Some days writing feels so hard, words seem elusive and out of reach. So on day 13, my poem is about the challenges of writing.
Words Fly
Some days my words hide
dipping down
under the lines
floating just beyond reach
of my pen
so shy
they perch
just beyond my mind’s grasp.
I pull at them
trying to get them to line up
like birds on a wire
some skitter as I get close
I move more deliberately
until finally
when the time is right,
they take flight.
©Douillard
How do you maximize your vacation on the day you fly out? Head to beach at the crack of dawn! The beauty of Hawaii is that the morning is warm and the beach pretty empty—perfect for that last dip in the cool blues of the sea.
And then 5 hours in the air gives quiet time for composing poetry. I’m not sure I quite got to any particular point…but maybe that is what poetry is all about. I followed the words, letting them lead me.
Day 12:
Water Blues
In the crack before dawn
morning rises fresh and new
dark becoming blue that
beckons us outdoors.
Breezes whisper nature’s secrets
in our ears
telling stories of
blow holes
and green shelled turtles
that give us reason to smile
and care.
Raindrops caress our faces
smoothing out the creases
of worry
carrying them deep
into the sea.
Stepping into the not-quite-warm
waters
where blue cools
concerns that churn
under the surface
splashing up waves
of frothy salty foam, intricate as lace.
Our eyes follow the lacy white
into a spectrum of blues:
the palest dance
along the surface
pirouetting into fine mist
keeping the air soft and moist
the darkest dive
deep
swirling with all the waters
through the ages.
Stories rise up
taking us on travels
through time and space
that skip and play like children
delighting in the unexpected
and wondrous.
Variations of blue
like a symphony
of sound and color
sing out
painting rhythms
on worry
sculpting melody
into hope
listen with all your senses
and you’ll hear the possibilities
as the sea performs
the water blues.
I know I’ve seen plumeria–those fragrant Hawaiian flowers–and some people even have them growing where I live in San Diego. But somehow it slipped my notice that plumeria is a tree! Today we took a walk through a plumeria grove–with many trees bursting with plumeria blossoms.
Tonight, as we celebrated our last night here in Hawaii, my sweet husband decided I needed a plumeria lei. It was such a treat to feel hugged by the tropics! The warm moist air encouraged the fragrance to emerge, perfuming both me and the air around me. Tonight’s poem tries to capture that moment using the brevity of Haiku. Here’s my attempt:
Plumeria
Delicate blossoms
Strung with love around my neck
Tropical perfume
©Douillard
I woke up this morning to a reminder on Instagram and Facebook that a year ago today I was snowshoeing on Mt. Hood (in Oregon)! What a contrast to my day today where I spent the day at gorgeous Hanauma Bay Nature Reserve (in Hawaii) snorkeling and basking in the tropical sun!
Here’s my poem for day 10 in 2019!
Paradise State of Mind
In the cool of the salty sea
tiny corals grow
colorful fish swim by
stopping to nibble
looking up into my mask
looking down my eyes meet their eyes
we acknowledge each other
and continue our exploration.
In the warmth of the tropical sun
palm trees sway
standing tall in the trade winds
water evaporates
from my wet skin
muscles unkink and relax
Paradise may be
simply a state of mind
One I found today.
©Douillard
A quick whimsical poem after eating way too much pineapple today!
Things to Do if You’re a Pineapple
Wear a flamboyant spiky hat
with a protective jacket textured with dragon scales
Grow sweet and juicy
from your vantage near the ground
Hang out with your friends in boxes that are shipped
around the world
Create sunshine and summer
wherever you are!
©Douillard
I found myself wanting to write about blue again. This place is all about blue and blue and blue…and then even more blue. I thought I knew blue, but the variations in shades are keeping my eyes in a constant state of definition!
So, in resisting the urge to write about blue, I find myself wanting to reprise a poem I posted from one of my students on our William Carlos Williams day. Caleb captured the wonder of that time after the exclamation point of sunset, when color expands in the sky…a watercolor painting, Mother Nature style.
Here’s Caleb’s piece (again):
The Colorful Afterglow
So much depends
upon
a colorful
afterglow
swarming with
bright colors
beside the turquoise
ocean
As I was thinking about this piece by Caleb, I wrote my own version as we chased the sunset at the end of our day today.
So much depends
on finding a path
that leads to the beach
in time to experience
the brilliance of sunset
against the roiling gray of clouds
threatening rain.
©Douillard
And you can see from my photo, we missed the “just right” sweet spot of sunset. Luckily, we enjoyed the exploration, the just-after sunset experience, and the sweet afterglow of the post sunset sky. After all, you can’t really go wrong in this beautiful setting!
Somehow Saturday evaporated and Sunday appeared…it’s Spring Break, so my schedule is disrupted as I travel and enjoy some vacation time. But I continue with the poem-a-day challenge…here are entries 6 and 7.
Day 6
Flight 297
They queue
single
file
into the heavy metal tube
soon
it will hurtle
through the sky
bird-like
but not.
Once inside
they vacillate
between
fear and boredom
seatbelts latched
tray tables too
eyes glazed
by movie after movie
restless to arrive
hours crawl
moving back in time.
As never-ending approaches
they
land.
©Douillard
Day 7
A Blue Kind of Day
The day dawned blue
with light that warms
your shoulders
and your heart
Azure
Indigo
Ultramarine
Royal
Navy
Turquoise
Aquamarine
Sapphire
Teal
and all the colors nature invented in between
Blue that melts worries
lets you breathe deeply in and out
and calms the soul.
It was a blue kind of day.
©Douillard
With clouds so low
you have to crouch
tunneling through
moisture as thick as mud
Afternoon rays
raise the ceiling
pelicans wing their way overhead
perfectly centered
between
blue skies
and
blue seas
Spring whispers
in the sea breeze
dancing intricate patterns
with shore bird partners
All the while my heart
beats out rhythms of summer
a song of longing
and anticipation.
©Douillard
I’m not in the classroom on Thursday, so no stories of poetry with my students today. But yesterday we did have quite an experience in the science lab. You might remember that a week ago I wrote a post about grunion, our special little southern California fish. Well yesterday…sure enough, we had the opportunity to replicate the motion of the ocean and hatch tiny transparent grunion right in front of our eyes!
A spoonful of sand (that we hoped were laden with grunion eggs) in a glass baby food jar, some ocean water til almost full, twist the lid on, and then some gentle swirling or shaking…and voila! We noticed the eyes first, and then my students’ eyes opened wide. The wonder was apparent on their faces…and in their squeals of delight. Our science teacher promised she would take these babies back to their home at the end of the day. It was such fun hatching these very special fish, and getting a close-up view of nature in action. I suspect my students will remember this experience for a very long time!
And for Day 4 of National Poetry Month, a Tanka:
Grunion
Laid in midnight sand
rocking waves hatch fish babies
new eyes view the world
peering through briny water
can the babies hear the squeals?
©Douillard
I wonder if any of my students wrote grunion poems today.
Thinking Through My Lens 