#poemsofpresence | Reflections on the Teche

Posts Tagged ‘#poemsofpresence’

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Ode to Gladiolas

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater, Georgia Heard, poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on May 28, 2025| 6 Comments »

May is a month for flowers. Last week sunflowers. Today, gladiolas. My friend Mary brought me a full bouquet with a variety of colors.

I am following Georgia Heard’s calendar and on Sunday, the topic was “what quiet sounds like.”

An ode is a poem of praise. I was also inspired by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater’s Ode to Seeds “Seedsong” from Poetry Friday.

Ode to Glads

Oh, the silence
in your lavender
touched by white
laced around a tall stalk.
It’s hard to believe
how you grow
perfectly perched
upon the soil,
now delighting
my kitchen table
with joyful obedience.
I love you.

Margaret Simon, draft

Please join me in writing a small poem of praise about May flowers. Leave your poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging words.

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Poetry Friday: Demi-Sonnet

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, Demi-sonnet, Ethical ELA on May 23, 2025| 14 Comments »

Poetry Friday is gathered today by Michelle Kogan.

For 5 years I’ve been participating in Ethical ELA’s #verselove and #openwrite. This month Sarah Donovan (whose brainchild is Ethical ELA) led us in 3 days of Open Write prompts. One of these prompts was to write a demi-sonnet. This form includes 7 lines with semi-rhymes. One of Sarah’s suggestions was to write about a moment you almost missed.

At the moment I was holding my pen above my notebook I could hear the loud morning call of a wren outside. Writing in May has been hard for me. It’s a busy month as school winds down. This May has been particularly hard as I cleaned my classroom for the last time. My demi-sonnet turned into advice for myself.

I Almost Missed the Call

Morning wren calls my inner critic’s bluff
repeating wake up, wake up, wake up.
I almost missed its call
holding me accountable for my role.
Open the blank page, it is enough.
Ink seven lines of poetic stuff.
Bloom from an imperfect soul.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sunflower

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, fibonacci poem, flowers, New Iberia, Petite Anse Farm, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on May 21, 2025| 31 Comments »

This weekend was You-Pick Day at the Petite Anse Sunflower Farm. My daughter Martha was visiting with her little family, so we headed out Saturday morning to fill a vase for my book signing. The bright May sun was shining, and, with Martha’s help, we filled a vase of beautiful sunflowers. I love this annual event. Jennifer and Andy welcome visitors with buckets, clippers, bug spray, and conversation.

Sunflowers are living examples of the Fibonacci series, so I feel a fib poem is an appropriate small form. The syllable count is 1, 2, 3, 5, 8. Today on Georgia Heard’s inspiring calendar the prompt is “a letter to a place.”

Let’s celebrate May and warmth and flowers today. Please leave a small poem in the comments and support other writers with encouraging comments. Thanks for being here.

Dear
fire red
sunflower,
Thank you for your face
flaming from a stalk of grace.

Margaret Simon, draft

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Poetry Friday: The Meaning of your Name

Posted in Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, acrostic poetry, Georgia Heard on May 16, 2025| 16 Comments »

Poetry Friday is gathering today with Ramona Behnke at Pleasures from the Page.

I’ve been writing small poems this month following Georgia Heard’s Permission to Write Small calendar of prompts. Today the prompt was “the meaning of your name”. I felt an acrostic poem form would be a good choice.

The meaning of my name “Margaret” is pearl. I’ve known this, but I didn’t know why until I did some quick research on pearls. Apparently, the Persian word for pearl is margarita, which is the source of the name Margaret.

Margaret is a pearl—
Alchemy of soft tissue
Restored over time with
Grit, becoming
Abiding beauty,
Resolving with genuine grace
Eternal gem
Turning

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Bleeding Hearts

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, ekphrastic poetry, Georgia Heard, shadorma, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on May 14, 2025| 7 Comments »

This beautiful bleeding heart vine was a small single branch when I took it inside for the winter. Last summer it didn’t bloom, but I saved it anyway. I’m learning this about gardening; As long as you see green, don’t give up on a plant. I didn’t give up, but I also didn’t have much hope. And now look! Not only is it thriving, it’s blooming. The blossoms seem to be hiding shamefully under the big leaves.

Google told me the symbolism of the bleeding heart flower is compassion. I think about the simple compassion I gave to this plant. It wasn’t difficult. Compassion should not be hard to give to others. I think it should come naturally.

Write a small poem inspired by the bleeding heart flower. Where are you needing compassion? How is your heart bleeding today?

You Belong

You belong
among white flowers
where stillness
grows heartwings
holding you in compassion,
acceptance, and love.

