This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that we ask is that if you write, you respond to others to mirror to them your readerly experiences — beautiful lines, phrases that resonate, ideas stirred. Enjoy. (Learn more here.)
Our Host
Leilya lives in Ponchatoula, LA, a small town celebrated for its strawberries. She teaches and coordinates the English Education Program at Southeastern Louisiana University. Preparing future English teachers, she hopes they become caring, competent, and effective educators. She is an editor and contributing author of Where Stars Meet People: Teaching and Writing Poetry in Conversation. Her other books are devoted to teaching young adult literature in high school. Leilya loves people, cultures, and their rich traditions. She reads, writes, listens to music, visits her children and grandchildren, and enjoys traveling with her husband.
Inspiration
Every trip becomes a story because of the people who travel with us. Some companions make us laugh. Some get us lost. Some overpack, oversleep, or insist on stopping for every roadside pastry. Some only exist in books, films, or our imagination.
If you could take anyone on a summer adventure, who would it be?
Today, let’s play a little. You may write a limerick, a humorous poem, or any short playful piece about the person, character, or creature you’d like beside you on the journey.
Process
Write about your ideal, or disastrous, traveling companion. You may choose a spouse or friend, a fictional character, a historical figure, a celebrity, a pet, or someone unexpected.
You may write a limerick, or any other kind of a poem. You are welcome to play with words and exaggerate your companion’s habits for humor. You may just want to describe one unforgettable travel moment, or simply imagine where the two of you would go together
As always, you may ignore the prompt completely and write about anything you would like to share with us.
Leilya’s Poem
My Traveling Partner
There once was a man I adore
Who never quite rushes the door.
While I’m checking the gate,
He says, “Piano, piano. Just wait.”
Then buys one more snack from the store.
Still, somehow, wherever we roam,
With him every strange place feels home.
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers.
Good morning, Dear Friends, I am about to read your beautiful words, and while I was finishing up with my SI participants writing from the past two weeks, this little playful poem came to me:
The Best Ever
There is a wonderful little girl
Who’s the best companion of them all.
She sings and dances, twirls and swirls,
Paints, runs, performs, and loves to stroll.
This girl will answer any challenge call.
If you haven’t guessed it by now,
This is my granddaughter; she’s simply wow! 🙂
Once in a while I like to travel solo
What the heck? I figure, YOLO!
But it’s never as fun
Without my number one
As long as he doesn’t stick to me like Velcro!
S-Gel 0.7 mm Sharpie
for there is
always
somethin
to write on
but never
somethin
to write with
___________________________________________
Another great prompt and mentor poem, Leilya! I love the love and reassurance in the final lines: “Still, somehow, wherever we roam, / With him every strange place feels home.”
Scott, love the title. It is crucial at times indeed to have something to write with, so for this reason, I always drop at least two pens in my smallest purse 🙂 Thank you!
I love this poem for the travel companion prompt. And the very specific mm of that gel Sharpie is perfect. This is why poem titles are craft.
Leilya, I can hear the frustration of the speaker in this poem as they are trying to keep their travel partner on task. We’ve all been there. When I was much, much younger, I always wanted to go on a road trip with Hunter S. Thompson. It’s probably best I never did.
HST
There once was a writer named Hunter.
He was known as a belligerent confronter.
A road trip with him
Included some gin,
And an evening filled with his chunter.
Lol, Shaun! Thanks for introducing me to the word “chunter.” (And, I think, your road trip would have, likely, included much more than gin!)
Shaun, I think I’d, too, sigh with relief if such trip didn’t happen. No drunk, chuntering companions for me –lol. Thank you!
Gin. Yes. Perfect approach to this prompt and fabulous writing assignment for students for their choice resding or novel study to really get characterization. As for this Hunter fella. One night is enough, I think.
They’re a friend indeed
In a time of need
They offer care
In Shibuya Square
They comfort me
In the Arabian Sea
They keep me in motion
In the Indian Ocean
They’re my friend
In London’s West End
They stick around
In Puget Sound
They strengthen my core
In Singapore
They always stay
Despite what I say
They light my way
And they make me pay
Matt,
I love how each couplet transports us to an amazing destination. Some I recognize, others are now on my bucket list. Great poem!
…and that last line! I was awwww, how nice. And the I chuckled out loud!
Matt, as you take me with “them” on a trip through different countries and continents, I am trying to guess your companions. I thought, they were Kindle (or Google) books, perhaps? But now I am thinking it’s your tennis shoes. Well done! Love the rhythm and rhyme of your couplets; it allows to move effortlessly from one destination to another.
The rhyme adds such whimsy and the complete for offers white space to breathe between scenes in a way that is inviting for the reader, me, toward that evening end when the speaker is stuck with the check. Love an unexpected closing scene. Nice.
