Every week, Margaret Simon of Reflections on the Teche, shares a photo prompt and invites others to write a short poetic response. This week she shared two photos of butterweed flowers and some background information about them. She also mentioned that her husband mows around these flowers in their yard, because he knows she likes them. That inspired my response:
Outside the window,
spring dawns with jaunty blossoms.
Her spirits rise.
He mows around each cluster,
a gesture sweet as a kiss.
©Molly Hogan
I also was inspired by this morning’s lovely sky — variegated clouds and an almost-full moon. I only had my cell phone and it was still quite dark, so the picture I took looked a bit grainy or diffuse, more like a watercolor than a photograph. I loved the storybook illustration feel of it.
wolf moon skirts clouds
shelters in pine’s embrace
storybook morning
©Molly Hogan
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Jan Annino at her blog BookSeedStudio.
Nix the comfort zone 
Delightful poems, Molly! “Jaunty” is a wonderful descriptor. “Storybook morning” also.
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Thanks, Tabatha. I love the word “jaunty” and yellow always brings it to mind 🙂
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Love “storybook morning”. Your photo does look like a painting. Thanks for the This Photo plug.
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Thanks for sharing a prompt every week. I can’t always participate, but I love it when I can.
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These are both lovely, Molly. You capture the everyday in unexpected ways. Loving ‘shelters in pine’s embrace’ – and that sweet gesture!
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Thanks, Kat! Hope you’re all healed up now from your mishap!
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Oh Molly, what an amazing photo and poem! Storybook morning is perfect for your watercolor illustration! Gee, I love every line in your haiku. Thank you for sharing because your haiku is uplifting. I like your other poem also and I left a comment about it on Margaret’s blog. Your photo and haiku would make a beautiful card or look excellent framed. Or maybe you could show your students and see what they write from it. The ideas are endless! 🙂
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Thanks, Gail. I really appreciate your thoughtful comments. I wish I had more time in class to share photo prompts with my students…
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Wolf moon and storybook morning….what a word victory! Love it. Your pics even on a cell phone are pretty good! I do love the love note in your butterweed poem. Each of these poems is a gem for the week.
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Thanks, Linda. It felt nice to find some positives in the week. 🙂
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Molly, these are just wonderful! They both lighten my heart this morning.
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Thanks, Laura. I’ve been trying to find a more positive, lighter lens. 🙂
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Such lovely poems and photos! I hadn’t heard of butterweed before, and I’ll join others in their enthusiasm for “storybook morning.” 🙂
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Butterweed was new to me as well. Margaret included some fascinating information about it on her blog.
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I also have never heard of butterweed and it’s beautiful with it’s bright yellow color. I enjoyed your poems. The haunting photo of the wolf moon that I think came across beautifully.
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Thanks! The moon was so beautiful that morning. It really was inspiring.
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Such a beautiful collection of things in this post! I can hardly believe that photo was taken on a cellphone. It is wonderful! And I love both the poems. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Ruth! I really loved the illustrative quality of that photo and it was truly the inspiration for the haiku.
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Both of these poems are lovely. I love the last line–sweet as a kiss.
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I was so glad that Margaret shared that story 🙂
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Molly, I love how you incorporated the various elements of Margaret’s story into your first short poem. In your second poem I felt the gentle whisper of alliteration. These photo prompts have been served by your words. Great word ‘jaunty.’
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Thanks, Alan. I’m a big fan of “jaunty” as well. 🙂
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adding Jan’s comment that refused to “stick” when she tried to make it:
“Molly, hello there, poet.
Appreciations for these sweet & storybook poems with a lovely Margaret & Molly photo collaboration!
Jan/Bookseedstudio”
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Both poems and your morning sky photo prove the power of poetry – few words with great impact. Thanks for sharing your poetry with us, Molly. 🙂
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It’s a loving thing to mow around those flowers, for sure, Molly. I have that “Storybook moon” peeking at me this morning, no clouds today.
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I felt a heart-ping at the idea of saving joyful flowers some might remove, in the lawn. Both of these poems speak to me & highlight how you commune with so many aspects of nature.
Jan/Bookseedstudio
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I love your wolf moon haiku and image, the watery feeling to it, and “storybook inside”!
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