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Posts Tagged ‘This Photo Wants to be a Poem’

This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Wild Petunia

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on September 24, 2025| 2 Comments »

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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sunflowers

Posted in Writing, tagged , , on August 27, 2025| 8 Comments »

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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Water Strider

Posted in nature, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , on August 20, 2025| 15 Comments »

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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Shadow Triptych

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , on August 6, 2025| 11 Comments »

By Mary Lee Hahn

On Poetry Friday, Mary Lee used this photo she took of herself with her brother and her nephew to inspire a triptych poem. I am reposting here with permission.

A triptych poem follows the guidelines similar to a triptych painting with three distinct panels tied together by color and theme. Here is a copy of Mary Lee’s poem about the photo.

I’ve been taking a course with Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. Last week she shared a poem by Matthew Rohrer, “There is Absolutely Nothing Lonelier”. I borrowed his first line to write my photo poem today.

There is nothing more hopeful
than summer shadows
following a path—
reaching long, like stilts
on festival clowns.
I wonder if my shadow
would fit in; it’s certainly tall enough.
Shadows still to welcome all.
Margaret Simon, draft

Please join me in writing today to this photo. Leave a small poem in the comments and offer encouragement to each other.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Red Hot Poker

Posted in nature, Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , on July 23, 2025| 5 Comments »

Red Hot Poker

The flowers I planted for the pollinators are loving all the rain we’ve been having. This one is called Red Hot Poker. Unfortunately, the stem weakened and it is now flopped over, but before that happened, I took this “portrait mode” photo.

I hope this invitation to write finds you in a place of peace. Please write a small poem in the comments and encourage others with your responses.

For each photo poem, I give myself a challenge. Today, I am trying a triolet. It is a poem of eight lines in which line one repeats in lines 4 and 7, line two repeats in 8. The rhyme scheme is abaaabab.

Red Hot Poker Triolet

Torch lily towers and shines
for the day will be hot and wet.
Butterflies float to its wine.
Torch lily towers and shines.
Summer firecracker’s a sign:
sweet nectar steams like a jet.
Torch lily towers and shines
for the day will be hot and wet.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Fingers and Toes

Posted in being mamére, Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , on July 16, 2025| 3 Comments »

Baby Sam’s footprints
Baby Sam’s fingers holding Mamére’s finger.

This week’s photos may be a bit selfish on my part. I hope you can find a way into writing from your own life. Leave a poem in the comments and respond to other writers.

Two weeks ago my youngest daughter gave birth to my youngest grandchild, Sam. He is absolutely perfect. I marveled at him for days. All his tiny parts, especially his long fingers and his tiny toes. Two of his toes are webbed.

I can’t really write anything that isn’t sappy, but never mind, just dig right in to it. Grandmothers are made to be sappy.

Perfection Is

Ten fingers
ten toes
that treasure your gentle touch.

Fingernails
tiny and sharp—
His simple signature.

Two hands
two feet
fill a heart with love.

Margaret Simon, draft

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Penguin

Posted in Photography, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , on June 11, 2025| 2 Comments »

Penguin at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, LA.

On Saturday, I toured the Audubon Aquarium at the fast pace of a 5-year old. This penguin was right up against the glass as if it was posing.

I invite you to write a penguin poem. Join us in the comments and support other writers with your comments.

Today I decided to write a Zeno poem. It’s a mathematical form created by J. Patrick Lewis using the sequence 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1. Each one syllable line rhymes. When I decide to use this form, I start with the rhyming word. For this poem I wanted it to land on the word fly. I made a list of words that rhyme with fly (cry, spy, by, guy, high,…) Then I wrote the numbers down the left side of the page.

Next, compose a first sentence. You’d be surprised how many sentences are between 8-10 syllables.

Zenos are fun to write. Mine came out quite silly, but I feel like that’s the point.

Mr. Penguin invites you in—
the water is
fresh as
pie.
That fishy scent
by and
by.
Secret power
makes him
fly.

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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Ode to Gladiolas

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , 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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Sunflower

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on May 21, 2025| 31 Comments »

Sunflower at Petite Anse Farm, May 2025

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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This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Bleeding Hearts

Posted in Photography, Poetry, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Writing, tagged , , , , , on May 14, 2025| 7 Comments »

Bleeding Heart vine

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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