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Posts Tagged ‘This Photo Wants to be a Poem’

SOLC26: Day 11: This Photo

Posted in Gratitude, Slice of Life, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , on March 11, 2026| 7 Comments »

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

This photo I took of a visiting cardinal. As the day’s news gets more and more tragic, I turn to nature. Some southerners believe that when you see a red bird, you are visited by a lost loved one.

This morning in my email feed, I received the word of the day from Merriam-Webster, besotted: “Someone described as besotted is so in love that they are unable to think clearly.”

I thought Besotted would make a good title for a poem. This is a drafting post. If you are inspired by the photo, please leave your own poem in the comments and support other writers with positive comments.

Besotted

You
in your red cardinal coat
distract me
humble me
enamor me
Perched with pride,
you say,

“I am here.”

Margaret Simon, draft

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SOLC26 Day 4: This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Blue Ribbon

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Slice of Life, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , on March 4, 2026| 10 Comments »

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

Weekly (almost every) on Wednesday I post a photo as a prompt for poems. I invite you to craft a small poem response and type it into the comments. Please encourage other writers with your comments. This space is meant to be a low stakes drafting space.

Somewhere on Instagram I saw a poetry prompt to begin each line with because. I decided to give it a try today.

Friendship Park, Ridgeland, MS

Tie a Blue Ribbon Round the Branch

Because she was running and lost it in the wind.

Because his eyes are still blue

Because we are walking together in silence

Because rain is falling softly

Because the moon is full tonight

Because there is a war and someone is waiting at home

By Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Owl Stump

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on January 28, 2026| 11 Comments »

Tree stump owl

I’ve been walking a different route recently and have seen this weird owl in the neighborhood. Let it be your muse today. In the comments, write your own small poem and encourage other writers with your comments.

Today I’ve chosen a tricube form. Three syllables each line, three lines per stanza, and three stanzas.

Tree stump owl
wise without
words spoken

Sees everyone
walking by
winks through shells

Remember
where you go
who you are

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Camellia

Posted in nature, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on January 14, 2026| 13 Comments »

It is a new year, and I’ve been contemplating whether or not to keep posting photos on Wednesday. I’ve skipped a few weeks and the world keeps going. In 2026, I’ve chosen sacred simplicity as my one little word(s). What can be more simple and sacred than this pure white camellia blossom.

One of the gifts of living in the Deep South is camellias. They are in full bloom this month. People are talking about it. Was it the big freeze last year that brought on the full blooms this year? Nature knows.

If you are feeling a little lacking in the inspiration department, stop by and write a small poem.

My poem draft comes from a word card I chose from Georgia Heard’s newsletter for January, “Quiet” and uses an anaphoric word “Today.” The last line turned melancholic as I have experienced some losses this week.

Today
the downy white camellia blooms
quietly in the winter yard.

Today
the cold spills inside
touching my toes.

Today
seeds are waiting.
My heart is still.
Every note from songbirds
scratch the surface
of morning dew.

And I miss you.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo wants to be a Poem: The Earth Snake

Posted in being mamére, Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , on December 24, 2025| 5 Comments »

The Earth Snake by Leo LeBlanc

Yesterday was a full day of being Mamére with Leo, 7, and Stella, 5. We went on a walk in our neighborhood. There is a vacant lot where a new house will be built soon. They had done some dirt work, so there was a mountain of dirt. In the mud, Albert, my dog, had sniffed out a small snake, thankfully dead.

Being Mamére, I allowed Leo to carry the snake home. He gave it a bath and wanted to show everyone. When I brought them home, he opened his gift from my sister-in-law who came with me specifically to see the kids open their gifts from her.

He opened a huge set of paint markers and a new art tablet and immediately drew this illustration. He also wrote this story.

Leo’s writing, age 7 (1st grade)

Of course, he made this writer grandmother proud. Today, I am pulling from his writing a small poem. The elfchen form includes 1 word topic, 2 words, what topic does, 3 words, where or how, 4 words, what do you mean, and 1 word, outcome.

Snake
Lay dead
dug from earth
a young boy’s buried
treasure

Margaret Simon, draft

Please join me today in writing a small ekphrastic poem. Have a wonderful holiday! Thanks for being a dedicated reader and writer.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Native American Mural

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on December 18, 2025| 6 Comments »

Denver Mural, photo by Mary Lee Hahn

Finding writing inspiration in the murals of Denver, this one took me two days to write, so I am posting on Thursday (rather than Wednesday) with a note about my process. I am experiencing some frustration with writing these days.

Yesterday when I looked at this image, I wrote “Her braid/ like a river/ binding her/ to the land.” I waited to see if something more would come to me.

Today I decided to play more with syllables and consider different articles (a river or a desert?) (binds her to her land or this land?)

I typed up the post and came back to it later. Sometimes the smallest of poems pose the hardest challenge.

Her braid, blue like sky,
like river in a desert
binds her to this land.

Margaret Simon, draft

If you find inspiration in this image, please write a small poem in the comments. Support other writers with your responses.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Nature Calls

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , on December 10, 2025| 7 Comments »

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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Denver Mural

Posted in Gratitude, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on December 3, 2025| 5 Comments »

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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This Photo Wants to Be Grateful

Posted in Blogging, Photography, Poetry, Poetry Friday, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on November 27, 2025| 19 Comments »

Crocheted tree wrap on the streets of Denver

I am happily home and cozy after being in Denver for a week of busy (NCTE) and, after Jeff came, walking. We clocked over 20,000 steps on Monday.

Today I am taking a day off before my family comes for Friday Thanksgiving. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the poetry community, so wonderfully kind and generous. Some of you I hugged and talked to at NCTE. Others of you stop by this blog and give support through comments. Reflections on the Teche (pronounced Tesh) is my happy place because of you, my readers.

Today’s photo is a crochet-wrapped tree. I’m using a free verse form today following a prompt from Joyce Sidman after her book Dear Acorn, Love, Oak: a compliment, a question, and a wish.

A Tree that Grows in Denver
Single crochet,
double crochet,
cluster-hills & valleys,
green, pink, purple
blooming round
a tree that juts from concrete.
Your colors give warmth
when times are tough.
Will you twirl with me?
I hope your dancing colors
fill the gloom with bright
like a vine that’s lost control
and only seeks the light.
(Margaret Simon, draft)

Poetry Friday will be gathered at Buffy Silverman’s blog.

If you are feeling the muse of this photo, leave a poem draft in the comments. Support other writers with your responses.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: #WriteOut with the caterpillars

Posted in nature, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on October 22, 2025| 8 Comments »

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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