Margaret Simon, draft

My poem today is prompted by Georgia Heard’s calendar “Where you belong” and is written in the Shadorma form (3, 5, 3, 3, 7, 5)

Write a small poem in the comments and give encouraging feedback to other writers.

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Poetry Friday: Waking in Red

Posted in Books, nature, Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, Books along the Teche, Ethical ELA, ode on May 9, 2025| 13 Comments »

The Poetry Friday Roundup is being gathered by Sarah Grace Tuttle.

Last month I was writing a poem each day prompted by Ethical ELA. One of the prompts offered by Alexis Ennis invited us to write an ode to peace. This prompt landed on a Sunday when I had time to sit and sip on my back deck overlooking the bayou. In winter when I had to haul pots inside, I cursed my love of tropical flowers, but on this day, I was celebrating their quiet and bright emergence.

As I revised this poem, I asked AI to give it a title. I like the response, go figure, of “Waking in Red.”

Waking in Red

the corner of my heart
slowing for breaths
deep and long

on the cypress
the cardinal busy
on branches by and by

here is the ruby-throated hummer
humming a second longer

there the glowing sun rising
to light this day

space opens for red bat plant,
desert rose, and buckeye

skin warms
as I wake
with the power
of red.
Margaret Simon, draft

I am writing a poem a day in May using #poemsofpresence and #smallpoems. Many of them are inspired by flowers. I invite you to join me on Instagram.

If you live nearby, come by Books Along the Teche (our local indie bookstore) for our book signing. Books Along the Teche will take orders for signed books.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Fairy Door

Posted in nature, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #elfchen, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, fairy door, Kim Johnson, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on May 7, 2025| 16 Comments »

“Walking in the woods today, I came upon a fairy door,” wrote my friend Kim in a text. She suggested I use it here for a poetry prompt.

From Wikipedia: “A fairy door is a miniature door, usually set into the base of a tree, behind which may be small spaces where people can leave notes, wishes, or gifts for the fairies.”

An open invitation for imagination. I’m curious about the R on this door. Is it part of an alphabet trail? Is it the first or last initial for the person who made it? Is there a fairy with that initial?

Today I am choosing to write an elfchen. Somehow a fairy door calls for an elfchen poem.

Fairy
holds wishes
in the forest
Delicate balance of presence
Oracle

I invite you into this magical forest to let go of concerns and be imaginative. Write a small poem in the comments. Join me on Instagram during the month of May writing #smallpoems, #poemsofpresence. Tag me @margaretgsimon.

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Spiritual Journey: Blossoming

Posted in Gratitude, nature, Photography, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, #spiritualjourney, Georgia Heard, May flowers on May 1, 2025| 16 Comments »

Carol Varsalona is rounding up this month at Beyond Literacy Links.

“A world of grief and pain, flowers bloom—even then.” -Kobayashi Issa

Carol’s husband died recently and as she navigates her grief, I am pleased that she still wants to be involved in the wider world of blogging. I love the quote she offered by Issa. I received Georgia Heard’s newsletter in which she invites us to write small. Writing that is small can carry a large load or it can capture a small moment. Here’s Georgia’s May calendar of invitations.

Gardenia power
scents the whole kitchen with breaths
of grandma’s perfume

Flowers have brightened my daily walks this spring. With the sun rising by the time I head out with Albert, I’ve had more light to walk in. Sunrises, too, delight me. A spiritual journey is a daily practice of presence.

I invite you to write #poemsofpresence this month. I will post daily on Instagram. I will also give myself grace if I miss a day or two. May is about keeping myself grounded as the whirling ending of school presses upon me.

This desert rose thrives at my front door. Another blossoming welcoming spring.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Buttercups or Primrose?

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, buttercup, primrose, word poem on April 30, 2025| 5 Comments »

Growing up in Mississippi and now living in Louisiana, I always thought this flower was called a buttercup and grew wild on roadsides. This photo was taken in my neighborhood near the curb of an empty lot. These wild things love a bit of concrete to bloom from.

Yesterday when I googled them, I saw that I could actually buy seeds and that they were also known as a primrose. I love both of these names and wanted to play with them in a poem.

There is a poem form in which the first line is _______ is a ________ word. I came across this form when I was cleaning my classroom. Irene Latham had sent me two along with a collage in a summer poem swap who knows how long ago.

Buttercup is a bouncy word
open to the spring
of teacups with a dollop of honey
and lacy pink napkins.

Primrose is a proper word
holding out its pinky
ready to sip sweetness
among the wild grass.

Margaret Simon, draft

Please write a small poem in the comments and support each other with positive feedback.

The final line of the Kidlit Progressive Poem is with April Wayland at Teaching Authors. Hope over and give her some comment love, too. The line is a celebration. She’s asking for a title.

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