I’ve been participating in Ethical ELA’s monthly 5 day writing challenge. I love this community of friends. On Sunday, the mentor text was a poem “What I Want Is” by C. G. Hanzlicek. The prompt is here.
On Friday night and Saturday morning, we had Leo who is now 14 months and loves to walk. I took him outside in our backyard and next door to swing. My neighbor has 2 grandsons, too, so she has set up baby swings hanging from a tree. I really could not imagine anywhere else I’d rather be. So the prompt led me to this poem.
What I want is
what I havewhen I’m with him
walking hand around fingerdown the hill
to the bayouto wave at the canoers
even though they don’tsee us swinging
from a ropein the oak tree
laughing just becausethere are wildflowers
too many to countand a cool breeze
to catch our smiles ona day of only us
pointing at birdsflying overhead
Margaret Simon after C.G. Hanzlicek
Bird 1 Bird 2
On Monday I combined the Ethical ELA prompt to write a This is Just to Say apology poem with the image posted in Laura Shovan’s February poetry project.
This is Just to Say
I missed the turn
to school today.
My eyes were on
the cloudsSo soft and floating
like giant snowdrifts
above me in bouquets
of white roses.Forgive me,
Margaret Simon, draft, after William Carlos Williams
I’m late
my head in the clouds
dancing around in their fluff.
Finding daily prompts in my email inbox help me to pick up the pen and notebook and make something. Creativity feeds my soul. The positive loving feedback is fun, too.
Reflections on the Teche 