The end of August means time in Maine for my husband and me. We take this time before school starts to energize and get our fill of nature. My husband is a fine art photographer, and we spend all of our vacation time out and about recording the beauty around us. Earlier in the summer, I had a health issue that led me to create what I call “Mindful 8 Poems.” These poems are 8 lines long, and each progressive line has words with one to eight syllables. The first line contains a one-syllable word, and so on until the last line, which has eight syllables. I chose the number eight because it reminded me of the infinity symbol. Also, the number eight is a lemniscate loop, and because there is no clear beginning or end, it can be a wonderful tool for mindfulness, focus, and movement-based meditation. I want my Mindful 8 poems to represent an infinite, unbroken path, which would help quiet the mind and serve as simple meditations.
Since I know August is the calm before the Back-to-School storm, I thought I’d select some of my favorite Maine photographs and write Mindful 8 poems to accompany them. As I wrote them, I was struck by how peaceful I became. I concentrated on nature and tried to distill the essence of its beauty with spare words. This is becoming an important practice for me, and it also helps to alleviate writer’s block. The photos conjure up memories, the placement of the words helps me center my thoughts, and the entire creative process gives me a sense of calm. Please feel free to try writing some Mindful 8 poems, and please let me know how you found the process.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 
So much to love about this Slice. First, your intentional time outside with nature before work begins again. Such a great practice. Then the photos! Then the intentional Mindful 8 poems! Love the word choice throughout! And your explanation of why 8! Thnaks for sharing. Have a great school year!!
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Joanne, I can see the power of the mindful 8’s as I read yours enjoying the photos. I think that triangular trio of rose buds is a favorite. It was a sweet photo, but reading the words made me love these beauties even more.
Thank you so much for hosting yesterday on Ethical ELA’s OpenWrite. I think this would be a great prompt to bring there, a pairing with yesterday’s forest bathing. (And bonus, it’s already written!) Here’s the link, if you didn’t make a note of it yesterday: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LLRgF6AeQ22wQ24ATWfXXLBhsbqATAsgYWqjZ3UZAxY/edit?tab=t.0 🙂
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Thanks, for the link, Denise. I signed up for January. Maybe by then I’ll write some mindful 8 winter poems, but I can’t think of winter now!
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Joanne,
You’ve shared lots of beauty today: the gorgeous photography, your poetry defining and exploring the coast, an invitation to write. I’ve had a physically challenging summer and have found poetry and my new hobby (watercolor painting) to be cathartic.
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I hope that you were able to find some peace and tranquility in your final days in Maine. I’m thoroughly intrigued by your Mindful 8 poems and will definitely play around with that form. Thanks so much for sharing your photos and your poems. PS I do hope your health issue has resolved.
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Your poems are lovely and the photos divine, Those beach roses and shielded from the sea are magical reminders to stop and celebrate the days.
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