome.