#smallpoems | Reflections on the Teche

Posts Tagged ‘#smallpoems’

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Clover

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Clover, haiku, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on March 9, 2022| 32 Comments »

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

March is the season for clover. It’s popping up on lawns, in fields, everywhere. I love remembering my childhood in clover, sitting with friends and weaving long chains of clover flowers into crowns, necklaces, veils, anything a princess may need. Clover enhanced my play as a child growing up in Mississippi. I can still smell the freshly mown clover.

Kim Douillard wrote on her blog recently that a colleague of hers described haiku as “in one breath.” I love that thought and encourage you to try a breath of a haiku about clover, spring, childhood, whatever comes to mind. Leave a small poem in the comments and write encouraging responses to other writers.

Breath of fresh clover
becomes a princess crown in
a field of wonder
Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Beach Bubble

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing, tagged #haiku, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, beach, Kim Douillard, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on February 16, 2022| 20 Comments »

I follow teacher/writer/photographer Kim Douillard who lives in California. I envy her beach photos. Images of the beach take me away. They have the power to relax me. This photo brought me joy. One of my grandsons is particularly attracted to bubbles. If he is having a tough time, a single session of bubble time will soothe him. What is it about bubbles that is both fascinating and calming?

Bubble on the beach by Kim Douillard
on Instagram as @kd0602

You reach out to touch
knowing your touch will destroy
beauty in thin air.
Margaret Simon, haiku draft 2022

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Balancing Stones

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, cairn, labyrinth, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on February 9, 2022| 12 Comments »

Welcome to Wednesday again. Time to take a minute to observe, breathe, and write. This week’s photo is one I took of balancing stones I’ve placed in a front flower bed. I gathered the stones from a labyrinth at Solomon House, our church’s outreach mission. The labyrinth was not being used and there were some maintenance issues, so the board decided to dismantle it. I feel the stones still have spiritual significance, so I stacked them. The literal term is cairn.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5

What are your gifts?
How do you balance gifts
and beauty
and time?
Will you ever find peace of mind?
Look to the stones.
Together they form
one
balanced structure.
It’s possible.
Margaret Simon

Please share a snippet of a poem/ thoughts in the comments. Encourage other writers with comments.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Adventurers

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing, tagged #smallpoems, grandchildren, Janet Fagel, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on February 2, 2022| 23 Comments »

This week’s photo comes from Janet Fagel’s daughter-in-law who captured a special moment when her children, Janet’s grandchildren, were walking at Washington Crossing Park in New Jersey.

Out for a brisk walk with their wonderful mom, the kids ask: Can we be adventurers today? Her answer? Absolutely!!!
Janet Fagel

On Facebook, a friend responded “The first photo reminds me of this photo by W. Eugene Smith. It is on the last page of the book The Family of Man.”

I’m loving this line as a striking line for a poem.

We walk a
step & another into a magical world
side by side, brother to
sister we’ll always be.
We were born born
for this adventure under
a canopy of trees, your
refuge the sound of our footsteps.
Margaret Simon, draft

Please write your own small poem in the comments or on your blog. Leave encouraging comments for other writers. Most of all, have fun!

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Snowgirl

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing, tagged #smallpoems, Molly Hogan, snowgirl, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on January 19, 2022| 55 Comments »

Winter is here and in many places around the US, mounds of snow. In the deep south, we are expecting an Arctic blast later this week that may (accent on the word may) bring a mix of winter precipitation. The last time I was able to build any semblance of a snowman was in March of 1988. This is not true for my friend Molly in Maine. She posted a most amazing snowgirl that her daughter, Lydia, had created using old garden leftovers to accessorize. Let’s entertain our child-muse today and write a small poem about her. Feel free to give her a name.

