Walking Toward the Storm: SOLC 2019 Day 1 and Skinny Poem

Influenced by some blogging colleagues and my desire to get back to my writing life, I’ve decided to participate in Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.

I’m choosing to ease into the writing challenge and try on a poetry type I saw described by Margaret Simon on her blog not too long ago. She describes the process here. I don’t happen to have any metaphor dice (although they are now on my wish list!), so I came up with my own first line based on today’s beach walk. We’ve been having a very rainy winter and while today is not rainy, it’s clear that rain is coming. (The forecast is for rain all day tomorrow.) The clouds are hunched up low along the horizon, giving the beach a moody feel as I walked at low tide. I love the way walking into the sea breeze seems to blow the clouds out of my mind, clearing the way for fresh ideas and improving my mood. My feet find their own rhythm, accompanied by the constant backbeat of the waves ebbing and flowing. This is my definition of exercise, adding squatting low to pick up bits of sea glass or examine an interesting rock or piece of driftwood and balancing atop rocks to frame a photo to round out my workout. Mostly, though, the beach is an endless source of inspiration for my photography and for my writing.

Here’s my first attempt at a skinny poem (something I will be trying with my students one day soon!).

Clearing the Clouds

Walking toward the storm

alone

briny

billowing

breezes

alone

thoughts

twisting

turning

alone

clearing the clouds in my head

© Kim Douillard