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Posts Tagged ‘#smallpoems’

Photo by Mary Lee Hahn

After NCTE, my Inkling friend Mary Lee also stayed in Denver as a tourist. She sent me some of her photos of murals. I chose this one today to pair with Georgia Heard’s prompt “Write about a sound in nature that calms you.”

In my Wordle attempts this morning, I used the word “flame.” The line of hot pink at the bottom of this mural reminds me of the burning of cane fields that happens this time of year.

When you write today, can you find a word to use in a new way, playing with metaphor?

Morning wakes
with the call of barred owls
hooting up
a flame of grass fire
filling this day
with sweet light.

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Last week in Denver I took pictures of murals. They were everywhere. Today for this photo I chose this beauty.

Georgia Heard offers a monthly prompt calendar. Today’s prompt is to write 5 small things you are grateful for. After a very full Thanksgiving weekend, I am enjoying the silence of this cold morning.

  1. Morning quiet
  2. Warm poodle on my lap
  3. Fog on the bayou
  4. Sleep
  5. Writing

In gratitude, I offer this small poem. Please consider writing your own small poem in the comments. Encourage other writers with your responses.

In her silent reverie,
she doesn’t notice
the squirrel on the ground
lifting a tiny petal
she dropped,
joining her in gratitude.

Margaret Simon, draft

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“Down Da’ Bayou”

For now, the super moon’s hidden
in the daylight.
For now, our canoe
reaches for the sun.
For now, bayou waters
are chilled by the wind.

Even now, I feel your strength
in the rowing.
Even now, I believe our source
is love.
Even now, my choice is stay.

Margaret Simon, draft

I took this photo on a recent canoe paddle on Bayou Teche. We laughed at the new sign, but a silly poem didn’t come as I wrote. In my notebook, I had written the repeated line “for now” and “even now” and wanted to play around with it a bit.

I invite you to write what comes today. Please leave a small poem in the comments and encourage others with your comments.

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Alien caterpillars

I bought butterfly plants in the spring.
Spring turned to summer.
I watered. They survived.
Summer turned to fall.
I watered. They survived.
On first inspection,
I thought my plant had a disease.
What weird fungus was growing?
I opened Google lens. AI generated a match.
Giant swallowtail caterpillars!
A little lesson from Mother Nature:
Do not destroy what you do not know.

Once I figured out what the alien caterpillars were, I put the plant (rue) inside an enclosure. I am excited to watch this process. I wonder if the chrysalis will stay over winter.

This month, I am participating in the National Writing Project’s Write Out, a program supported by the National Parks. Of course, writing outside can happen anytime of the year. The resources at Write Out are exciting and easy to use. Please join in writing today by leaving a small poem in the comments. What lessons do you learn in nature?

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On Monday and Tuesday, my grandchildren had Fall Break. They spent it with me. The fall mornings have been cooler, so we spent the good part of Tuesday morning outside. This photo was taken at Devil’s Pond in City Park. Stella has downy white goose feathers in her hands, and she’s pointing to turtles out in the pond. Together she and Leo are counting the turtles.

One
Two
Three
Four
Turtles in the pond.
Come walk with me.
Let’s feel carefree
like turtles in a pond.

Margaret Simon, draft

This month is the National Writing Project’s Write Out, which encourages all of us to go outside to write. Prompts can be found on the Write Out website.

Consider writing a small poem and sharing it in the comments. Support other writers with your responses.

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Poetry Friday is gathered today by Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme.

Today is the first Friday of a new month, October, and time for an Inklings challenge. I asked my writing group friends to exchange photos for an image poem. I invite you to participate in image poetry every Wednesday right here with This Photo Wants to be a Poem.

My exchange partner was Heidi. She had the opportunity to visit fellow Inkling, Molly, in Maine this summer. I am quite jealous that they all made blueberry jam together. I could not resist the delicious collection of jars in Heidi’s photo.

Georgia Heard inspired my poem by sending her own recipe poem through her newsletter.

Click on each link below to see other image poem posts from Inklings.

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

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Today, I’m in love
with a purple wild petunia
popping like a party balloon
present and speaking
peace.
Margaret Simon, draft

Please join me in writing about what you love today. Leave a small poem in the comments and encourage other writers.

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Poetry Friday is hosted today by Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.

I have been comforted by all of the sympathy notes and messages from this Poetry Friday community over the death of my mother this summer. I appreciate more than ever how this community supports and cares for each other.

In the summer poem swap, organized by Tabatha Yeatts, Denise Krebs sent me two poems, a raccontino and an acrostic of my one little word, Still. She also sent a beautiful crocheted twirly that I’ve hung in my kitchen window.

Still acrostic by Denise Krebs
By Denise Krebs
Crochet Twirly from Denise Krebs

My response to Denise:

When a poem comes
wrapped in swirls of gold
and tied with a ribbon,
I open,
find,
feel myself
touching soft grass
with my toes
finding cool comfort
there.

Thanks, Denise, for your comforting words and gift of swirly gold.

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Sunflowers by Margaret Simon

My butterfly garden is a wild world of sunflowers and passion vine intertwining with mandevilla and a bottle tree. I would be inclined to trim it all, but it’s interminably hot in August and the butterflies and hummingbirds love it. I am hopeful I’ll see Gulf fritillary caterpillars climbing around soon.

Today, I am offering the elfchen form. This form contains 11 words in 5 lines. (First line: 1 word, second line: 2 words, third line: 3 words, fourth line: 4 words, and fifth line: 1 word.) More about the form can be found on my post for Ethical ELA.

Sunflowers
wiggle, wobble
late summer breeze
yellow as yellow is
uplifting

Margaret Simon, draft

I will not be able to comment today as I am traveling. There will not be a Photo post next week. Please write a poem in the comments and support other writers with encouragement.

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Water Strider by Molly Hogan

Summer is winding down. Although, the temperatures remain high. Once again, I turned to teacher-writer-photographer Molly Hogan for a photo prompt. Molly captured this water strider in perfect stride to open up a world. The photo itself is a poem.

It’s a just right day for a haiku. Please consider writing a response poem. Leave encouraging comments for other writers.

Glass pebbles glide
below water strider toes
tapping into green.

Margaret Simon, draft

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