Welcome to another edition of The Monday Poems.
One of the things my daughter loves about bedtime is the nightly poem I write for her. She opens a special jar she keeps on a shelf in her room. The jar is filled with little, folded slips of paper that each hold one word.
I sit at her desk with a pad of paper and pen and wait for her to give the jar a shake, unscrew the lid, and pull out my word. Last night, my poetry prompt word was ‘pie.’ The night before, my word was ‘book.’ I have only as much time to write my poem as it takes her to brush her teeth, wash her face, and change for bed. Five to seven minutes tops.
Yes, sometimes she reads out my word, and I am absolutely uninspired. She gives me her sweet smile, wishes me luck, and in my heart, the last thing I want to do is disappoint her. I mull over the word, try to imagine what it means, not to me but to her. I wonder what I can write that will delight her. With that thought, the words begin to flow.
The poem I’m sharing today was inspired by the word butterfly.
Leslie Leibhardt Goodman 
Lovely poem! Keep it up with the magic of your words. 😊
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You always say the nicest things. 🙂 Thank you, Sid.
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Lovely and encouraging image.
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Enid!!! Yay! You’re here, I’ve missed you. I’m glad you liked the poem I shared today. I hope you and Bob are doing well. Sending hugs.
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Love this! You were really inspired!
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Ohhh, thank you, Jilanne! And yes, those little word slips my daughter gives me each night are filled with inspiration. I loved writing this poem for her. I’m glad you loved it, too.
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Such a beautiful ritual with your daughter — and a special challenge for you! She will remember these moments the rest of her life. Your poem is beautiful and inspiring! And, I’m partial to butterflies. I can’t believe you wrote it in 5 min.
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I work incredibly well when I’m given a deadline. I think this poem was easier to write in a short amount of time because I didn’t have to worry about rhyming. I started out by comparing a chrysalis to a school and a caterpillar changing into a butterfly to a child growing and learning. Once I knew what I wanted to say, I could write the piece. I’m glad you liked the poem.
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