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Margaret has talents for writing poetry and making poetry friends. A few weeks ago, Margaret announced a poetry-photograph swap. I joined and shortly after received two photos from Kim Douillard.
Kim and I live on opposite coasts of the US and in areas that are iconic. It was really fun to take inspiration from her photos and I cannot wait to see what she's done with mine.
I sat with Kim's photos and let the ideas play around in my head for a bit...then poems showed up.
Photo 1.
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The
first is of the flower fields with the Encina Power Plant in the
background—iconic images from Carlsbad. Kim Douillard
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I'm taking a tip from Alice Nine and writing a little bit about my writing. When I first looked at this photo I was challenged because despite the gorgeous field of flowers, palm trees and Pacific Ocean there is that big ole power plant smack dab in the middle. After some doodling and brain storming the phrase "flower power" rather took over. Ha!
Photo 2.
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Sun setting behind a lifeguard tower last week at South Ponto beach—also in Carlsbad. Kim Douillard
Sunset
gathers
warm
to
sand
gathers
tide Twilights
to unveil
moon moon
gathers and
sunset stars
unveil
constellations Nights
and watch
milky way milky way
unveil count
twilights galaxies
watch
universe
tally
infinities
watch
nights
(c) Linda Mitchell
Writing about my writing--A sunset photo can be intimidating. After all, hasn't everything that can be written already been written about sunsets? When I feel intimidated I grab a form that helps me puzzle out an idea. The Skinny is a form that demands brevity. This series of three Skinny (or is that Skinnies?) allowed for me to write what I saw in a new way.
Thank you Margaret Simon, for continuing to widen my friendship and poetry circles. |
What creativity abounds in your photo responses! Flower Power Indeed! And that Tryptic of Skinnies is inspired. I love watching you play with forms and make them do what you will!
ReplyDeleteI love the graphic that you made with Kim's first pic, Linda. Mighty message with two words! The skinnies are a great way to show the evening movement, intermingling those sunset words, "tide, constellation, milky way, moon, stars" and of course "gather and watch". Lovely!
ReplyDeleteFlower Power makes me laugh! And your group of three Skinnies, which are very effective as a group, makes me think of how those rays of flower power could each be a Skinny too! They are all lovely but I like the first one best because of the way "gathers" accumulates.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed your poems, Linda! Your skinnies are so playfully in love with words and the cosmos. (You achieved originality about a sunset -- no small feat!)
ReplyDeleteFlower power, indeed! :) You're right about sunsets in poems, but look! You gave us a beautiful one! Thank you. xo
ReplyDeleteI love how your skinnies build on each other, Linda. The result is simple, yet powerful.
ReplyDeleteFlower power - that is so creative especially how the rays shoot out. I was going to try a skinny this week but that is for another time. You created 3-wow! #1 is my favorite and I am wondering if you and Kim would like to offer it (when combined) for my spring gallery.
ReplyDeleteThose are two challenging pics Linda! I like where you went with both. The skinnies just roll down the lines effortlessly–and the circular form worked perfectly in your poem. And what to do with that power plant–Yes fill it with power flowers, wonderful, thanks!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I love your responses to Kim's photos. The first one made me laugh--clever and creative and fun! Using three skinny poems together to respond to the sunset photo was brilliant! There's such a sense of expanding into night, rather than the typical focus on the shrinking/ending of the day. It's as if your poem celebrates sunset as the dawn of night. I love that shift of perspective! (and I think I feel a poem coming on....)
ReplyDeleteFunny thing about how photos inspire us. You wrote about the sunset, but I would have written about the lifeguard and the swimmers!
ReplyDeleteYour "Flower Power" is spot-on!
Both of these are great! I love how the words and image combine with the Flower Power. And your skinnies--I'm in awe at how easy you make it look.
ReplyDeleteFlower Power gave me a chuckle, Linda! I really love the rhythm of your first two Skinny poems and they way the capture the cycle of tides and sun and stars. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteSoooo creative, Linda - all. Love these responses to Kim's photos. The images and flow in that first sunset poem seem particularly gorgeous to me. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat skinnies. I like how far you've taken it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for Flower Power! Love it. You packed so much in your Skinny Poems. They flow together to expand our thoughts beyond day's end.
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