NPM24 | Reflections on the Teche

Posts Tagged ‘NPM24’

Poetry Friday: Haiku with Inklings

Posted in Creativity, Poetry Friday, Progressive poem, Writing, tagged haiku series, Irene Latham, NPM24, poetry on April 5, 2024| 15 Comments »

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.

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NPM24: Spiritual Journey Miracles

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged alphabet poem, Ethical ELA, NPM24, spiritual journey, word poem on April 4, 2024| 1 Comment »

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.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Spider Lily

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 on April 3, 2024| 8 Comments »

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