Matt,
I absolutely love this and how you find so many things to rhyme and make sense. I love the line “they always stay despite what I say” which is a true companion
Leilya, I’m smitten with your travel theme and am so grateful for your creative hosting this week to get us dreaming and wayfaring. I’m still at the poetry conference in Portland – – and took a coddiwomple over to Powell’s City of Books to get the book I’ve been waiting for months to be released last Tuesday – – a travel book, of sorts.
a Steinbeck-like is Lauren Hough
an author I would ask to go
to join my summer travel band
to see this Monster of a Land!
Thank you, Kim! I wanted this round to be less burdening with heavy topics–our lives are full of pain, grief, struggles, and challenges. This gives us a bit of a breathing room.
you chose such a great companion–books are always the best. I just looked it up and added to my list. Thank you for the suggestion!
Love this conference for poets for you and the group. Fantastic. Like you are the summer travel band of poets.
Good morning! When I read Leila’s comforting poem about travel, I tried to come up with a suitable companion for my travels. My friends take trips with me with great bravery— perhaps foolishness. However, no humans have been injured in the process.
Luck
I would like to bring Luck with me while traveling.
Not Bad Luck or their cousin Unluck
(although they have accompanied me often).
Good. Luck.
Let me explain.
Traveling with me is never dull.
Over the years, it has included:
Raccoons mating in an attic overhead,
skunk spray under a deck,
flea infestations,
a white horse emerging from the fog on a dark highway
(not the desert variety),
a mouse crawling across my sleeping bag,
a blizzard in October,
a blizzard in May,
an iced bridge,
iced mountain peaks,
hurricane winds in a house on stilts,
airborne lightning storms (with a man detoxing on my right),
and shut down airports.
Would you like to join me on my next excursion?
I guarantee you will not be bored.
And could you bring your friend Lucky with you? The Good one.
Not Bad Luck.
It’s probably a good move on your part.
Or maybe you should just stay home…
Gayle Sands
6/21/26
Your poem is so relatable because its applicable to so many settings. Buffalo, NY – St. Paul, MN – Billings, MT – most of Canada. And that’s just North America. Your poem has universality.
Adorable. The good one. Not the bad one. Such a clever take on this topic, Gayle. Made me smile, smile.
You got me again, Leilya, to write about a family member. Oh well! I’m glad they are positive!
Lovely Loving Trips!
Traveling with my daughter, Roz
To Europe, Africa, and Scandinavia
What a blast we have!
Traveling with my daughter, Roz
Has given me joy because
She takes good care of me.
For business, she gets to ride first class
And, occasionally she gives me a pass
To ride up there with her.
At hotels, better rooms we get
Not because I’m her pet,
But, because of her award points.
We’ve stayed at some really nice joints.
Traveling with Roz, I’m confessing
Has truly been a blessing.
For her acts of love,
I give thanks to God above.
Indeed. Such a blessing to have all these experiences with your daughter. Hopefully she let’s you in first class every trip going forward!
How fun, Leilya!
Next to Me
You next to me
will always be
what I want.
On a bus,
in a car,
on a plane,
on a train…
by your side
as your guide
will always be
what I want.
I feel safe
I have fun
I wouldn’t want
to be with anyone
else.
You speed me up;
I slow you down.
I navigate;
You drive around.
You are the yin
to my yang
with every little thang
we do.
On the short trips
or the long
I can never go wrong
with you next to me.
~Susan Ahlbrand
21 June 2026
Susan— love the love in this. “I can never go wrong with you next to me”.
Leilya, I love you limerick. I can so relate to how unrushed your husband is. Mine doesn’t plan the trips, so he doesn’t take on my anxiety over getting to the gate early.
I have never been very good at limericks, but really wanted to try one today. When we take family vacations, the boys (especially my son-in-law) love to play on my fear of snakes. On our recent trip, I came to expect their snake antics.
There once was a time I feared snakes
even when clearly they were fakes
On family vacation
imagine boys’ frustration
when I just laughed at my mistake.
This is really funny, Margaret! It brought to me a memory of fake snakes, one that my husband would hang inside the hood of the car so that when you opened it, it would hang out. Yeek!
Love this!
Margaret, this is a funny one. I am afraid of snakes, too, and would, probably, jump at the sight of the fake one. Good thing you know your son-in-law and his tricks.
Leilya, we learn to love (and become vexed by) the idiosyncracies of those we spend the most time with. That you know this habit so well attests to the time you’ve spent together. The pattern of the limerick highlights your unexpected reveal for readers while conveying the expected as only you would know it. (There can never be too many snacks for the road!)
House Guests, Fish, and…
These last five days I’ve not journeyed alone.