Betty White
Blonde pom-pom poofs
fool you into thinking
this girl is ditsy.
Don’t
underestimate a girl
with sunlight
in her hair. She’s a star
in her own galaxy.
Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Frost Flowers

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Frost flowers, natural beauty, Susan H. Edmunds, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on January 12, 2022| 27 Comments »

January has so far given us temperatures as high as 80 degrees and as low as 29. I’ve brought plants in (and back out and back in). I’ve gathered milkweed with monarch caterpillars. I’ve worn a heavy coat and shorts. Winter in South Louisiana has gotten weird. The Japanese magnolias are in full bloom. The sunrise and sunset are bright red. Since the New Year, I’ve released three monarch butterflies. And everywhere, Omicron Covid is on the steep rise. Nature is speaking. Is anyone listening?

Last night I had chosen a sunset photo from my phone; however, a sweep through Facebook revealed an amazing natural phenomenon from my friend and naturalist Susan H. Edmunds. She granted creative permission, so today I give you a rabbit hole you could choose to go down: frost flowers.

Frost flowers! When the temperature quickly drops, as it did last night in rural St. Martin Parish, sap remaining in the plants’ stems begin to freeze and crack the stem. When this liquid exudes through the minute cracks, it freezes and forms beautifully delicate frost flowers that vanish when the sun’s golden rays touch them. Isn’t nature just grand?
Susan H. Edmunds, Facebook Jan. 11, 2022

Golden light on frost
illuminates, melts away
cold morning moment.
Margaret Simon, draft

Write your own small poem in the comments. Leave encouraging comments for other writers.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Blue Ridge Mountains

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, Blue Ridge Mountains, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on January 5, 2022| 29 Comments »

This week it’s snowing in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but last week the weather was mild. Cool enough to set a fire outside in the fire pit, yet warm enough to run and play without a jacket on. Our family vacation the week after Christmas was as good as it gets. I wrote about it here for Slice of Life.

Today’s photo was one I took in the late afternoon as the sun was setting over the hills beyond our mountain house. This photo captures the peaceful magic of time to do nothing much. As the weather has turned to winter storms and cold temperatures this week, I hope this photo brings a peaceful moment of warmth. Write with me. Leave your small poem in the comments and come back to respond to other writers. Happy new year of writing.

Muse in the magic
of a smoking fire
freeing your soul
to rest
on God’s roof.
Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Museum Dancers

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing, tagged #smallpoems, Christmas poems, Hilliard Museum, The Nutcracker, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on December 15, 2021| 22 Comments »

When taking photographs, you don’t always get the one you planned. We recently took my grandchildren to a local art museum. There were dancers in the gallery advertising an upcoming performance of The Nutcracker. I wanted my grandson Leo to take a picture with them. Well, he’s 3 and he was afraid of the dancers, so he kept his distance. I took this photo anyway. Now I look at it as a potential poem prompt.

The Nutcracker is as traditional in the United States as Christmas caroling. We all know the story. We can conjure the iconic music in our heads. It’s been years since I attended a performance of the ballet, but I have fond memories of going as a child. Play a bit of the music while musing on this photo, and place a small poem in the comments.

Snowflakes
flutter in–
a gallery dance
Margaret Simon, draft hay(na)ku

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Morning Dew

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Writing, tagged #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, dewdrops, Japanese magnolia, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on December 8, 2021| 31 Comments »

On my daily walk, I pass a Japanese Magnolia tree. I’ve photographed this tree often, and written poems about it here and here. On a foggy grey morning, the dew drops glistened as I passed. I was compelled once again to photograph this tree.

Secrets of the night
revealed
on dew drops
come morning
Margaret Simon, draft

Leave your #smallpoems #poemsofpresence in the comments. You may post on our Facebook page as well. Please leave encouraging comments for your fellow writers.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Candlelight

Posted in Gratitude, Photography, Poetry, tagged #gratitude, #poemsofpresence, #smallpoems, candles, holiday poem, This Photo Wants to be a Poem on December 1, 2021| 29 Comments »

I volunteered to host a holiday party way back in the summer when the living was easy. My Thanksgiving week was busy with family events, but we managed to squeeze in Christmas decorating as well. My youngest daughter Martha was visiting, and she has a good eye for design. She created a piece with candles and cedar branches and berries. When I lit the candles, I was surprised at the atmosphere of warmth and welcome they created. On a tricube roll, I wrote a gratitude poem for these candles.