This Photo Wants to be a Poem

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

Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana.  Margaret has been an elementary school teacher for 38 years, most recently teaching gifted students in Iberia Parish. Her first book of children’s poetry was published in 2018 by UL Press, Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape. Her latest book is Were You There: A Biography of Emma Wakefield Paillet; Margaret wrote poems in Emma’s voice as she worked through trials and tribulations of Reconstruction and a Jim Crow South to become the first African American woman in the state of Louisiana to receive a medical degree. Margaret’s poems have appeared in anthologies including The Poetry of US by National Geographic.  Margaret writes a blog regularly at http://reflectionsontheteche.com.

Inspiration 

Laura Purdie Salas held a weekly writing challenge for children’s poetry writers called “15 Words or Less.” She would post a photo and poets would write a quick poem inspired by the photo. Quick writes are good ways to exercise the writing muscle. When Laura decided to stop this weekly prompt, I decided to take it on. I changed the title to “This Photo Wants to be a Poem” and post a photo each week on my blog, Reflections on the Teche. (Teche is pronounced “tesh” and is a Native American word meaning snake. The bayou that runs behind my house is the Bayou Teche.)

Unlike Laura, I don’t stick to a 15 word rule. I simply invite a response. I often write in a form because small forms are helpful and provide poets with a container for their thoughts. 

Process

Is it trash or is it art? When my grandkids, my husband, and I were canoeing, we passed this piece of metal.

“Look at that! It looks like a heart.”

“I want a photo of it.” Jeff knows what that means. He has often rerouted our canoe trips because of my directions to get a picture. I was extra pleased when, by the time we made it back to the “art”, there was a beautiful reflection of it in the bayou water.

I hope this photo inspires you to stop and see. Maybe write a small poem. If you write a poem, share it in the comments and encourage other writers with responses. Today, I wrote a 15 word poem.

Margaret’s Poem

If you find
still water,
place a piece
of your heart near;
reflect imperfect love.
Margaret Simon, draft

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.