His arrival caused quite a groan.
A companion attached,
his presence unmatched,
Please move on, you damn kidney stone.
Ugh! Kidney stones are the worst!
I really enjoyed your rhyming scheme
Ooooh! 🫣
Oh, Jennifer, that companion of yours is not just annoying; it’s a real pain. Hope you find some remedy soon. Hugs!
I love this poem and yes kidney stones hurt!!!!
My Companion
You are a social butterfly
together there isn’t a dry eye
we are so funny
when together we are so runny
your patience is so high
Alicia, to find a partner with patience is one of the best gifts. Your appreciation for the compatability between the two of you rings clear through every line. The movement from the singular you to your togetherness in much of the poem highlights the strength of the relationship.
I chuckled at “together we are so runny.”
Alicia, this is so sweet! It’s truly a blessing to have your companion to be “a social butterfly.” On a second note, being patient might be even a better gain. Double lucky you are! Thank you for writing.
I often do songwriting while hiking.
Kevin
Sometimes, I’ll take a new song
as my hiking companion,
a voice in my head only
I can hear
It’s best in rhythm,
the motion of walking
synchronized to the beat
of my ear
I’ll work out the rhymes,
the rhythm of lines,
I’ll put the song on repeat before
it all disappears
Later, upon returning
to the place where I’d been walking,
I hear the echoes of melody:
the song lives there
Oh, Kevin, song is a great companion. You are so true to your music soul. Love the final stanza; it reminds me of Longfellow’s “An Arrow and a Song” poem’s ending.
Kevin, it always amazes me what can be worked out through a walk – plot structures, worries, comebacks to previous conversations… Your connection between the motion of walking and the rhythm of songwriting works beautifully. And I love that your return echoes melodies. It reminds me of revisiting a childhood home.
Kevin, I love how the song lives on in the place where you were walking. Do you speak into Notes or take a pencil and notepad with you? My Notes app doesn’t always understand the words I say and I get home and read something funny, not at all what I was thinking.
Kevin,
You created the image and rhythm of walking and the song so well. It reminded me of long, morning walks to school and creating unheard melodies as I stared at the sidewalk. I wish we had the technology back then to record those moments of inspiration.
Vecinos Molestos (Annoying Neighbors)
Give me El Taladro, the rock-penetrating drill
flecking Roman walls through the streets.
My dear, Italy, can you take back El Porculero,
the brute slinging slurs at dawn on speaker,
throwing tantrum-beats through honeycombed
dwellings, ringing peace from wrought-iron
balconies, an unwanted duet with Pablo’s
guitar. O, Barcelona, of tattooed bodies,
futbol graffitied store fronts, Chilean poets’
verse floating from helicopters into hands! I
fear my love will turn to fisticuffs with El
Porculero today, pounding in Lingua Franca
Silencios! Prayers today, the signal between
fed-up neighbors rest in walls not to cross
our thresholds. From poems falling from
Plaça Nova skies, I take note, crafting
Spano-Italian letters to slip under Porculero’s
door asking for quiet. Neruda said poetry
is an act of peace, after all.
Interesting article about noisy neighbor LAWS in Spain.
Seriously, Dan almost knocked on our neighbor’s door today to tell him to shut the F up. It was intense!
Sarah
The condensing of text in your poem gives it a tense, angry, frustrated tone — and then there are those poems falling from skies. I imagine the flutter.
Kevin
Sarah, first, I am sorry about the El Porculero neighbors; it is quite annoying (vecinos from vex, vexing?) I love your use of Spanish to name negative experiences. This poem is taking care of you today. I hope your words in a note will help establish peace and quiet with neighbors. Neruda was a wise man.
As the article say, maybe they just don’t realize how loud they are 🙂
Well, the good news is that you may have found the best place to retire once your hearing goes bad (surprised to see Japan has a higher level of noise, considering their culture of respecting others). Your poem highlights why living in a culture is so important to learning its language – you’ll never forget the word taladro in relation with the experience (just as freins became so important to me while driving in Quebec). Sending good thoughts that your note will work – if not, perhaps convincing the helicopter pilot to focus on poems themed around quiet might send a message from the gods.
Sarah, ugh, noisy neighbors are the worst! I’m sorry you two have to deal with this. I love, however, your poem about it, your apostrophe pleading with Barcelona, she of the “tattooed bodies, / futbol graffitied store fronts, Chilean poets’ / verse floating from helicopters into hands!” And thank you for introducing me to “the bombing of poems”! I had never heard of that. (That would seem to be a lot of pressure for the verse, lol.) I hope your “note” helps, too. (And I love the Neruda reminder at the end: “poetry / is an act of peace, after all.” Amen to that.)